Citing sources is the foundation of scholarly writing. Scholars of every type and rank regularly consult citation style guides. This guide should help you find all the resources you need to create accurate citations and lists of works cited in the three major citation styles (APA, MLA, and Chicago), in the sciences, and in a variety of other styles.

Use this tab (Major Styles) for direct links to BC guides and external guides on the three major styles.

Use the Citation Management Software tab to access software tools to help you collect, organize, and output citations and bibliographies automatically.

Use the Style Manuals tab to locate more comprehensive, detailed print and online style manuals for many different citation styles.

Librarians can help you locate the right resources for your research tasks, including style guides. Many librarians can even provide some citation instruction. For the following questions, however, you should check with your instructor:

• Which citation style should I use?
• Does this information need to be cited?
• When should I quote, and when should I paraphrase or summarize?
• How do I know whether my paraphrase is too close to the original language?
• Is this bibliographic entry correct?

APA

(American Psychological Association)

Psychology, Business, other Social Sciences

BC APA Guide        |   Purdue OWL APA Guide

Chicago

History, Religion & Theology, other Humanities, some Sciences

BC Chicago Guide      |    Chicago Quick Guide

MLA

(Modern Language Association)

English Literature, non-English Literature, Language, other Humanities

BC MLA Guide           |   Purdue OWL MLA Guide