Citation Styles and Tools

This guide connects you with resources and services so that you can format your sources correctly.

There are many different "styles" you may choose from when citing sources. Your professor will probably tell you which "style" is preferred for your class. MLA (Modern Language Association), Chicago, CSE, and APA (American Psychological Association) are some of the most commonly used citation styles, but there are hundreds. Recent editions of style manuals, which include detailed information and examples, are available at the Services & Information Desk at the University Library.

1. ​APA: Provides resources about APA 5th and APA 6th versions.
2. Chicago: Lists resources about the Chicago Manual of Style.
3. CSE: Resources about the CSE Style.
4. MLA: Contains a list of resources about MLA Style.
5. Other Styles: Provides resources about AMA, AP, ASA, Forensics, IEEE, and Turabian.
6. Additional Tools & Tips: General resources about writing and services at IUPUI. Also tools and tips for using citations.

There are many reasons why it is so important to cite the sources you use in your research.

• You demonstrate to your reader you've done proper research by listing sources you used to get your information.
• You avoid plagiarism by quoting the words and ideas of other scholars.
• You are being a responsible scholar by giving credit to other researchers and acknowledging their ideas.
• You allow your reader to find the sources you used by citing them accurately in your paper by using in-text citations or footnotes in combination with a bibliography or works cited list.