Citation: the basic, pertinent information needed to find the full text of a publication. Citation formats vary according to the field of study and/or requirements of particular publications.
Citation Style: dictates the information necessary for a citation and how the information is ordered, as well as punctuation and other formatting. Styles include MLA, APA, Chicago, and Turabian.
Bibliography: a list of citations that appears at the end of a paper, article, chapter, or book. The bibliography is called a Works Cited list in MLA. The bibliography is referred to as a list of References in APA format.
Annotated Bibliography: each citation is followed by a brief note or description that comments on and/or evaluates the source and the information found in it.
MLA: is based on the Modern Language Association’s MLA Handbook (8th Edition). MLA Style is commonly used in the Arts and Humanities, which is why it is taught in English classes. This book is located in Reference (R808.027 M111).
APA: is based on the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (R808.06615 P9769). APA Style is commonly used in the Social and Applied Sciences, Psychology, and Education.
Chicago: is derived from the The Chicago Manual of Style (R808.027 C532) published by the University of Chicago. Chicago Style is often used in history research as well as many other disciplines.
Turabian: Kate Turabian is the original author of A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations (808.0663 T929). In the current (8th) edition, members of the University of Chicago editorial staff have revised the manual to include more source types along with updated examples and guidance on citing electronic sources.
Check the online catalog for other excellent resources regarding documentation using the various formats.
The Chicago, MLA, and APA manuals are located in the SWOSU Library reference area.
When you are collecting references for your research paper remember to record what is needed for you citation. Some databases, such as EBSCOhost, will provide the citation for you when you email the article; however, you should remember to at least jot down the basic information so you can find it again in case something gets lost.
Works Cited: A Quick Guide is located at the MLA Style Center. The site includes the core elements and containers that are need to prepare your entries.
