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How to Cite Sources in Your Research Paper

A guide on how to cite your sources and avoid plagiarism

Which Style Guide Should You Use?

Ask each of your professors which style they want you to use - the information may be in your syllabus.

If they have no preference, the most common citation styles are:

Discipline Typical citation style(s)
Economics APA, Chicago
Engineering & IT Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)
Humanities Chicago notes and bibliography; MLA
Law Bluebook, Oxford Standard for the Citation of Legal Authorities (OSCOLA)
Medicine* AMA, NLM, Vancouver
Political Science Chicago, American Political Science Association (APSA)
Psychology APA
Sciences ACS, Chicago author-date, CSE
Social Sciences APA, ASA, Chicago author-date

*The field of medicine also has guidelines for ethical considerations when writing and publishing. You can read about them here: Recommendations for the Conduct, Reporting, Editing, and Publication of Scholarly Work in Medical Journals, from the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE).