A citation style is a technique used to properly cite source materials when writing papers or researching a specific topic. They are a set of universal guidelines used to give credit and avoid plagiarism and intellectual theft. Different citation styles are used to give proper credit to originating sources that influence and contribute to new works by identifying the names of original authors/speakers or the name of source publications. Dates are often included in citations as well. There are nine citation styles included below:
AP Style
This style, formally endorsed by the news conglomerate Associated Press (AP), has become a standard for mainstream publications across the nation. This style is primarily used for formal news writing. It originated in 1977 as a guide for reporters. In addition to setting rules for citations, the AP style sets grammar standards and rules for general language usage.
APA Style
This is the citation style used by psychologists and other scientific professionals, and is known as the American Psychological Association style (APA). APA style is used to document clinical research findings. Since scientific writings and research analysis can be overwhelming and confusing for many readers, the goal of the APA style is to increase understanding and accessibility. Rules for handling reference pages, title pages, main research, and title pages for research are included in APA style guides.
ASA Style
The citation rules for the American Sociological Association (ASA) guide writings on the study of society and community. These rules come in handy when citing trials and research studies published in sociological journals and trade papers. This style closely resembles the APA format. It governs margins, alphabetizing, references, and the in-text citing of sources.
AMA Style
The American Medical Association (AMA) style is the standard within the medical science community. It is distinctive in its reliance on Arabic numbers to cite references. The style requires that bibliographies be arranged, not alphabetically, but in order of citation. Medical students, physicians, and some clinical researchers use this style.
MLA Style
The Modern Language Association (MLA) style is for scholarly publications. It is frequently used by professors, students, and those doing academic research. The style generally requires works be cited within a document upon first mention, and then again at the end of the document in a “works cited” section. It was created in 1951.
APSA Style
The American Political Science Association (APSA) style is used for political writings. Political science students often use it when citing source material in essays and research. In addition to publications, the APSA style shows how to cite tables and statistics. It includes style information on endnotes and reference documents within a political paper.
Chicago Style
The Chicago style of citation is typically used for research documents and academic publications. It offers rules on how to list references in bibliographies and footnotes. The Chicago style offers users the choice of two formats, including the universal bibliography style and an author-date citation style.
Turabian Style
The Turabian style can be used in several disciplines, but is most often used for academic writings in the arts and humanities, such as dissertations, thesis papers, and historical research. There are two distinct sections of the Turabian style. One is strictly for citing notes and bibliographies; the other guide is for works cited parenthetically. This guide was named after its creator, Kate Turabian, a former secretary with the University of Chicago who edited dissertations at the doctorate level.
Bluebook Style
The Bluebook citation style is used in writing legal and court documents. Law school students and practicing attorneys typically use this citation style. It offers rules on how to cite statutes, prior legal cases, and foreign laws. Citation information on how to cite Constitutional passages and federal code is also provided.