15 Citation Styles
Although formal differences exist among the conventions for documenting sources, the underlying principle of all documentation systems is the same: When borrowing words, facts, or ideas from someone else, writers must indicate that the material is borrowed. They do this by providing a citation in the text of their paper that points readers to detailed publication information about the source of the material, usually at the end of the paper but sometimes in footnotes. The following examples are in MLA style:
Citation in the Text:
Describing Martin Luther King, Jr.’s visit to India, Isabel Wilkerson notes that King was taken aback by the suggestion that Black Americans were the equivalent of the Dalits in the Indian caste system (22).
Works-Cited Entry
Wilkerson, Isabel. Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents. Penguin, 2020.
Helpful resources for citations:
- Citation Guide from Noel Memorial Library
- This guide includes a basic introduction to MLA and APA and walks you through how to format citations for the most common sources you’ll use in ENLG 105 & 115. Includes examples.
- OWL Purdue
- This is an in-depth guide for common citation styles that is commonly used by both beginner and advanced researchers. It has more source types than the library guide, but may be more challenging to navigate because of how much information it contains.
- MLA Website
- APA Website
