Biology: Citing Sources
Guide to Resources for Research in Biology
Scientific Paper
- How to Write a Paper in Scientific Journal Style and FormatStep-by-step for writing a scientific paper. Sections of a paper include: 1) Introduction, a) Abstract, b) Background. c) Observation, and d) Hypothesis; 2) Methods; 3) Results; 4) Discussion; and 5) References.
Ask a Librarian
- Contact a librarian 24/7 using our chat services.
- Email questions will receive a response in one business day.
- You can get help in person at the research help desk, 1st floor of the Library these days and times.
Citation Format?
The citation format that you use in your research paper will depend on what is required by your professor. Be sure you know the requirements before you begin.
Selected Online Citation Guides
- Chicago Manual of Style OnlineProvides recommendations on editorial style and publishing practices for the digital age. Funded by donors to the Dean's Fund for Excellence in the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences.
- Citing Government DocumentsGuides to citing government documents in APA, MLA, Chicago, and Turabian styles.
- OWL - Purdue's Online Writing LabDetailed guide to APA, MLA, and Chicago citation styles. Navigate to "Research and Citation" on the left to access citation style help.
Citation Management Tool: Zotero
Zotero is a citation management application that allows you to collect book and article citations from the library catalog and other databases. Zotero also connects with your word processor (MS Word, Google Docs, Libre Office) to insert in text citations and generate a reference list in your selected citation style.
See the library guide, Manage Citations with Zotero, on how to use this tool. The Library provides workshops and support for Zotero.
- ZoteroZotero is a free open source citation management tool