Cite Your Sources: Home
Information about Citation Styles
Here are good web resources to learn citation formatting and to view citation examples:
- 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.
- Citing Government DocumentsA resource for citing government documents (includes links).
- Chicago Manual of Style Online
This link opens in a new window
Provides 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.
- Basic Legal CitationGuide from Cornell University School of Law. Updated in 2011, this guide includes a "how to cite" page including directions on citing constitutions, statutes, rules, and more
Print Style Guides in the PSU Library
The Chicago Manual of Style by Call Number: Reference Collection -- 1st floor ; Z253 .C57 17th 2017Publication Date: 2017
Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association by Call Number: Course Reserves, Circulation; Reference Collection -- 1st floor ; BF76.7 .P83 2020Publication Date: 2020
A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations, Ninth Edition by Call Number: Reference Collection -- 1st floor ; LB2369 .T8 2018Publication Date: 2018
Cite Your Sources Tutorial
How to Read a Citation
A bibliographic citation, the convention normally used to acknowledge a work quoted in a paper, contains basic information needed to locate an item. There are different formats for citing books, journal articles, chapters in books, dissertations, pamphlets, and other formats.
BOOKS
In general, the publication information, including place of publication, publisher and year, identifies a book. Here is a screenshot of a book citation.
JOURNAL ARTICLES
In general, the publication information, including volume number, date and page numbers, identifies a journal article. Here is a screenshot of a journal article citation.
BOOK CHAPTER
Chapters of books can be identified by the presence of two titles, the title of the chapter and the title of the book. Two names may be listed as well -- the author of the chapter and the editor. The same publication information that appears in a book citation will also appear here; place of publication,publisher, and year. Here is a screenshot of a book chapter citation.
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Guide Editor
Kimberly Willson-St. Clair