Your paper, essay, speech, presentation, or other work
should be a dialogue between your thoughts and ideas
and the information in your sources.
Citation Styles
Why do we cite?
- Avoiding plagiarism
- Showing readers (and professors) that you have done your research
- Providing information that allows readers to find the sources you used
- Giving credit to authors and content creators
How do we cite?
- Citation style guides provide guidelines on formatting citations
- Consistent formatting allows for citations to be read and understood easily
- In-text citations identify all words or ideas that are not your own
What citation style should I use?
- The type of citation style that is best for your assignment depends on which discipline your course is in and your instructor's preferences.
- Certain majors or professional fields use certain styles:
- APA (American Psychological Association) is used by Education, Psychology, Social Sciences, and Sciences
- MLA (Modern Language Association) style is used by the Humanities
- Chicago/Turabian style is generally used by Business, History, and the Fine Arts
- Be sure to check your assignment or syllabus, or ask your instructor to make sure you use the citation style they prefer!
Use the tabs at the top of this box for help using specific citation styles
American Medical Association Citation Style
Primarily used in the health sciences.
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Offiicial AMA WebsiteInformation on the AMA Style Guide including links to purchase a personal copy.
American Psychological Association Citation Style
Used by Education, Psychology, Social Sciences, and Science
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Excelsior Online Writing Lab - APA StyleThis site provides support for APA documentation style. It features instructional videos that show you how to set up your papers in APA, interactive checklists, and visual support for both in-text documenting and referencing at the end of your paper.
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Official APA Style WebsiteDetailed style guidelines directly from APA. This site also includes the APA blog which regularly covers obscure or tricky citation questions.
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NCC Writing Center - APA Style Reference GuideReference Guide for the APA Style written by the NCC Writing Center
Chicago Style
Primarily used by Business, History, and Fine Arts
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Excelsior Online Writing Lab - Chicago StyleThis site provides support for Chicago style citations. It features pages that show you how to set up your papers in Chicago style, interactive checklists, and visual support for both in-text documenting and referencing at the end of your paper.
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Official Chicago Manual of Style SiteThe official website for the Chicago Manual of Style includes a citation quick guide and other student resources.
Council of Science Editors Style
Primarily used by the Sciences
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CSE's Online Scientific Style and Format GuideOnline CSE style manual with extensive detail regarding citations and paper formatting for CSE style.
Modern Language Association Style
Primarily used by the Humanities
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Excelsior Online Writing Lab - MLA StyleThis site provides examples, formatting guides, activities, and more related to MLA citation style.
Citation Creation and Managment Tools
Many library databases and online tools will generate source citations for you. It is important to remember that while these tools are incredibly helpful, they are not 100% reliable! You should always double-check any auto-generated citations for accuracy before submitting your assignment.
Citation managers help you to quickly create, store, and access your citations. Some allow you to store your research documents and auto-generate bibliographies.
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ZoteroZotero is a free, easy-to-use tool to help you collect, organize, annotate, cite, and share research.
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MendeleyMendeley is a free reference manager and academic social network. Make your own fully-searchable library in seconds, cite as you write, and read and annotate your PDFs on any device.
Retrieving Citations in CardinalSearch
- In the results screen, click on the three dots in the upper right corner of the source record
- In the expanded menu that appears at the bottom of the source record, click "Citation"
- Select the appropriate citation style on the left side of the content box, then copy the citation to your clipboard
Retrieving Citations in Ebsco Databases
- In the results screen, click on the the title of the source you want to cite
- In the Tools menu on the right side of the source record screen, select "Cite"
- Scroll down to copy the appropriate citation style in the middle of the page
Retrieving Citations in ProQuest Databases
- In the results screen, click on the quotation mark icon to the right of the source you want to cite
- Use the drop down menu in the pop-up window to select the appropriate citation style
- Hit the "Copy" button to copy the citation to your clipboard
Getting Help: Writing and Speaking Centers
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NCC Writing CenterStaffed by advanced students, the Writing Center is an excellent resource for students at all levels of writing. Consultations are free and offered in-person or online. Tutorials can happen at any stage of the writing process, from brainstorming a topic to final revision. You can make an appointment to visit the Writing Center, or you can walk into Oesterle 242 without an appointment. Additional questions can be emailed to WritingCenter@noctrl.edu.
Fall 2025 Hours
Mon. – Thurs: 10am-7pm -
NCC Speaking CenterThe Speaking Center will be available in-person and virtually to provide students with individualized assistance in the preparation and delivery of individual and group speech assignments. Students can schedule a 30-minute session with trained student tutors for personalized assistance at any stage of the speaking process, including brainstorming topics, developing an outline, conducting research, or developing visual aids.
Fall 2025 Hours
opens Sept. 8th
Mon. – Thurs: 10am-7pm
