FAQ: Friday Citation styles -- APA, MLA and why being stylish matters

Writing a research paper entails a fair bit of work. One must decide on a topic, do the research, write the paper and cite sources appropriately. Selecting a topic and doing the research is probably the most time consuming, and the actual writing can be fraught with indecision, procrastination and spelling errors. Using the appropriate citation style should not cause grief and aggravation. In fact, learning and using appropriate citation style will help you avoid any potential plagiarism problems – once you understand how and why it is imperative to cite your sources, it will become a natural part of the research process.

Citation styles – a “little black dress” for the writing process
Citation styles -- also called style guides, style sheets, publication styles – are sets of guidelines for writing papers, a set of do’s and don’ts for the well-written paper. A style guide dictates the appropriate way to format the paper, from title page to works cited list, including citing references within the body of the paper and how to individually list sources. Each academic discipline has a preferred citation style: APA for Nursing and Psychology or MLA for English, for example. Generally, style guides are used to ensure a consistent way of presenting information across a discipline, of particular importance when preparing professional publications. Your instructor will most likely specify the style to use on the assignment, if not, be certain to ask what style is preferred. Master the basics of a particular style and you’re good to go, much like having the perfect little black dress in your closet and a working knowledge of Emily Post. Well, at least until a specialized source comes along, but we’ll get to that later.

Citing sources – match the shoes to the bag
The main differences between various styles generally comes down to the way in which references are cited within the text, and how the references are listed (foot notes, end notes, works cited page). Styles are not interchangeable, be certain that you consistently use one style guide throughout a paper. Just like Mr. Blackwell and his lists, professors are generally sticklers for consistent style. What follows are some quick and dirty examples of citation styles. These are very basic examples, designed to convey the general format for two popular styles, APA and MLA. If your questions are not answered here, consult the appropriate style manual (available in the Reference collection in the library) or visit the Marian College Writing Center, located in the basement of the library.

APA style – white tie and tails formality
APA style uses the author-date format for citations in the text. The Reference List is organized alphabetically by author’s last name.

A reference to a book by author Johnson published in 2004 would be inserted into the text of paper at the appropriate place as follows:

Neuroscience in clinical practice can be challenging (Johnson, 2004).

A journal article by authors Sue and Chang published in 2003 would be inserted into the text at the appropriate place as follows:

Psychological assessment in Asia is changing (Sue & Chang, 2003) as each year…

The entries on the Reference List would be formatted as follows:

Johnson, S. (2004). Mind wide open: your brain and the neuroscience of everyday life. New York, NY: Scribner.

Sue, S. & Chang, J. (2003). The state of psychological assessment in Asia. Psychological Assessment, 15(3), 306-310.

It is important to note slight differences between the entry for a book and the entry for a journal article. The title of the book is italicized, the journal article title is not italicized, but the title of journal is italicized. Authors’ first names are abbreviated by initial. Also, note the hanging indent style of entry for APA, the first line if the entry is not indented, but all subsequent lines are indented. Each entry is considered a separate paragraph by most word processing software, so you can easily set the indent for the whole page when you start typing up the Reference List.

For information on using direct quotations and other ways of referencing sources within the text,
Consult the manual:

Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 5^th ed.
Call number: REF BF76.7 .A46

Additionally, an APA format template for Microsoft Word is available on computers in all campus computer labs – contact the Instructional Technology Dept. for assistance with the template.

MLA Style – black tie, but no flashy cummerbunds
MLA style uses the author-page number format for citations in the text. The Works Cited list is organized alphabetically by author’s last name.

A book about neuroscience would be cited in the text as follows:

Neuroscience in clinical practice can be challenging (Johnson 148-149).

A journal article by authors Sue and Chang published in 2003 would be inserted into the text at the appropriate place as follows:

Psychological assessment in Asia is changing (Sue & Chang 308) as each year…

The entries on the Works Cited list would be formatted in the following way:

Johnson, Steven. Mind wide open: your brain and the neuroscience of everyday life. New York: Scribner, 2004.

Sue, Stanley, and Janet Chang. “The state of psychological assessment in Asia.” Psychological Assessment 15.3 (2003): 306-310.

Note the differences between book and journal article entries on the Works Cited list. The title of the book is underlined, but the journal article title is in quotation marks and the title of journal is underlined. Authors’ full names are used instead of initials. Also, note the hanging indent style of entry for MLA, the first line if the entry is not indented, but all subsequent lines are indented. Because each entry is considered a separate paragraph by most word processing software, you can easily set the indent for the whole page when you start typing up the Works Cited list.

For information on using direct quotations and other ways of referencing sources within the text,
Consult the manual:

MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, 6^th ed.
Call number: REF LB2369 .G42

Citing electronic and unique sources – haute couture is high maintenance
The waters are a little murky when it comes to citing electronic sources, such as websites, electronic journals, or other items accessed in electronic format. Style guides all have sections on citing electronic resources, it’s best to consult the manual for the specific style when you need to cite electronic sources. Unique sources, such as audio recordings, oral histories and other non-standard publication formats also require specific citation styles. When in doubt, consult the manual!

Other styles – I’m okay, you’re okay. Just don’t wear flip flops to the White House
APA and MLA style are just two examples of various citation and publishing styles, probably the most common but by no means the “be all-end all” of writing style. Plenty of room out there for those with a maverick approach to style. After all, some Isaac Mizrahi really helps balance all that Ralph Lauren. In most cases, your instructor will indicate the style required for a particular class or assignment. If not, it’s always in your best interests to ask which style you are expected to use. You don’t want to turn up for a State Dinner looking like you didn’t see the “no shirt-no shoes-no service” sign at the 7-11.

Guides to other major styles are available in the library Reference collection:

The Chicago Manual of Style
Call number: REF LB2369 .C44

A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses and Dissertations (Turabian)
Call number: REF LB2369 .T87

The information here is intended to provide readers with a quick introduction to the intricacies of style. It is by no means a complete tutorial on any style, just something start the party and point to helpful resources. In the end, it is up to the writer to use the style best suited to the occasion.