Library Guides: Citation Guides and Style Manuals: Citing Your Work: Steps and Tools

Step 1: Choose a Citation Style

Determine the appropriate citation style for your work.

If writing a paper for a class, doing a presentation, or writing a thesis or dissertation, ask what style is required.
If using software to do a presentation, include references at the bottom of the slide(s) or at the end of the presentation.
If submitting work for publication, check the publisher's author guidelines.

Keep in mind the distinction between citations in the body of a paper, which then point to the citations collected at the end of the paper.

Side tabs contain subject specific citation style information.

Step 2: Use a Citation Tool

To format in-text citations and create bibliographies in numerous styles, try ZoteroBib or the citation management softwares supported by Lehigh: Zotero and RefWorks. The latter have steeper learning curves and more capabilities than ZoteroBib.

ZoteroBib quickly and easily generates automatic citations. Make sure you distinguish between "in-text citations" and the full reference list (bibliography). The former point to the latter. The following Youtube tutorials discuss each:

Zotero and ZoteroBib Guide
by Elizabeth Young-Miller Last Updated Oct 11, 2024 813 views this year

Zotero This link opens in a new window
A tool to capture, organize, share and cite references. Lehigh provides unlimited storage - simply use your Lehigh email to setup your account or add it to your current account. Learn more by consulting the Zotero guide.

Add here appropriate RW guide after July 1.

Google Scholar provides a "cite" link for search results, as well as the ability to export citations. Look for similar features in library databases.

Here is an example from Google Scholar. Click on "Cite" in a search result. See first screen below. This brings up the second screen below with the citation in various styles, plus export options.

Step 3: Consult Style Manuals for Verification

Citation generators such as Zotero or automatically generated citations from Google Scholar, or library databases such as Academic Search Ultimate, do not always produce accurate results. Pay close attention to capitalization, punctuation, and abbreviations. Consider consulting the corresponding style manual for format examples.

Examples of style guides are below. See the side tabs for guides to additional styles.

Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association
Call Number: 808.02 A512p 2020
7th edition available in the reference section at both libraries.
The Chicago Manual of Style, 17th Edition by The University The University of Chicago Press Editorial Staff Technologies may change, but the need for clear and accurate communication never goes out of style. That is why for more than one hundred years The Chicago Manual of Style has remained the definitive guide for anyone who works with words. In the seven years since the previous edition debuted, we have seen an extraordinary evolution in the way we create and share knowledge. This seventeenth edition of The Chicago Manual of Style has been prepared with an eye toward how we find, create, and cite information that readers are as likely to access from their pockets as from a bookshelf. It offers updated guidelines on electronic workflows and publication formats, tools for PDF annotation and citation management, web accessibility standards, and effective use of metadata, abstracts, and keywords. It recognizes the needs of those who are self-publishing or following open access or Creative Commons publishing models. The citation chapters reflect the ever-expanding universe of electronic sources--including social media posts and comments, private messages, and app content--and also offer updated guidelines on such issues as DOIs, time stamps, and e-book locators. Other improvements are independent of technological change. The chapter on grammar and usage includes an expanded glossary of problematic words and phrases and a new section on syntax as well as updated guidance on gender-neutral pronouns and bias-free language. Key sections on punctuation and basic citation style have been reorganized and clarified. To facilitate navigation, headings and paragraph titles have been revised and clarified throughout. And the bibliography has been updated and expanded to include the latest and best resources available. This edition continues to reflect expert insights gathered from Chicago's own staff and from an advisory board of publishing experts from across the profession. It also includes suggestions inspired by emails, calls, and even tweets from readers. No matter how much the means of communication change, The Chicago Manual of Style remains the ultimate resource for those who care about getting the details right.
Call Number: Linderman 1st Floor - Reading Room - Reference 808.027 C532c 2017
Publication Date: 2017
MLA Handbook by The Modern Language Association of America Relied on by generations of writers, the MLA Handbook is published by the Modern Language Association and is the only official, authorized book on MLA style. The new, ninth edition builds on the MLA's unique approach to documenting sources using a template of core elements?facts, common to most sources, like author, title, and publication date?that allows writers to cite any type of work, from books, e-books, and journal articles in databases to song lyrics, online images, social media posts, dissertations, and more. With this focus on source evaluation as the cornerstone of citation, MLA style promotes the skills of information and digital literacy so crucial today. The many new and updated chapters make this edition the comprehensive, go-to resource for writers of research papers, and anyone citing sources, from business writers, technical writers, and freelance writers and editors to student writers and the teachers and librarians working with them. Intended for a variety of classroom contexts?middle school, high school, and college courses in composition, communication, literature, language arts, film, media studies, digital humanities, and related fields?the ninth edition of the MLA Handbook offers ?New chapters on grammar, punctuation, capitalization, spelling, numbers, italics, abbreviations, and principles of inclusive language ?Guidelines on setting up research papers in MLA format with updated advice on headings, lists, and title pages for group project ?Revised, comprehensive, step-by-step instructions for creating a list of works cited in MLA format that are easier to learn and use than ever before ?A new appendix with hundreds of example works-cited-list entries by publication format, including websites, YouTube videos, interviews, and more ?Detailed examples of how to find publication information for a variety of sources ?Newly revised explanations of in-text citations, including comprehensive advice on how to cite multiple authors of a single work ?Detailed guidance on footnotes and endnotes ?Instructions on quoting, paraphrasing, summarizing, and avoiding plagiarism ?A sample essay in MLA format ?Annotated bibliography examples ?Numbered sections throughout for quick navigation ?Advanced tips for professional writers and scholars
Call Number: Linderman 2nd Floor - Rotunda - 808.2 M689ml 2021
Publication Date: 2021

Citation Guides and Style Manuals

Step 1: Choose a Citation Style

Step 2: Use a Citation Tool

Step 3: Consult Style Manuals for Verification

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