Citation styles

Often, we’re tasked with citing common sources that are nevertheless receive no mention in our chosen style manuals. For College of Business students, accounting standards are one such example. The following resource offers guidance on how to cite these standards in your writing based on Lee’s (2017) APA Style Blog post.

Accounting standards in APA

Plagiarism, put simply, is taking credit for someone else’s work. In academics specifically, plagiarizing is when you write what someone else said/wrote but don’t give them credit for it. Giving credit where credit is due is one of the fundamentals of college writing and not doing so will result in a myriad of unpleasant consequences such as: an automatic “F” either on the assignment or in the class, having to appear before the academic integrity board, undergoing disciplinary actions as assigned by the academic integrity board, and potentially being expelled from the university all together. Professors are constantly keeping a look out for plagiarism in papers, especially in lower level courses like Core Humanities, and do not hesitate in handing over plagiarizers to the academic integrity board. So what’s the best way to avoid the unpleasant consequences of plagiarizing? Simple: don’t do it.

Accurately citing to avoid plagiarism

This ACS Format pertains to formal reports for organic chemistry research publications, Chemistry 347, and Chemistry 348.

ACS format

Something often overlooked when learning to write in AMA style is that AMA requires the use of abbreviations for common words, phrases, titles and journals, especially in the references list.

Abbreviations

The following resource provides some common abbreviations you may use; however, there are hundreds of AMA abbreviations overall. To find a complete list, refer to pg. 441 of the AMA manual of style (you can find one at the Writing & Speaking Center!).

AMA abbreviations

Note: Many of the guidelines concerning document formatting, especially of the title page and subheadings, that have been provided in this resource are subject to change depending on the preference of your instructor. Always check with the rubric, instructor, or teaching assistant before making decisions about subjective formatting.

AMA formatting guidelines

References in AMA are quite similar to those in APA in terms of their structure. This style mainly differs from other common styles, such as APA or MLA, through its in-text citations, which use superscripts, and the order in which references are organized.

AMA references

In APA format there are five levels of headings that create degrees of importance in relation to each other. Basically they just function like a bulleted list, with each new level meaning you’re writing about a new subtopic.

APA 7 headings

There are two types of in-text citations in APA 7 format: parenthetical and narrative. Parenthetical citations include the author(s) and the date of publication within parentheses. Narrative citations intertwine the author as part of the sentence with the date of publication (in parentheses) following.

APA 7 in-text citations

Get quick resources on headings, citations and more in APA 7. 

APA 7 quick charts

Quick reference guides for headings, narrative and in-text citations and how to create a reference when information is missing.

APA 7 quick reference

Formatting in different styles can impact how a paper is recieved.

What is CSE?

CSE stands for the Council of Science Editors; this citation style was formerly referred to as CBE, after the Council of Biology Editors (prior to their change of name in 1999). CSE formatting is used almost exclusively for scientific papers.

Brief guide to CSE citation style

Here are some important differences between APA 6th edition and APA 7th edition.

Changes to APA 7th edition

Although Chicago style can appear intimidating, it’s nothing more than a comprehensive guide for writing within the humanities and liberal arts.

Chicago Manual of Style

Although Chicago style can appear intimidating, it’s nothing more than a comprehensive guide for writing within the humanities and liberal arts.

CMS reference format and style quirks

View examples in various styles of citations for a book with one author.

Examples of citation styles using a book with one author

In 2016, MLA updated their guidelines for citing sources. The new model is meant to be simpler and more flexible for writers using sources from a variety of platforms and publication types.

MLA 8th edition: Citation basics

The punctuation for integrating academic quotes is a little different than dialogue punctuation. When a quotation ends a sentence and the parenthetical citation is at the end, the period should come after the citation. Additionally, there are separate rules for long quotations.

MLA quotation punctuation

Note: Always confirm with your instructor about special instructions or exceptions.

General guidelines

• Margins should be set to 1 inch on all sides.
• All text should be double-spaced.
• Text should be in a legible, 12 pt. font (Times New Roman is preferred by many instructors).
• Page numbers should be in the upper right-hand corner and should include your last name and the number.

MLA 8th edition: Style & format

Most sources you come across for will follow the basic structure for an MLA citation. Even sources you might think are unusual, like a pamphlet, a magazine advertisement, or a message posted to a discussion forum, all can be cited using the same format outlined in our resource on MLA citation basics. There are however, a few sources and situations that might require a slight change to the format. The following examples should help with some of the more common, but still tricky, citations you may be faced with.

MLA tricky citations