Style Manuals and Citation Formats

A style manual is a guide to preparing a research paper in a particular field of study. Scholarly papers frequently cite the work of other researchers in the field, so a standardized format for citing references is an important part of a style manual. It is important that each citation in this list give enough information about the reference in question, so that a reader of the paper can readily find it.

Instructors will usually indicate which citation style they would like followed for a given paper or assignment. Computer-based tools can assist in this process. One is an online program called RefWorks (available to SDSU students, faculty, and staff.) Another is a software program called EndNote, which is sold at the Bookstore.

Commonly Used Style Manuals

The Library has copies of most major style and format manuals. Because they are in great demand, they are mostly kept in the Reference Services area.

APA

Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 6th ed. (BF 76.7 P 83 2010 Reference Desk): The first printing of this new edition is riddled with errors. Errata sheets and other supplemental information are available from the APA.
Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 5th ed. (BF 76.7 P 83 2001 Reference Desk): Known as the "APA Manual," this is the style most frequently used in the social sciences. The manual describes all elements of a research paper, and discusses the conventions of manuscript preparation, including punctuation, quoting sources, tables and statistical material, and the reference list.
APA Style Guide to Electronic References. (BF 76.7 P832 2007 Reference Desk): An interim guide published on how to cite a wide variety of online resources. Lots of examples.

SDSU examples of APA style. (Requires a PDF viewer.)
Additional examples of APA style citations plus a sample paper can be found at Diana Hacker's excellent Research and Documentation Online.

MLA

Gibaldi, Joseph. MLA Style Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing, 3rd ed. (PN 147 G444 2008 Reference Desk): This manual is designed for graduate students and academics in the fields of language and literature.
Gibaldi, Joseph. MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, 6th ed. (LB 2369 G53 2003 Reference Desk): The companion book for undergraduate students. It discusses the mechanics of good writing, the format of a research paper, and documentation.

Additional information on MLA style is available from the MLA website.
SDSU examples of MLA style.
Additional examples of MLA style citations plus a sample term paper can be found at Diana Hacker's Research and Documentation Online.
Examples of citing government publications are available from the University of Nevada Reno Libraries.

Chicago

Chicago Manual of Style, 15th edition. (Z 253 C57 15th ed. 2003 Reference Desk): This manual and Turabian are the only major style manuals which continue to use footnotes or endnotes and a bibliography. It is used in the humanities and social sciences, especially in history.

The Manual has its own website.
SDSU examples of Chicago style.
Diane Hacker's Research and Documentation Online, includes a section on Chicago style with a sample term paper.

Turabian

Turabian, Kate L. A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations, 6th ed. (LB 2369 T8 1996 Reference Desk): Generally called "Turabian," this style manual is based on the Chicago Manual of Style. It is used in the social sciences, especially in history.

SDSU examples of Turabian style.
Additional examples (PDF viewer needed) can be found at the University of Southern Mississippi Libraries.

Specialized Style Manuals and Citation Styles

San Diego State University

San Diego State University. Dissertation and Thesis Review Service. Dissertation and Thesis Manual: Policies, Procedures, and Format, ed 11.1 (LB 2369 .S39 2005 Reference Desk): Provides guidelines for preparation of theses at SDSU. Updates to the Manual and additional information are available at the DTM website.
SDSU Editorial Style Guide: "[P]rovides standards for communications professionals who write and edit San Diego State University publications."

Anthropology

American Anthropological Association (AAA) Style Guide
Society for American Archaeology (SAA) Style Guide

Chemistry

Coghill, Anne M., and Garson Lorrin R., eds. The ACS Style Guide: Effective Communication of Scientific Information, 3rd ed. (QD 8.5 A25 2006 Reference Desk): Examples (as a PDF file) are available from the Physical and Mathematical Sciences Library, Pennsylvania State University.

Government Documents

Cheney, Debora. The Complete Guide to Citing Government Information Resources: A Manual for Social Science and Business Research, 3rd ed. (J 9.5 C45 2002 Reference Desk): Examples from the University of Memphis are based on the second edition.

Health Sciences

AMA Manual of Style, 10th ed. (R 119 .A533 2007 Reference Desk): Used by many medical journals.
Citing Medicine: The NLM Style Guide for Authors, Editors, and Publishers, 2nd ed. [2007, updated 2009.]

Legal Materials

The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation, 18th ed. (KF 245 B58 18th ed. 2005 Reference Desk): This is the standard for citing legal materials. It is used by both APA and MLA. Chicago uses a modified version.; Introduction to Basic Legal Citation by Peter W. Martin, Cornell Law School, provides an overview.

Physics

AIP Style Manual, 4th ed. (QC 5.45 A45 1990 Reference): This manual, with a 1997 addendum is available in PDF form for downloading from the American Institute of Physics website.

Sociology

American Sociological Association. ASA style guide, 2nd ed. (HM586 .A54 1997 Reference Desk): Examples can be seen on the ASA Format page prepared by Romelia Salinas, University Library, California State University, Los Angeles.

Others

Slade, Carole. Form and Style: Research Papers, Theses, Reports, 12th ed. (LB 2369 C3 2003 Reference Desk)
Council of Science Editors. Scientific Style and Format: The CSE Manual for Authors, Editors, and Publishers, 7th ed. (T 11 S386 2006 Reference Desk): Formerly known as CBE style.
Harnack, Andrew, and Kleppinger, Eugene. Online! A Reference Guide to Using Internet Sources, 2003 update. (TK 5105.875 I57 H364 2003 Reference Desk): An accompanying website is available.