Tutorial on Library Research

After reading the sections and watching the video on this page, you should be able to: 

1. Explain two purposes of citing sources. 
2. Explain the difference between citations in the body of a work and at the end of an essay. 
3. Identify the organizations that produce APA Style, Chicago Style, and MLA Style, and identify an academic discipline that uses each one. 
4. Identify two websites published by academic institutions that provide useful information about how to cite sources.  

The content on this page supports the following frame(s) from the Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education : 

1. Information has Value

You'll probably have to provide proper citations for the sources that you use in your paper. I know from personal experience that dealing with citations can be difficult and frustrating but they serve very important purposes, which are discussed in the video below. The Citation Styles section below provides an overview of the three most popular styles. The Helpful Websites section below provides links to two websites that contain detailed information about using and creating citations. 

The official manuals and websites discussed below explain how to write citations. These resources can also be used to check citations, like the ones you get from the library catalog, library databases, and citation generator websites. You can check these citations by comparing them against the examples given in the resources below. It's important to check them because they often contain errors in formatting and/or content. 

APA style is produced by the American Psychological Association , which publishes The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association. APA style is used commonly in social science disciplines, such as psychology. Here are some links to information about APA style.

1. APA style  website
2. Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association  website
3. Library catalog record  for the Manual, which shows the call number and locations of copies in the NOVA Libraries.  

Chicago style is produced by The University of Chicago , which publishes The Chicago Manual of Style. Chicago style is used in several humanities disciplines, including philosophy. Here are some links to information about Chicago style. 

1. Chicago style  website
2. The Chicago Manual of Style  website
3. Library catalog record  for the Manual, which shows the call number and locations of copies in the NOVA Libraries 

MLA style is produced by the Modern Language Association , which publishes the MLA Handbook. MLA style is used commonly in language and literature disciplines. Here are some links to information about MLA style.

1. MLA style  website
2. MLA Handbook  website
3. Library catalog record  for the Handbook, which shows the call number and locations of copies in the NOVA Libraries 

In addition to the official style manuals, there are several websites (not affiliated with the aforementioned organizations) that provide detailed information about these three styles. These websites are produced by universities, so they are reliable.

The Excelsior Online Writing Lab  is a very helpful website. You can find information about citing sources on the Citation and Documentation  page. Click on the style you're using from the menu on the left side of that page.

The Purdue Online Writing Lab  has been around for a long time and has a great reputation. To find information about citing sources, click on the Research and Citation link in the menu on the left side of the homepage. Then select the style you're using from the list.