Why do you have to cite your sources?
No research paper is complete without a list of the sources that you used in your writing. Scholars are very careful to keep accurate records of the resources they’ve used, and of the ideas and concepts they’ve quoted or used from others. This record keeping is generally presented in the form of citations.
A citation is a description of a book, article, URL, etc. that provides enough information so that others can locate the source you used. Citations usually include author(s), date of publication, title, and publisher’s name and location (and for articles: journal title, volume, issue and page numbers). They allow you to credit the authors of the sources you use and clarify which ideas belong to you and which belong to other sources. And providing a citation or reference will allow others to find and use these sources as well. Most research papers have a list of citations or cited references and there are special formatting guidelines for different types of research.
The Library has guides specific to certain fields of study, or your professor or instructor may request a specific bibliographic and citation style. Always check with your professor regarding the citation style they prefer.
Citation help
The following resources are excellent tools for quick look-ups on how to properly cite and format bibliographies.
- APA: Purdue Online Writing Lab
Provides examples for in-text citing and reference list formatting using APA.
- MLA: Purdue Online Writing Lab
Provides examples for in-text citing and reference list formatting. using MLA.
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Covers all the major citation styles: APA, MLA, Chicago, Turabian, CSE and more.
Citation Management Tools
Citation management tools allow you to organize your research. In addition to saving citation information and linking to PDFs, many programs also assist with in-text citations and bibliography formatting.
- Zotero: Zotero is a Firefox add-on that facilitates collecting, managing and citing journal articles, books, and other materials. Also, works with Chrome and Safari browsers.
- EndNote: EndNote is an exceptional citation manager, requiring downloading from the NUS Software Catalogue.
- Mendeley: Mendeley allows for all the typical features of a citation manager, plus the ability to annotate PDFs.
Style Manuals
The Yale-NUS Library is a rich resource for citation help! We have style guides on the most popular citation styles, as well as dozens of books about academic writing. Need help getting started? Ask A Librarian! or consult our subject guide.
Popular books on Citation Styles
Cite right: a quick guide to citation styles–MLA, APA, Chicago, the sciences, professions, and more – Charles Lipson
MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers – Joseph Gibaldi; Modern Language Association of America
Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association – American Psychological Association
An Easy Guide to APA Style – Beth M. Schwartz; R. Eric Landrum; Regan A. R. Gurung
The Chicago Manual of Style – University of Chicago
ISBN: 9780226104201
Scientific style and format : the CSE manual for authors, editors, and publishers / Style Manual Committee Council of Science Editors.
YNCL Books T11 Sci 2014
ISBN: 9780226116495
Publication Date: 2014
Scientific Style and Format is the most recognized, authoritative reference for authors, editors, publishers, students, and translators in all areas of science and related fields.
MLA Style Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing – Modern Language Association of America
Writing Resources:
The Yale-NUS College Library is building a comprehensive collection of resources to help you with questions or issues about writing, citing and academic integrity. Visit the Library to explore our growing collection of writing guides and citation style manuals. Here is an abridged list of helpful titles:
“Citing Sources” is a portion of Starting Your Research by University of California Santa Cruz, University Library . This tutorial is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License. Some content has been modified to suit the curricular and research needs of Yale-NUS College. All changes are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.