Skip to Main Content

Citation Tools

Quick Guides to Commonly Used Citation Styles

Your librarians at Collins Library have prepared two-page overviews--with examples--for several commonly used citation styles.

The citation style you use typically depends on the academic discipline involved. Remember to always check with your professors first to find out which citation style they would like you to use!

Knowledge Management Tools

Collins Library supports two robust knowledge management tools:

RefWorks, an entirely web-based product; and

Zotero, an extension that lives in your browser.

Why should you use a knowledge management tool?  There are both practical and more conceptual advantages:

  • You can easily save bibliographic information about all of your sources in a single place
  • You can generate bibliographies in dozens of citation styles
  • You can organize and re-organize your sources to fit any project
  • Over time, you will build a personal library of sources that will make it easier to reflect on and make connections between all of the research you have done for your separate classes, which is a key goal of a liberal arts education
  • You will have developed an impressive bibliography that you can continue to consult and add to when you are in graduate or professional school or are in your first job after college

Academic Integrity

Start with these sources about academic integrity, but don't hesitate to ask a librarian or your instructor if you have further questions.

Additional Resources

There are several additional reliable and thorough guides to citation styles available online:

Sound Writing

CWLT Logo

Sound Writing is the official writing handbook on campus, written by student writing advisors and specifically tailored to the needs of Puget Sound students and their faculty.

In addition to supporting the development of successful academic writing skills, Sound Writing also includes sections on research methods, writing in the disciplines, and more.

The preliminary edition of Sound Writing provides help with three citation styles: MLA, APA, and Chicago (notes & bibliography).

Current Edition: August 2017