7: How to Cite Your Sources - Find Citation Help

Plagiarism is a serious offense. You'll need to cite the sources that you used in your research. Since it's important to keep a consistent style throughout your work, cite sources for your bibliography using MLA (Modern Language Association) style or APA (American Psychological Association) style or another style approved by your instructor. Many instructors will require the use of a specific citation style.

Ask a reference librarian for help or contact the Tutoring Services at Oakton.

Research Assignment? Use Oakton Library's EasyBib to format your citations and create a bibliography.

Using EasyBib really is easy and it's free to Oakton Community College students!  Login on either Oakton campus and register to create a username and password. (Note: you do not need a coupon code.)  Do this once and you can then access your EasyBib account from any computer anywhere. 

The EasyBib Instructional Guide provides step‐by‐step screenshots showing how to use the program.

Oakton Library's NoodleTools subscription ends July 1, 2012.  

For current NoodleTools users: Login on to access your NoodleTools account from any computer anywhere.   Use the NoodleTools User's Guide to find answers to your questions.

Online Guides to Using MLA Style

The following websites are guides on MLA Style:

• MLA List of Works Cited (Diana Hacker)
• MLA In-Text Citations (Diana Hacker)
• MLA Formatting and Style Guide (Purdue Online Writing Lab)
• MLA Citation Style (Cornell University)

Online Guides to Using APA Style

The following websites are guides on APA Style:

• APA List of References (Diana Hacker)
• APA In-Text Citations (Diana Hacker)
• APA Guidelines (Purdue Online Writing Lab)
• APA Citation Style (Cornell University)

Online Guides to Using Chicago Style

The following websites are guides on Chicago Style:

• Chicago Documentation Style (Diana Hacker)
• Chicago Manual of Style Online

Books

Available at the reference desk:

• MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers
  Call Number: (DP) REF. LB2369 .G53 2009; (RHC) RHCREF. LB2369 .G53 2009
• Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association
  Call Number: (DP) REF. BF76.7 .P83 2010; (RHC) RHCREF. LB2369 .P93 2010
• Writing The Research Paper: A Handbook
  Call Number: (DP) LB2369 .W55 2008; (RHC) RHCREF. LB2369 .W55 2008
• Chicago Manual of Style
  Call Number: (DP) REF. Z253 .U69 2010; (RHC) RHCREF. Z253 .U69 2010
• A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses and Dissertations: Chicago Style for Students and Researchers
  Call Number: (DP) REF. LB2369 .T8 2007; (RHC) RHCREF. LB2369 .T8 2007

Tip

As you look through bibliographies for additional resources and to determine the authority of a work, notice the style of the bibliography. Is it written according to MLA style, APA style or another type of style?

Remember

It's important to use a standard and consistent style for citing sources since the bibliography needs to have a uniform look. This uniform style helps to easily locate the sources that you cited. Your instructor may require a certain style for citing sources. Be sure to ask.

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