A citation (or reference) is a short, multi-part description of a source. A good citation will lead the reader to the source of the writer's information.
One must cite ideas and direct and indirect quotations from other sources. Citations identify the sources that you consulted—signposts for your readers. Proper citation allows your readers to distinguish between your work and the work of others on which you drew, a critical element in maintaining integrity in research.
Citations usually must conform to a specific, uniform style. Researchers within a specific discipline frequently share a common style.
The Chicago Manual of Style is one of the most heavily used styles and is available online at the University Libraries.
The Libraries also provide online interpretations of the major styles at Citing Your Sources. These are not the original sources themselves, but interpretations of the major styles, with examples.
The Chicago Manual of Style, 18th Edition by
The venerable, time-tested guide to style, usage, and grammar--an indispensable reference informing the editorial canon with sound, definitive advice. Now in its 18th edition. More than 1.75 million copies sold! Much has happened in the years since the publication of the seventeenth edition of The Chicago Manual of Style. The world has transformed, and the Manual has risen to meet the moment. The eighteenth edition of this classic guide for writers, editors, and publishers is the most extensive revision in two decades. Every chapter has been reexamined with diversity and accessibility in mind, and major changes include updated and expanded coverage of pronoun use and inclusive language, revised guidelines on capitalization, a broader range of examples, new coverage of Indigenous languages, and expanded advice on making publications accessible to people with disabilities. The Manual's traditional focus on nonfiction has been expanded to include fiction and other creative genres in coverage of topics such as punctuation and dialogue, and the needs of self-published authors receive wider attention. The citation chapters have been thoroughly reorganized for the benefit of new and experienced users alike, and the key concepts for editing mathematics have been integrated into the chapters where they will be most useful to generalists. Evolving technologies--from open-access publishing models to AI--are covered throughout. And naturally, there are some well-considered updates to familiar rules, including changes intended to align the Manual's recommendations more closely with real-world usage.
