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Citation Styles

Your guide to common citation styles.

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A citation, also called a reference, is a brief description of an information source (e.g., a book, journal article, data set, webpage, etc.). Whenever you use someone else's words or ideas in your work, you must acknowledge the source of those words or ideas in the form of a citation.

Citation style guides provide students and other researchers with assistance on how to properly format and cite their scholarly work. The rules for how to cite an information source can vary between disciplines. Many disciplines have a preferred citation style. In addition, many academic journals have in-house citation styles; this information can typically be found on the journal's website under a heading titled "Publishing - Information for Authors" or something similar. Always check with your instructor if you do not know which citation style to use.

In the navigation panel of this guide, you will find information and resources on commonly used citation styles, as well as information on how to cite specific types of sources.

If you have any questions relating to citing your work, or the resources listed on this guide, please contact the Research Help desk at: research@smu.ca (email), 902-702-3057 (text), 902-420-5544 (phone), or via online Chat.

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