The purpose of research is to participate in a dialogue with others in your discipline and demonstrate that you are a credible writer who is knowledgeable about your topic. When using the ideas from others, it's necessary to cite these sources. Writers in different disciplines expect writing in that discipline to use a certain style for citing references.

ASK YOUR INSTRUCTOR TO FIND OUT WHICH STYLE GUIDE TO USE!!! The following style guides are frequently used:

MLA Style is used for literature, arts and humanities.

APA Style is used for psychology, education and other social sciences.

The following sites provide links to additional style guides that are frequently used, including Chicago, Turabian, AMA, and CBE:

Research and Documentation Online
(From Diana Hacker, Prince George's Community College)

Resources for Documenting Sources
(From Purdue University OWL)

Citing References in Your Paper
(From University of Wisconsin-Madison Writing Center)