Proper citation of information sources is critical. There are various citation styles in use, such as MLA, APA, and Chicago/Turabian, as well as journal-specific styles (for example, Journal of Food Science style). The resources on this page include guidelines for proper citing, examples of common reference styles, and citation tools.
Using American Psychological Association (APA) Format A lengthy guide with examples, from the Purdue University Online Writing Lab.
Chicago Manual of Style A lengthy guide, with examples, from the Purdue University Online Writing Lab.
Citing Government Documents Offers detailed examples for APA, Chicago, MLA and Turabian styles.
How to Cite Data A guide with examples for citing research datasets and statistical tables.
Citation Generators
BibMe A tool for formatting bibliographies in MLA, APA, or Chicago styles, including brief citation guides.
Citation Wizards From the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy: converts to MLA, APA, and CSE (formerly known as (CBE) style.
Links to additional Citation Guides are available on the MSU Libraries website.
Citation generators are tools that can be used to automatically format citations in a specified style. Be aware that these sites are maintained by third parties outside of the MSU Libraries. Always double-check any citations generated by these sites to ensure accuracy.
There are a variety of software programs - called citation managers - that allow you to collect and organize references and create bibliographies, either by typing in information or capturing references from library databases. These programs work with Microsoft Word or other word-processing programs to automatically format bibliographies and footnotes/endnotes in almost every conceivable citation style, such as APA, Chicago Manual of Style, MLA, Turabian, Science and other journal-specific citation styles. Some programs are free; others offer both free and purchased versions. The MSU Libraries provides support and training for three of the most popular citation managers: EndNote, Mendeley, and Zotero.
Choosing a citation manager to use is dependent on many factors. It is recommended that you compare the features you need and try out one or more citation managers before deciding which to use for your work.