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Promise Scholars

Library research guide for Promise Scholars

The plagiarism spectrum

Commonly used citation styles

Your librarians at Cañada College have created guides with examples of commonly used citation styles. The citation style you use depends on the academic discipline of your class and the instructor's preference.

Typically, English, history, language arts, cultural studies, and other humanities disciplines use MLA. Social Sciences, such as psychology, linguistics, sociology, economics, criminology, business, library science and nursing commonly use APA. Not many community college instructors require students to use CMOS, or Chicago Manual of Style, but you may encounter it at universities if you study literature, history, and the arts. The Council of Science Editors (CSE) scientific style used for citing sources in the sciences, including biology, chemistry, computer science, engineering, geology, mathematics and physics

Your professors will include which citation style they expect you to use in the syllabus, or you can ask which citation style they would like you to use.