Macdonald-Kelce Library: Citation Management: Overview

What is a citation manager and why should I use one?

Citation Management

What is a citation manager?

A citation manager collects and organizes your citations and helps place citations in your paper automatically.
Mendeley or Zotero are free tools and the library provides RefWorks for all students.

What is a citation tool?

A citation tool creates one citation at a time. Use the free tools from a database or other tools to copy/paste citations.

Why use a Citation Manager?

A citation manager is great for managing a research project with many citations:

organize citations by topic or paper
import citations from library databases or websites
create a properly formatted bibliography or references page from a number of citation formats (e.g. MLA, APA)
link to word processing programs to easily reference citations and insert footnotes or endnotes
add notes for citations you have used or plan to use

Citation Guides Online

These websites can help you format your paper and citations properly. The list below are style guides available online (mostly through Purdue University's Online Writing Lab (OWL)).

Check your assignment instructions or ask your professor which style to use.

AMA Manual of Style This link opens in a new window
This guide specifies the writing and citation styles used in journals published by the American Medical Association (AMA).

APA - Purdue OWL
Purdue OWL citation guidance and examples
ASA - American Sociological Association
Purdue OWL citation guidance and examples. You can find the complete ASA guide at the library's circulation desk.

Chicago Manual of Style Online This link opens in a new window
Provides guidelines on style, usage, grammar, and citation format with examples. Both the 17th and 16th editions are accessible.

MLA - Purdue OWL
Purdue OWL citation guidance and examples.
Turabian: A Manual for Writers - Chicago Style for Students and Researchers
While there are a few minor differences between Chicago and Turabian styles to accommodate the needs of student paper writers, they share the same Chicago-style citation formats

Citation Style Manuals

AMA Manual of Style by Cheryl Iverson (Editor); Stacy Christiansen (Editor)
ISBN: 9780190246594
Publication Date: 2020
AMA manual of style : a guide for authors and editors. 11th ed. 2020.
A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations, Ninth Edition by Kate L. Turabian; Wayne C. Booth (Revised by); Gregory G. Colomb (Revised by); Joseph M. Williams (Revised by); Joseph Bizup (Revised by); William T. FitzGerald (Revised by); The University The University of Chicago Press Editorial Staff (Revised by)
Call Number: LB2369 .T8 2018, Reserves
ISBN: 9780226430577
A manual for writers of research papers, theses, and dissertations : Chicago Style for students and researchers. 9th ed. 2018
MLA Handbook by The Modern Language Association of America
Call Number: Available, LB2369 .M52 2021, Reserves and Reference
ISBN: 9781603295628
Textbook and reference guide that offers student writers and writing instructors guidance on creating works-cited-list entries in MLA style. 9th ed. 2021.
Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association by American Psychological Association
Call Number: BF76.7 .P83, Reserves and Reference
ISBN: 9781433832161
The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA) is the style manual of choice for writers, editors, students, educators, and professionals in psychology, sociology, business, economics, nursing, social work, and justice administration, and other disciplines in which effective communication with words and data is fundamental. 7th ed. 2020.

Online Style Manuals

AMA Manual of Style This link opens in a new window
This guide specifies the writing and citation styles used in journals published by the American Medical Association (AMA).
Chicago Manual of Style Online This link opens in a new window
Provides guidelines on style, usage, grammar, and citation format with examples. Both the 17th and 16th editions are accessible.