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Citation Styles & Tools

Proper citation gives credit to original authors and allows readers to locate your sources. Different disciplines use different citation styles. The Library can help you understand and apply the correct style for your assignments and research papers.

Common Citation Styles
StyleUsed InFormatExample
APA
American Psychological Association
Social sciences, education, psychology, businessAuthor-date in textSmith, J. (2020). Research Methods. Nairobi: PAC Press.
MLA
Modern Language Association
Humanities, literature, languagesAuthor-page in text; Works Cited listSmith, John. Research Methods. PAC Press, 2020.
ChicagoHistory, arts, social sciencesFootnotes or author-date; BibliographySmith, John. Research Methods. Nairobi: PAC Press, 2020.
HarvardWidely used in UK & African universitiesAuthor-date in text; Reference listSmith, J. 2020. Research Methods. Nairobi: PAC Press.
VancouverMedicine, health sciencesNumbered references in text1. Smith J. Research Methods. Nairobi: PAC Press; 2020.
Free Citation Tools

Zotero

Free, open-source reference manager. Automatically formats citations and bibliographies in any style. Works as a browser plugin and desktop app.

Visit Zotero

Mendeley

Reference manager and academic social network. Organise papers, cite while you write in Word, and collaborate with other researchers.

Visit Mendeley

Cite This For Me

Simple online generator for citations in over 1,000 styles. Enter a URL, book ISBN, or journal article details and get an instant citation.

Visit Cite This For Me

EasyBib

Auto-fills citation data by ISBN, URL, or title. Good for quick reference list generation in MLA, APA, and Chicago styles.

Visit EasyBib