LibGuides: English: Cite Sources

Citing in English Classes

Most English classes ask you to use MLA citation style. However, some writing classes will let you choose the citation style you want to use. For that reason, APA style is also listed below. Be sure to check what your professor wants!

MLA Citation

MLA Handbook by The Modern Language Association of America
Publication Date: 2021
The MLA Handbook is published by the Modern Language Association and is the only official, authorized book on MLA style.

Excelsior Online Writing Lab- MLA
Provides examples of in-text citations and works cited; formatting guide, and sample papers in MLA format.
Purdue Online Writing Lab- MLA
Information and examples of creating in-text citations and reference lists in MLA style.

APA Citation

Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association by American Psychological Association
Publication Date: 2019
The official source for APA Style. The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, Seventh Edition is the style manual of choice for writers, researchers, editors, students, and educators in the social and behavioral sciences, natural sciences, nursing, communications, education, business, engineering, and other fields.

APA Style Online
Provides free resources, instructional aids, and supplemental content that is referred to throughout the manual (reference examples, sample papers, etc).
Academic Writer Tutorial: Basics of Seventh Edition APA Style
This tutorial is designed for writers who are new to APA Style and covers the basics of 7th edition APA Style.
Excelsior Online Writing Lab- APA
Provides an overview of APA 7th edition including: examples for in-text citations and references; sample papers; and formatting guide.
Purdue Online Writing Lab- APA
Provides examples and overviews of formatting papers in APA style, reference lists, and citations.

Reference Management Tools

Refworks This link opens in a new window
RefWorks is a web-based bibliography and database manager that allows you to create your own personal database by importing references from text files or online databases and other sources. You can use these references in writing papers and automatically format the paper and the bibliography in seconds. Click on the link. Once there, you'll just need to sign up with your university email.

Zotero
Zotero is a free, easy-to-use tool to help you collect, organize, annotate, cite, and share research. Zotero allows you to attach PDFs, notes and images to your citations, organize them into collections for different projects, and create bibliographies. It is available for Windows, Mac, and Linux.

University Libraries

English

Librarian

Citing in English Classes

MLA Citation

APA Citation

Reference Management Tools