Citation Style Guides

Contact Information

In person at the J.N. Desmarais Library: The Library User Assistance Desk is just to the left of the entrance to the library.

By email: Reference help is available by contacting the librarian responsible for your subject area. A Librarian will respond during regular hours.

By telephone: Call us at 705-675-4800 or by extension 4800.

Distance education students: Téléphone : 1-800-661-1058, ext. 2 Fax: 705-671-3803 (Attention Off-Campus Library Services); email: bibdesmaraislib@laurentienne.ca

For more information visit our Services for Students page or the Off-Campus Library Services page.

Academic Integrity for Students at Laurentian University

Citing the works you have consulted, and acknowledging the contributions of others, helps you avoid plagiarism. See the Policy on Student Academic Integrity (PDF), approved by Senate on September 19, 2017, for more details.

Citation Styles

In the following tabs, you will find quick reference guides on commonly used citation styles. These styles are most often derived from professional associations and researchers, some have official guides and others are merely popular names given to a type of style that has several variants. The three most popular styles at Laurentian are APA, MLA, and Chicago.

Remember to use the style recommended by your professor.

Citation Management Tools

Citation management tools, such as Zotero, can help you to import and organize your references, as well as to create and export them. It is important to verify these citations before submitting your work, as glitches can lead to errors with capitalization, punctuation, and incomplete information.

Annotated Bibliography

Many professors ask for annotated bibliographies as part of your research. Annotated bibliographies ensure that you are accurately evaluating your sources and using reliable information; they help you improve your research abilities and prove your work.

There are several different styles of annotated bibliographies (informative, evaluative, combination...). It is therefore important to verify what form your professor requires. The University of Toronto offers an excellent guide on writing an annotated bibliography.

APA

APA is the most often used style guide in the social sciences and humanities. The most current edition of the Publication manual of the American Psychological Association is the 7^th(2020), which is available at the Service Desk on the 2^nd floor of the J.N. Desmarais Library.

APA Style uses the Author-Date system. For both cited and paraphrased in-text references, use (Author, Date, Pages) at the end of the sentence, otherwise, the author and date information is included within the text with the pages at the end of the sentence. Two authors require an ampersand; three to twenty authors require commas and one ampersand. If there are more than twenty authors, follow with “et al.” However, for in-text references, list only the first author followed by et al. [and others].

Short citation example (long citations have a hanging indent):

“So long as settler society perceived a need to tame Aboriginal sexuality, men in power could reorder Aboriginal society with impunity” (Barman, 2010, 284).

Example of paraphrasing (It is not required to include page numbers for paraphrasing, but it is recommended):

Barman (2010) expands on aboriginal sexual deceptions by institutions, giving documentary evidence of the depiction of uncontrollable sexuality (283-284).

N.B. APA uses a hanging indent (which is not replicated here).

Book	*Author, A. A. (Year). Title of book: Capital used on the first word after the colon. Edition (if needed). Publisher.* Webber, C. (2020). Psychology & crime (2nd ed.). Sage.
Translated Book	*Author, A. A. (Year). Title of book: Capital used on the first word after the colon. (Name(s) of translators, Trans.). Publisher. (Original work published date).* De Saint-Exupéry, A. (1971). The little prince. (K. Woods, Trans.). Harcourt, Brace, & World. (Original work published 1943).
Chapter in a Collected Works	*Author, A. A. (Year). Chapter title. In Editor, B. (Ed.), Title of book: Capital used on the first word after the colon* (pages). Publisher.** Barman, J. (2010). Taming Aboriginal sexuality: Gender, power, and race in British Columbia, 1850-1900. In Kelm, M.-E. and Townsend, L. (Eds.), In the days of our grandmothers: A reader in Aboriginal women’s history in Canada (270-300). University of Toronto Press.
Journal Article	*Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Date). Article title. Journal title, volume(issue). Retrieved from URL or doi* Gray-Munro, J., & Campbell, J. (2017). Mimicking the hierarchical surface topography and superhydrophobicity of the lotus leaf on magnesium alloy AZ31. Materials Letters, 189, 271-274. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matlet.2016.11.102
Newspaper Article	Walkom, Thomas. (2019, December 12). New NAFTA has some wins but still a bad deal. Toronto Star. https://www.thestar.com/opinion/star-columnists/2019/12/12/new-nafta-has...
Data	*Organisation. (Year). Project name* if available [type of data]. URL** Statistics Canada. (2020). Study: The impact of the manufacturing decline on local labour markets in Canada. https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/200115/dq200115a-eng.htm
Wikis	Title of page. (Year, Month day). Wiki: URL Classification of indigenous peoples of the Americas. (2020, January 20). Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Classification_of_indigenous_peoples_of_th...
Online Presentation /Conference	*Author, A. A. (Year, Month day). Title of presentation* [format]. Retrieved from URL** Wucker, M. (2019, May 1). Why we ignore obvious problems - and how to act on them [video]. Ted talks. https://www.ted.com/talks/michele_wucker_why_we_ignore_obvious_problems_...
Online Video	Author or Organisation. (Year, Month day). "Title of presentation". [format]. Retrieved from URL Chomsky, N. (2018, February 24). "Requiem for the American dream." Documentary. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wp6Rbgv1MLg&vl=en
Website	*Author or Organisation. (Year, month, day). Page/document title. Retrieved from URL* Zweig, Eric (2006, February 7). 1972 Canada-Soviet hockey series (Summit series). The Canadian Encyclopedia. https://thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/1972-canada-soviet-hockey-...
Blog	Author or screen name. (Year, Month day). Title of post [blog]. Retrieved from URL. Geist, Michael. (2019, December 19). The Canadian digital law decade: The ten most notable cases, laws, and policy developments [blog]. http://www.michaelgeist.ca/2019/12/the-canadian-digital-law-decade-the-t...

The DOI (Digital Object Identifier)

When it is available, APA style requires the addition of a DOI (Digital Object Identifier) in a reference. In essence, the DOI is a permanent link to the cited document when it is avaiable online. For more see the chart below prepared by APA in 2009:

MLA

MLA style guide is most commonly used in the Humanities (such as modern languages, literature, media studies, etc.). The most recent version of the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers is the 8th Edition. It is available from the Library User Assistance Desk on the 2nd floor of the J.N. Desmarais Library. You could also consult the highly respected and up-to-date online MLA reference guide from Purdue University.

MLA’s bibliography is titled “Works Cited”, not “References” or “Bibliography”

General MLA reference guidelines:

Name(s) of the author and/or editor (if available)
Article title between quotation marks (if applicable)
Title of the website, project, or book in italics.
Publishing information, such as the editor and the date of publishment.
Page number(s) if available.
Method of publication.
Access date.
Use the abbreviation “n.p.” if the publisher is unknown to you and “n.d.” when the date is unknown.
.

For both cited and paraphrased in-text references, use “(Author, Pages)” at the end of the sentence, otherwise the author and date information is included within the text with the pages at the end of the sentence. If the author is unknown, substitute the work. When listing a work with two authors use an ampersand; with more than three authors, list the first author followed by “et al.”

Short citation example (long citations have a hanging indent):

“So long as settler society perceived a need to tame Aboriginal sexuality, men in power could reorder Aboriginal society with impunity” (Barman 284).

Example of paraphrasing:

Barman expands on aboriginal sexual deceptions by institutions, giving documentary evidence of the depiction of uncontrollable sexuality (283-284).

N.B. MLA uses hanging indents (which is not replicated here).

Book	*Lastname, Firstname. Title of Book. Publisher, year.* Obama, Barack. The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream. Vintage Books, 2006.
Translated Book	*Lastname, Firstname. Title of Book. Trans. Translator’s Firstname Lastname, Publisher, Year.* De Saint-Exupéry, Antoine. The Little Prince. Translated by Katherine Woods, Harcourt, Brace, & World, 1971.
Chapter of a Collected Work	*Lastname, Firstname. “Chapter Title.” Titre du Livre.* *Ed. Editor(s) name(s). Place of publication: Publisher, Year. Pages.* Barman, Jean. “Taming Aboriginal Sexuality: Gender, Power, and Race in British Columbia, 1850-1900.” Days of our Grandmothers: A Reader in Aboriginal Women’s History in Canada edited by Mary-Ellen Kelm and Lorna Townsend, U of Toronto P, 2010, pp. 270-300.
Journal Article	*Lastname, Firstname, and Firstname Lastname. “Article Title.” Journal Title* Volume.Issue (Year): pages. Database if applicable. Medium. Date accessed if applicable.** Buchanan, Brett. (2007). “The Time of the Animal.” PhaenEx: Journal of Existential and Phenomenological Theory and Culture, vol. 2 no. 2, pp. 61-80.
Newspaper Article	*Lastname, Firstname. “Article Title.” Newspaper* day month Year: pages(if available) Medium. Date accessed if applicable.** Smith, Teresa. “Drought-Stricken Almonte Farmer Receives Much-Needed Hay from Saskatchewan.” Ottawa Citizen, 31 Oct. 2012. Web. 7 Nov. 2012.
Digital File	Author, Name of work (in italics or between quotation marks depending on the format). Publisher (if applicable), date of creation. Format (i.e. JPEG, PDF, etc.). Watson, Patrick. Je Te Laisserai des Mots. Secret City Records, 2010. MP3.
Online Presentation /Conference	Name of presenter. “Title of Presentation.” Name of conference and organization, location. Date. Description of the type of presentation (lecture, ceremony, etc.). Brown, Brené. “The Power of Vulnerability.” Ted Talks, Houston. June 2010. Lecture.
Website	*Author or Organisation (if available). Name of website. Version number (if applicable). Name of institution or organisation affiliated with the site, creation date. Web. Date consulté.* Historica Dominion Institute. Richard Pierpoint. n.d. Web. 7 Nov. 2012.
Blog	*Author, screen name, or editor. “Title of Post.” Name of Website. Name of the organisation affiliated with the website. Posting date. Web. Date accessed.* Geist, Michael. “Canadian Copyright Reform in Force: Expanded User Rights Now the Law.” Michael Geist. 7 Nov. 2012. Web. 7 Nov. 2012

Chicago

Chicago style resources

The latest edition of The Chicago Manual of Style (CMOS) is available online
Chicago-Style Citation Quick Guide
A print copy of the 17th edition of The Chicago Manual of Style is available in the library
Purdue University Online Writing Lab (OWL) guide is updated as soon as possible, once there is a new CMOS edition
Colgate Visual Resources Library is an excellent guide for citing images and links directly to the latest CMOS edition
Citation management software, such as Zotero, is updated as soon as possible, once there is a new CMOS edition

Chicago style: quick reference

Chicago uses two different forms: the Author-Date system and the Notes and Bibliography system. Make sure you use the proper style and form as requested by your professor. The following quick reference guide will be using Chicago Notes and Bibliography*.

For the first notation, include all of the source information: author, title, and publishing data. When citing a source a second time, include the author’s last name, the abbreviated title, and the pages. If a source is cited more than two times successively, use “Ibid.” followed by the page numbers (if differing). Notes are formatted as footnotes or endnotes beginning with “1.”

*Chicago style uses hanging indents in its bibliography.

Book	*Lastname, Firstname. Book Title. Location of publication: publisher, year.* Obama, Barack. The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream. New York: Vintage Books, 2006.
Translated book	*Lastname, Firstname. Book Title. Translated by Firstname Lastname. Location of publication: publisher, year.* De Saint-Exupéry, Antoine. The Little Prince. Translated by Katherine Woods. San Diego: Harcourt, Brace, & World, 1971.
Chapter in a collected work	*Lastname, Firstname. “Chapter Title.” In Book Title, edited by Firstname Lastname, pages. Location of publication: publisher, year.* Barman, Jean. “Taming Aboriginal sexuality: Gender, Power, and Race in British Columbia, 1850-1900.” In In the Days of our Grandmothers: A Reader in Aboriginal Women’s History in Canada. Edited by Mary-Ellen Kelm and Lorna Townsend, 270-300. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2010.
Journal article	*Lastname, Firstname. “Article Title.” Journal Title, Volume, no.# (year): pages. Accessed Month day, year (if applicable). URL or doi.* Buchanan, Brett. “The Time of the Animal.” PhaenEx: Journal of Existential and Phenomenological Theory and Culture, 2 no.2 (2007): 61-80. Accessed November 7, 2012. http://search.proquest.com/docview/43243630?accountid=12005.
Newspaper article	*Lastname, Firstname. “Article Title.” Newspaper* (place of publication), Month day, year. URL (if applicable).** Smith, Teresa. “Drought-Stricken Almonte Farmer Receives Much-Needed Hay from Saskatchewan.” Ottawa Citizen (Ottawa), October 31, 2012. http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/Drought+stricken+Almonte+farmer+receiv...
Online presentation / conference	Name of presenter. “Presentation Title if available.” Presented to Name of conference and organization, place, date. URL. Brown, Brené. “The Power of Vulnerability.” Presented to Ted Talks, Houston, June 2010. http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/en/brene_brown_on_vulnerability.html.
Website	*Author, screen name, or editor. “Title of page.” Website name, date last modified (if available). Date accessed (if not modified). URL.* Historica Dominion Institute. Richard Pierpoint. Historica Dominion Institute. Accessed November 8, 2012. https://www.historicacanada.ca/content/heritage-minutes/richard-pierpoint
Blog	Generally, blogs are listed in the notes and not the bibliography. However, if it is a blog of significance you may add it to your bibliography. If the title includes the word “blog” there is no need to repeat it within parentheses. In the notes: *Author or screen name, “Title of Article,” Title of Blog* (blog), creation date, URL.** Geist, Michael, “Canadian Copyright Reform in Force: Expanded User Rights Now the Law,” Michael Geist (blog), November 7, 2012, http://www.michaelgeist.ca/content/view/6692/125/.

Harvard

The Harvard style uses an author-date system and is most commonly used in Sciences. The last name of the author and the date are cited within the text, with the complete details being included at the end of the paper in the bibliography.

There is no official guide for Harvard, which is a popular name for various forms of parenthetical referencing. The Anglia Ruskin University has a well-respected and up-to-date online version of one of the most popular guides for the Harvard System.

N.B. Harvard uses hanging indents (which is not replicated here).

Book	*Author, A. A., Year. Title of book. Location of publication: Publisher.* Obama, B., 2006. The audacity of hope: Thoughts on reclaiming the American dream. New York: Vintage Books.
Translated Book	*Author, A. A., year of original publication. Book title. Translated from Language by A. A. Translator, year of translated publication. Location of publication: Publisher.* De Saint-Exupéry, A., 1943. The little prince. Translated from French by K. Woods, 1971. San Diego: Harcourt, Brace, & World.
Chapter in a Collected Work	Author, A. A., year of chapter (if differs from book, otherwise book year). Title of chapter. In: A. A. Editor, ed. Year of book (if different). Book title. Location of publication: Publisher, pp. pages. Barman, J., 2010. Taming aboriginal sexuality: Gender, power, and race in British Columbia, 1850-1900. In: M.-E. Kelm and L. Townsend, eds. In the days of our grandmothers: A reader in Aboriginal women’s history in Canada Toronto: University of Toronto Press, pp. 270-300.
Online Journal Article	*Author, A. A. and Author, B. B., year. Title of article. Journal title, [e-journal] volume(issue), pages. Available from: Library Website name <URL> [viewed day month year].* Buchanan, B., 2007. The time of the animal. PhaenEx: Journal of Existential and Phenomenological Theory and Culture [e-journal], 2(2), pp.61-80. Available at: J.N. Desmarais Library and Archives <http://search.proquest.com/docview/43243630?accountid=12005> [viewed 7 November 2012].
Online Newspaper Article	*Author, A. A., year. Title of article. Newspaper, [medium] additional date information, pages if available. Available from: <URL> [viewed day Month year].* Smith, T., 2012. Drought-stricken Almonte farmer receives much-needed hay from Saskatchewan. Ottawa Citizen, [online] 31 October. Available at: <http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/ottawa/Drought+stricken+Almonte+farmer... [viewed 3 November 2012].
Website	*Author or source, year. Name of page or document. [Medium] (date of last modification if available) Available at: <URL> [viewed day Month year].* Historica Dominion Institute. n.d. Richard Pierpoint. [online] Available at: <https://www.historica-dominion.ca/content/heritage-minutes/richard-pierp... [viewed 5 November 2012].
Blog	*Author or screen name, year. Title of post. Name of Blogue, [medium] posting date. Available at: <URL> [viewed day Month year].* Geist, M., 2012. Canadian copyright reform in force: Expanded user rights now the law. Michael Geist, [online] 7 November. Available at: <http://www.michaelgeist.ca/content/view/6692/125/> [viewed 7 November 2012].

IEEE

The IEEE Editorial Style Manual is most commonly used in Engineering and technological sciences, the most recent version being from 2009. The references are listed by numerological order of the textual citations. IEEE possesses the following characteristics:

The first name (or initials) of the author is listed first.
Article and chapter titles take quotation marks.
Journal and book titles are in italics.
Journal titles are abbreviated according to ISSN.
References in the bibliography are listed according to the order that they appear in text (not alphabetically), and are numbered.
Use “et al.” when listing four or more authors.

For citation information that cannot be found in The IEEE Editorial Style Manual, it is recommended that you consult The Chicago Manual of Style.

N.B. the Canadian Journal of Electrical and Computer Engineering (CJECE) follows the IEEE style with some exceptions. For more information on the CJECE Style Guide visit IEEE Canada.

In-text citation example: Several studies [9], [14], [15] (or [9, 14, 15]) exhibit different results…

Printed

Book	*Author(s), Book Title, #ed.* (if applicable), Place of publication: Publisher, year, pages. [1] Barack Obama. The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream. New York: Vintage Books, 2006, p.36.
Chapter from a Collected Work	*Author(s), “Chapter Title,” in Book Title, edition, volume. Ed. Editor.* Place of publication: Publisher, year, pages. [2] J. Barman, “Taming Aboriginal Sexuality: Gender, Power, and Race in British Columbia, 1850-1900,” in In the Days of our Grandmothers: A Reader in Aboriginal Women’s History in Canada. Eds. M.-E. Kelm and L. Townsend. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2010, pp. 270-300.
Journal Article	*Author(s), "Article Title," Jour. Title, vol., no., pages, date.* [3] B. Buchanan, “The Time of the Animal," PhaenEx: J. Existent. Phenomenological Theory Culture, vol.2, no.2, pp.61-80. 2007.
Electronic	Conventions on digital resource citations are constantly evolving. IEEE digital references are based significantly on the standard ISO 690: 2010, which is subject to modification. Generally, when referencing electronic sources, where possible one should identify: 1) the document, 2) the access medium (online, CD-ROM, etc.), 3) the access date, and 4) where it is available.

Online Journal Article

Author(s). (Year, month day). Article Title. Abbreviated Journal Title [Medium]. Vol(issue), pages. Available: URL.

[5] B. Buchanan. (2007). The Time of the Animal. PhaenEx: J. Existent. Phenomenological Theory Culture [Online]. 2(2), pp.61-80. 2007. Available: http://search.proquest.com/docview/43243630?accountid=12005

Ebook

Author(s). (Year, month day). Title (edition) [Medium]. Vol(issue). Available: URL.

Franco Pirajno. (2009). Hydrothermal processes and mineral systems [Online]. Available: http://www.springerlink.com/content/n22073/#section=172815&page=2&locus=89

Online Conference

Author(s). Title. Presented at Conference [Medium]. Available : URL.

Brené Brown. The power of vulnerability. Presented at Ted Talks Houston June 2010 [Online]. Available: http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/en/brene_brown_on_vulnerability.html.

Vancouver

Vancouver Citation Style (NLM)

The NLM Style Guide for Authors, Editors, and Publishers (or Vancouver Citation Style) is primarily used in medical research. The most recent edition for the NLM guide is the 2^nd, released in 2007, for more in-depth citation questions, this edition should be consulted. Some key points regarding Vancouver references:

All authors are listed,
List as much information as possible when referencing websites,
Journal titles are abbreviated,
Quotation marks and italics are generally not used,
References are numbered within brackets by order of appearance. If a reference appears multiple times, it maintains its original number,
Titles of books should be presented in their original language [followed by a translation between brackets whenever possible], with the language listed at the end of the reference,
Titles of non-English journal articles should be translated into English and placed within brackets, title of the journal itself should be in the original language.

In-text citation example:

The new copyright reform bill has officially taken effect and with it the digital locks are in force, however there are some exceptions on those locks, such as with encryption research [9, 10].

Book	Author AA. Book title. Edition. Place of publication: Publisher; year. Barack O. The audacity of hope: thoughts on reclaiming the American dream. New York: Vintage Books; 2006.
eBook	Author AA. Book title [medium]. Place of publication: Publisher; year [cited year mon day]. Available from: URL. Marlatt GA, Witkiewitz K. Addictive behaviors: new readings on etiology, prevention, and treatment [Internet]. Washington D.C.: Am Psychol Assoc; 2009 [cited 2010 Dec 2]. Available from: http://books2.scholarsportal.info/viewdoc.html?id=/ebooks/ebooks0/apa/20...
Chapter of a Collected Work	Author AA, Author BB. Chapter title. In: Editor AA, editor. Book title. Place of publication : Publisher; year. p. pages. Barman, J. Taming aboriginal sexuality: Gender, power, and race in British Columbia, 1850-1900. In: Kelm M-E and Townsend L, editors. In the days of our grandmothers: a reader in Aboriginal women’s history in Canada. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2010pp. 270-300.
Book in Two Languages	Author AA. Titre du livre = Title of book. Edition. Place of publication: Publisher; year. Languages. Institut de Recherches Internationales Servier. Le génome : avancées scientifiques et thérapeutiques et conséquences sociales = The genome: scientific and therapeutic developments and social consequences. Paris: Elsevier; c2002. French, English.
Journal Article	Author AA, Author BB. Article title. Abbrev. Journal Title. Year month day; volume(issue): pages. Buchanan B. The time of the animal. PhaenEx, 2007; 2(2), p. 61-80.
Online Journal Article	Author AA, Author BB. Article title. Abbrev. Journal Title [medium]. Year mon day [cited year mon day]; volume(issue): pages. Available from: URL Buchanan B. The Time of the Animal. PhaenEx [Internet]. 2007 [cited 2009 May 7]; 2(2), pp.61-80. Available from: http://search.proquest.com/docview/43243630?accountid=12005.
Online Newspaper Article	Author AA. Article title. Newspaper [medium]. Year mon day [cited year mon day]; Section: [general location]. Available from: URL Smith T. Drought-stricken Almonte farmer receives much-needed hay from Saskatchewan. Ottawa Citizen [Internet]. 2012 Oct 31 [cited 2012 Nov 5]; News: [Ottawa]. Available from : http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/ottawa/Drought+stricken+Almonte+farmer...
Website	Author(s). Web site name [Medium]. Place of publication: Publisher; year [updated year Mon day; cited year Mon day]. Available from: URL Health Canada. Drug and Health Products [Internet]. Heath Canada; 2012 [mise à jour 2012 Nov 2; cited 2012 Nov 11]. Available from: http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/dhp-mps/index-eng.php
Blog	Author(s). Blog title [medium]. Place of publication: Publisher. Year Mon day – [cited year Mon day]. Available from: URL Geist M. Canadian copyright reform in force: expanded user rights now the law [Internet]. Ottawa: Michael Geist. 2012 Nov 7- [cited 2012 Nov 9]. Available from: http://www.michaelgeist.ca/content/view/6692/125/

Other Citation Guides

Additional Citation Styles

There are many other citation styles that are used both in Canada and abroad. Here are some key ones:

McGill

The McGill Guide, or more formerly the Canadian Guide to Uniform Legal Citation, is the most popular legal reference style used in Canada. Queen's University offers an excellent online guide for the most recent 9th Edition. You may also consult the 8th Edition print version available on the 2nd floor of the J.N. Desmarais Library. . Be sure to use the edition required by your professor.

Turabian

Turabian Style modifies Chicago Style slightly to the needs of students, and can be found in print and online. Please note that it is not the same as Chicago; make sure you are using the style required by your professor.

Archives

The Archives of Ontario suggests the use of the pdf Guide to Citing Archival Records.

Library & Archives

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