Citation
Correct citation includes two components: In-Text and Works Cited.
It serves two general purposes: Author Acknowledgment and Navigation.
There are several different styles. Which to use should be based on either Subject (some styles geared for certain disciplines) or Requirement (e.g.
publisher, instructor).
If Requirement, then the person requiring must be specific about which version (several adaptations and editions for some styles). Once established, the
writer must be consistent and refer to no other style.
Keep in mind: no style accounts for every source possibility. Therefore, writers will sometimes have to interpret how to cite a particular document
based upon the overall style guidelines. That is why they are called "style" guides and not "rules." There are no rules, only guidelines.
There are several Websites available that not only interpret and illustrate the particular styles, but create the citations based upon bibliographic
information the user provides. The one that Gannon sponsors is
RefWorks(tutorial available
on Tututorials Web page). Keep in mind its focus is the works cited page; while there is an in-text plug-in, the process is very cumbersome.
Here are links to the official Websites for the
American Psychological Association (APA) and the
Modern Language Association (MLA), two of the most commonly prescribed styles in academia. Note: their
most recent handbooks are available in the Library's Reference collection; however, the latest edition of the APA manual has inconsistencies.
