Citing Works
The Academic Research page of this guide discusses research conduct and academic integrity with resources about intellectual property and ethical and legal expectations. We also encourage you to check out the interactive Citation Treeing tutorial in OU Libraries' Citations & Academic Integrity tutorials.
For assistance with formatting and style, OU offers the Writing Center, plus other services that can be found on the Communication & Career Resources page under Sharing Your Research. The Writing Center offers assistance as well as online guides, and the Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL) is another common online guide. The UC Davis Citation Style Guide links to field-specific citation guides in the sciences and other fields. Don't forget you can also reach out to an OU librarian! Email the STEM Services team at libstem@ou.edu.
Keeping Track of What You Read and Cite
- Citing Sources from OU Libraries Databases
The library provides this guide demonstrating how to generate a pre-made citation from the catalog and our databases. This feature allows citations to be downloaded and used in a Bibliographic Management Software, as well. - PowerNotes
PowerNotes is a tool brought to you by OU Libraries. PowerNotes works with Google Chrome or Firefox as a browser extension that allows you to annotate and organize PDFs and webpages – very useful when working with a lot of literature across multiple databases!
With PowerNotes:
- Highlight a PDF or webpage in-browser
- Write notes and annotations, then save your annotated highlights (or bookmark an entire PDF/webpage) as a link you can return to later
- Generate a citation for the linked resource
- Create a template to organize your annotations and resources
The installation process for PowerNotes is simple: go to PowerNotes.com and download the extension to your browser. You can also follow these instructions about creating an account.
- Zotero
Bibliographic Management Software, also called a Citation Manager, can be a useful tool for organization. Zotero is a citation management tool that you can use to organize and cite your sources. Visit OU Libraries' Zotero guide on installation and use.
Zotero is free! Plus it's open source "and developed by an independent, nonprofit organization that has no financial interest in your private information. With Zotero, you always stay in control of your own data." Further resources for getting started with Zotero:
- Zotero printable PDF instructions
- Switching from EndNote to Zotero?
- Switching from Mendeley to Zotero?
- Zotero Style Repository
- Zotero annotated bibliographies in APA or Chicago style
Citation Style References
If you are writing for a class, your instructor should provide a preferred citation style for papers that you will write. If they have not, you can ask them for their preferred citation style. To find specific journal citation styles, search for the name of the journal plus "citation style" or "author guidelines" (most publications have a website where you can read their policies). If you need assistance finding a style guide, email libstem@ou.edu.
Scientific Style and Format by Call Number: T11 .S386 2014ISBN: 9780226116495Publication Date: 2014Developed by the Council of Science Editors (CSE), the leading professional association in science publishing, this indispensable guide encompasses all areas of the sciences. Now in its eighth edition, it has been fully revised to reflect today's best practices in scientific publishing. It includes references for citing government documents, reports, bills and statutes, online images and information graphics, podcasts and webcasts, online videos, blogs, social networking sites, and e-books. Style instructions for physics, chemistry, genetics, biological sciences, and astronomy have been adjusted to reflect developments in each field. Additionally, a full discussion of plagiarism and other aspects of academic integrity is incorporated, along with a complete treatment of developments in copyright law, including Creative Commons.
- Council of Science Editors Citation Quick GuideOnline quick guide to the material covered in Scientific Style and Format book listed above. Some formats, such as those for government documents, legislation, and statutes, are only in the print edition.
- ACS Style GuideThe official style guide for citing references in the American Chemical Society (ACS) citation style.
- Chemical Abstracts Service Source Index (CASSI)CASSI can help identify and confirm journal titles and abbreviations to ensure bibliographic information is correct.
- ScitationLike CASSI, a good resource for checking citations. Indexes journals published by the American Institute of Physics, covering astronomy and astrophysics, biomedical physics, chemical physics, civil engineering, computational physics, environmental physics, fluids and plasmas, and geophysics.
- Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) Citation Reference"Describes ACM in-text citation style and provides examples of various references."
- IEEE Citation TutorialsVideo guide detailing IEEE (previously Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) citation style for citing sources. There are many videos available – including a video for citing data and code.
A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations, Eighth Edition by Call Number: LB 2369 .T8 2013ISBN: 9780226816371Publication Date: 2013A little more than seventy-five years ago, Kate L. Turabian drafted a set of guidelines to help students understand how to write, cite, and formally submit research writing. Seven editions and more than nine million copies later, the name Turabian has become synonymous with best practices in research writing and style. The Manual retains its familiar three-part structure, beginning with an overview of the steps in the research and writing process, including formulating questions, reading critically, building arguments, and revising drafts. Part II provides an overview of Chicago Manual of Style citation practices with detailed information on the two main scholarly citation styles (notes-bibliography and author-date). The final section treats all matters of editorial style, with advice on punctuation, capitalization, spelling, abbreviations, table formatting, and the use of quotations.
Chicago Manual of Style OnlinePublication Date: 2017 - 17th ed.
- Basic Legal CitationInformation on legal citation formats which may be of use to STEM researchers working on regulatory or policy issues. CSE also has legal formats included in the full print edition.
- MLA handbook for writers of research papers / Joseph Gibaldi, Walter S. Achtert.Revised edition of MLA handbook for writers of research papers, theses, and dissertations. Includes index.
Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association by Call Number: BF76.7 .P83 2020 TEXTBOOKSISBN: 9781433832154Publication Date: 2019The Publication Manual offers guidance on choosing the headings, tables, figures, language, and tone that will result in powerful, concise, and elegant scholarly communication. It guides users through the scholarly writing process--from the ethics of authorship to reporting research through publication. Resources for students on writing and formatting annotated bibliographies, response papers, and other paper types as well as guidelines on citing course materials. Dedicated chapter for new users of APA Style covering paper elements and format, including sample papers for both professional authors and student writers. New chapter on journal article reporting standards that includes updates to reporting standards for quantitative research and the first-ever qualitative and mixed methods reporting standards in APA Style. New chapter on bias-free language guidelines for writing about people with respect and inclusivity in areas including age, disability, gender, participation in research, race and ethnicity, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, and intersectionality. Expanded guidance on ethical writing and publishing practices, including how to ensure the appropriate level of citation, avoid plagiarism and self-plagiarism, and navigate the publication process. Guidelines that support accessibility for all users, including simplified reference, in-text citation, and heading formats as well as additional font options.
APA Style Simplified : writing in psychology, education, nursing, and sociology by Call Number: BF 76.7 .B447 2012ISBN: 9780470672327Publication Date: 2012Guide to writing clearly and effectively in APA style. Demonstrates how to write objective scientific research papers using interesting prose. Incorporates guidelines from the 6th edition of the APA publication manual. Explores how to develop ideas, connect them to what others have written, and express them clearly. Discusses the differences between written, oral, and poster presentations and offers instructions for applying APA style to each.- American Sociological Association Style Guide byCall Number: HM 569 .A54 2014ISBN: 9780912764214Publication Date: 2014"The ASA Style Guide highlights and features guidelines for the most common situations encountered by authors and editors in the ASA journal publication process. It is designed to serve as the authoritative reference for writing, submitting, editing, and copy editing manuscripts for ASA journals."
