Penn State  DuBois Campus Library Citation Guides

Citation Styles
Most of these sites give "samples" of citations for the selected style. None should be considered to represent the "complete" style manual. This is NOT a definitive guide to citation formats but provides some examples. There are many different "citation styles". The style you should use is usually determined by the discipline in which you are working. Ask your instructor what style s/he recommends for each course.

The two cardinal rules of citing are: 

1. Pick a style and be consistent. This will give a more polished look to your report.
2. Give complete information. - The objective in citing is to lead the next person to the same information you found. (Make sure your citation contains everything you would need to backtrack and find the information again.)

MLA: 
MLA Style
Easy to use guide provided by the librarians at the Penn State Berks Campus.

Using Modern Language Association (MLA) Format 
This is a handout from Purdue's On-Line Writing Lab, taken from the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers (3rd ed.). 

APA: 

APAStyle.org 
A Product of the American Psychological Association. "The following is excerpted from the new 5th edition of the Publication Manual. The material provided covers commonly asked questions regarding how to cite electronic media." (Not the entire APA manual!) 

Using American Psychological Association (APA) Format 
Information on this page is taken from The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (5th edition). (Not the entire APA manual!) 

Chicago/Turabian: 

Documentation: Chicago Style 
From the Writer's Handbook, University of Wisconsin 

The Chicago Manual of Style FAQ (and not so FAQ) 
From the manuscript editing department at the University of Chicago Press 

Harvard: 

Harvard Referencing 
This information sheet shows the Harvard referencing style. A common scientific citation style. 

Others: 

The Columbia Guide to Online Style 
A selection of examples from this manual. 

Excerpts from International Standard ISO 690-2 
Excerpts of "Information and documentation -- Bibliographic references -- Part 2: Electronic documents or parts thereof" 

Uncle Sam: Brief Guide to Citing Government Publications 
Based on Chicago. Extensive sample citations. 

Grammar & Usage

American Heritage Book of English Usage 
"With a detailed look at grammar, style, diction, word formation, gender, social groups and scientific forms, this valuable reference work is ideal for students, writers, academicians and anybody concerned about proper writing style." From Bartleby.com. 

Elements of Style 
The complete text of the 1918 edition of William Strunk's Elements of Style is available online. This important handbook covers the basic rules of English usage and principles of composition. From Bartleby.com. 

Electronic Style: The Final Frontier 
Examples and links to other guides. 

The King's English 
By H.W. Fowler, standard English usage, circa 1908. From Bartleby.com. 

On-line Writing Lab (OWL) 
This lab at Purdue University provides a wide range of documents on writing skills including punctuation, grammar, spelling, term paper writing, etc. 

Guide to Grammar and Style 
A basic guide to grammar, style, and usage written by Jack Lynch, Assistant Professor in the English department of the Newark campus of Rutgers University.