How to Cite Your Sources

What style you cite in will depend largely on the requirements of your professor or the publication if you are publishing research.

Citation styles have developed out of various journals requiring specific citation formats. For example, AMA was developed for writers publishing in The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). If you have a question about what citation style to use, just ask!

The three most popular styles are APA, Chicago, and  MLA. 

The citation style to use is determined by your professor, or if you are submitting a manuscript, by the journal or publisher. However, each discipline tends to prefer certain styles.

Technically yes.

Citation generators can be useful resources when you are working with citations. Unfortunately, these generators are often not 100% accurate and depend largely on the user inputting the information you correctly. Generators are not able to determine if you used the right case usage or edition. If you choose to use a citation machine always double-check your results!

Also, keep in mind that citation generators are often run by for-profit companies that may request payment for their services.