APA and MLA Documentation Style

When you write papers, your professors will require you to use a particular format, or style guide, for citing sources that is the accepted standard for that particular discipline. Usually, APA (American Psychological Association) style is recommended for courses in the social sciences (i.e., psychology, education, etc.); and MLA (Modern Language Association) style is recommended for courses in the humanities (i.e., literature, linguistics, philosophy, etc.).

There are also other style manuals that you might be asked to use in specific disciplines, such as the Chicago Manual of Style, or manuals created for specific scientific fields. Always check with your course instructor to find out which style you should be using.

For more detailed information go to the "How to Cite" link on the bottom of the library page.

Plymouth State also owns a site license for EasyBib, a truly easy and user-friendly citation manager that will aid you in creating bibliographies for your papers. With a free EasyBib account, you can even save your bibliographies and export them to a Word document!  It's available from the "How to Cite" link.  Create your own personal EasyBib account, and you'll be amazed at how helpful it can be.