thesis reference ieee format

[#] A. A. Author, “Title of blog post in sentence case,” Title of Blog in Title Case, blog, full date of publication or modification. Available: URL

[1] J. Locke, “Effect of weird tails in 35mm Innsmouth sprocket periodicity distributions on re-tiered bicyclical phase shifting using Cthulhean logic,” The Thing’s Credible!, blog, Dec. 22, 2020. Available: https://wrywhisker.pulpfriction.net/wallcrust/linear-colinear-felinear.html

[#] A. A. Author, “Title of chapter in sentence case,” in B. B. Editor and C. C. Editor, Eds. Place of Publication: Publisher, year, pp. starting page of chapter–ending page of chapter.

[1] P. Haynes, “Al-Qaeda, oil dependence, and U.S. foreign policy,” in D. Moran and J. A. Russell, Eds. New York, NY, USA: Routledge, 2009, pp. 62–74.

[#] A. A. Author, B. B. Author, and C. C. Author, “Title of chapter in sentence case,” in , D. D. Editor, Ed. Place of Publication: Publisher, year, pp. starting page of chapter–ending page of chapter.

[2] A. H. Cordesman, A. Mausner, and D. Kasten, Introduction, in , J. Smith, Ed. Washington, DC, USA: Center for Strategic and International Studies, 2009, pp. 4–5.

[1] M. E. Bonds,  New York, NY, USA: Oxford University Press, 2014. Available:  https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199343638.003.0004

[2] A. Krishnan,  . Aldershot, England: Ashgate, 2008. Available: Kindle

[3] J. Crabtree and A. Chaplin,  . London, England: Zed Books, 2013. Available: ProQuest

[#] A. A. Author, Place of Publication: Publisher, year.

[1] M. Pollan, New York, NY, USA: Penguin, 2006.

[#] A. A. Author and B. B. Author, edition number. Place of Publication: Publisher, year.

[2] A. Strindberg and M. Wärn, 2nd ed. Hoboken, NJ, USA: John Wiley and Sons, 2011.

[#] A. A. Author, B. B. Author, and C. C. Author, Place of Publication: Publisher, year.

[3] A. H. Cordesman, A. Mausner, and D. Kasten, Washington, DC, USA: Center for Strategic and International Studies, 2009.

[1] “Python NumPy tutorial,” class notes for CS231n: Convolutional Neural Networks for Visual Recognition, Dept. of Comp. Sci., Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA, USA, spring 2017. Available: https://cs231n.github.io/python-numpy-tutorial/

[2] B. B. Horse, “Horseshoes and hand grenades: On the joys of approximation,” lecture at Barnes Event Center, Derby, KY, USA, 2017. Available: https://horse.com/

[#] “Title of lecture in sentence case,” class notes for Title of Class in Title Case, Abbreviated Name of Department, Institution, Location of Institution, academic quarter year.

[3] “Formatting a thesis,” class notes for Adventures in Academic Writing, Dept. of Dragon Husbandry, Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, CA, USA, spring 2017.

[#] A. A. Author, “Title of speech/presentation/brief in sentence case,” presented at Abbreviated Venue, Location of Presentation, Month and day of Presentation (if available), year. Available: DOI  URL

[4] L. Randall, “Unification in warped extra dimensions and bulk holography,” presented at Cavendish Lab., Univ. of Cambridge, Cambridge, England, Jul. 19, 2002. Available: https://www.damtp.cam.ac.uk/events/strings02/avt/randall/

[#] Company or A. A. Creator, Place of Publication. Year published. , ver. xx. Available: URL

[1] M. Borenstein, L. Hedges, J. Higgins, and H. Rothstein, Englewood, NJ, USA. 2005. , ver. 2. Available: https://www.meta-analysis.com/

DOI  URL  Name of Database in Title Case

[#] “Title of entry in sentence case,”  Accessed: abbreviated date. Available: URL

[1] “Metamorphosis,” Accessed: Jul. 6, 2017. Available: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/metamorphosis

[#] Department or Company,  , document identification number. Year. Available: URL

[1] Texas Instruments, , SNAS548D. 2015. Available: https://www.ti.com/lit/ds/symlink/lm555.pdf

[#] , document identification number, Name of Issuing Organization. Place of Publication, year. Available: URL

[1] DOD Directive 5000.1, Under Secretary of Defense (AT&L). Washington, DC, USA, 2020. Available: https://www.esd.whs.mil/Portals/54/Documents/DD/issuances/dodd/500001p.pdf?ver=2020-09-09-160307-310

[#]  document identification number, Department. Place of Publication, year. Available: URL

[1]  JP-1, Joint Chiefs of Staff. Washington, DC, USA, 2017. Available: https://fas.org/irp/doddir/dod/jp1.pdf

[#] , document identification number, Department. Place of Publication, year. Available: URL

[1] FM 23-10, Department of the Army. Washington, DC, USA, 1995. Available: https://www.bits.de/NRANEU/others/amd-us-archive/fm_23-10%2894%29.pdf

CRS Report 

[#] A. A. Author, “Title of CRS report in sentence case,” Institution, Place of Publication, Report Number, year. Available: URL

[1] M. C. Erwin, "Intelligence issues for Congress," Congressional Research Service, Washington DC, USA, CRS Report No. RL33539, 2013. Available: https://fas.org/sgp/crs/intel/RL33539.pdf

GAO Report 

[#] A. A. Author, “Title of GAO report in sentence case,” Institution, Place of Publication, Report Number, year.

[2] C. A. Berrick, "Homeland security: DHS’s progress and challenges in key areas of maritime, aviation, and cybersecurity," Government Accountability Office, Washington, DC, USA, GAO Report No. GAO-10-106, 2009.

Strategy Document / Other Government Report 

[#] A. A. Author, “Title of report in sentence case,” Place of Publication, year. Available: DOI  URL  Name of Database in Title Case

In the actual examples given here, the names of the strategies are treated as proper nouns and therefore capitalized.

[3] J. Biden, "National Security Strategy of the United States of America," Washington, DC, USA, 2022. Available: https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Biden-Harris-Administrations-National-Security-Strategy-10.2022.pdf

[#] , document identification number, Name of Issuing Organization. Place of Publication, year.

[2] , DOD Instruction 1000.01, Department of Defense. Washington, DC, USA, 2012.

[#] A. A. Author, "Title of memorandum in sentence case,"  official memorandum, Name of Issuing Organization, Place of Publication, year. Available: URL

[1] T. M. Takai, "Adoption of the national information exchange model within the Department of Defense," official memorandum, Department of Defense, Washington, DC, USA, 2013. Available: https://dodcio.defense.gov/Portals/0/Documents/2013-03-28%20Adoption%20of%20the%20NIEM%20within%20the%20DoD.pdf

[1] P. Potatohead,  , 168th ed., Western Spud Co. Kinston-Slalom, ID, USA, 1972. Available: https://www.spud.org/potato/transmission/grease.html

[2] 3rd ed., Western Electric Co. Winston-Salem, NC, USA, 1985.

[#] A. A. Author and B. B. Author, “Title of article in sentence case,”  , vol. xxx, no. xxx, pp. starting page of article–ending page of article, Abbreviated Month and year published. Available: DOI  URL  Name of Database in Title Case

[1] G. Sanico and M. Kakinaka, “Terrorism and deterrence policy with transnational support,”  , vol. 19, no. 2, pp. 153–167, Apr. 2008. Available: https://doi.org/10.1080/10242690701505419

[2] W. W. Newmann, “Reorganizing for national security and homeland security,” vol. 62, no. S1, pp. 126–137, Sep. 2002, Available: ProQuest

[22] U.S. v. Councilman, 245 F. Supp. 2d 319 (D. Mass. 2003).

[7] United States v. Ninety-Five Barrels Alleged Apple Cider Vinegar, 265 U.S. 438 (1924).

[#] Legislative body, xxx Congress, Session. (year, Abbreviated Month and day). Number of Bill or Resolution, . Available: URL

[1] U.S. House, 102nd Congress, 1st Session. (1991, Jan. 11). H. Con. Res. 1, Available: https://www.congress.gov/bill/102nd-congress/house-concurrent-resolution/1?q=%7B%22search%22%3A%5B%22h.+con.+res.+1%
22%5D%7D&s=1&r=1

[#] Title of Act in Title Case, Pub. L. No. xxx, volume Source page number. Year published. Available: URL

[3] Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, Pub. L. No. 101–336, 104 Stat. 327. 1990. Available: https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/STATUTE-104/STATUTE-104-Pg327

[#] Google, “Title of map in sentence case.” Accessed: abbreviated date. Available: URL

[1] Google, “Monterey Bay.” Accessed: Jul. 6, 2017. Available:
https://www.google.com/maps/
place/Monterey+Bay/@36.7896106,-122.0843052,11z/data=
!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x808e0ccfc5859dfd:0x124654a608855d43!8m2!3d36.8007413!4d-121.947311

[#] Video Owner/Creator, Location [if available, include country].  (Release date). Accessed: Full Date. Available: URL

[1] CNN.   (August 31, 2017). Accessed: Jan. 19, 2022. [Video]. Available: https://www.cnn.com/2017/08/30/politics/texas-harvey-flooding-military-response/

[#] A. A. Author, “Title of article in sentence case,” , Abbreviated Month and day, year. Available: DOI or URL or Name of Database in Title Case

[1] L. Linguine, “Animal fat shampoos for achieving angel hair,” Jul. 15, 2016. Available: http://www.chickenyodeling.com/dfjgp98y4t34_pherg899h.html/

[#] A. A. Author, “Title of article in sentence case,” Abbreviated Month and day, year.

[2] J. Stulberg, “The art of creating crossword puzzles,” Jul. 15, 2016.

[#] A. A. Rightsholder, “Title of patent in sentence case,” U.S. Patent xxxxxxx, Abbreviated Month and day of issuance, year of issuance. Available: URL

[1] A. G. Bell, “Improvement in telegraphy,” U.S. Patent 174465, Mar. 7, 1876. Available: https://www.google.com/patents/US174465

[#] A. A. Interlocutor, private communication or interview or email, Abbreviated Month of communication year.

[1] J. Jojo, email, Sep. 2009.

[2] L. Chukwuemeka, interview, Sep. 2009.

[3] R. Ajanlekoko, personal communication, Sep. 2009.

[#] A. A. Author, “Title of report in sentence case,” Abbreviated Company, Place of Publication, Report Number, year. Available: DOI  URL   Name of Database in Title Case

 Use et al. when three or more names are given.

[1] L. Dixon  , “The cost and affordability of flood insurance in New York City,” RAND Corp., Santa Monica, CA, USA, RR-1776-NYCEDC, 2017. Available: https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RR1776.html

 Dixon et al. [1] extended the work . . .

[#] A. A. Author, “Title of technical report in sentence case,” Abbrev. Name of Company, Place of Publication, Rep. xxxxxxx, year. Available: DOI  URL  Name of Database in Title Case

[1] S. V. Effendi and X. Vilhjálmsson, “The absorption rate of potatoes in salmonella,” Dept. Vet. Stud., Madison, WI, USA, Rep. 17-59, 2009. Available: https://vetstudies.edu/donteatthosefries.html

[#] Organization Name, “Title of technical report in sentence case,” Place of Publication, Rep. xxxxxxx, year. Available: DOI  URL  Name of Database in Title Case

[3] National Toxicology Program, “Toxicology and carcinogenesis studies of trimethylolpropane triacrylate (CASRN 15625-89-5) in F344/N rats and B6C3F1/N mice (Topical Application Studies),” Washington, DC, USA, Rep. TR-576, 2012. Available: https://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/results/pubs/longterm/reports/longterm/tr500580
?/listedreports/tr576/index.html

[#] List the that quotes or discusses the material you are referring to (cite using the appropriate format for the source type—book, journal article, etc.)

See example.

[1] I. A. M. Nicholson, Washington, DC, USA: American Psychological Association, 2003.

We can see this principle at work in the following passage from Allport’s diary, quoted in [1].

[#] A. A. Author, “Title of thesis/dissertation in sentence case,” M.S. thesis or Ph.D. dissertation, Abbreviated Department, Abbreviated Institution, Location of Institution, year published. Available: DOI URL Name of Database in Title Case

[2] T. D. Moon, “Rising dragon: Infrastructure development and Chinese influence in Vietnam,” M.S. thesis, Dept. of Natl. Sec. Aff., NPS, Monterey, CA, USA, 2009. Available: https://calhoun.nps.edu/handle/10945/4694

[#] A. A. Author, “Title of article in sentence case,”  submitted for publication.

[1] R. Briscoe, “Egocentric spatial representation in action and perception,” submitted for publication.

[#] A. A. Author, “Title, section, or page name in sentence case,” Name of Website in Title Case, full date of publication or modification. Available: URL

[1] R. Roth, “75 years ago, the Doolittle Raid changed history,” CNN, April 18, 2017. Available: https://www.cnn.com/2017/04/18/us/75th-anniversary-doolittle-raid/index.html

[#] “Title, section, or page name in sentence case,” Janes, Full date of publication or modification. Available: URL

[4] “Mali: Country overview,” Janes, May 31, 2017. Available: https://customer.janes.com/CountryIntelligence/Countries/Country_986

[#] “Title of entry in sentence case,” Accessed: Abbreviated Date. Available: URL

[1] “Psychology,” Accessed: May 17, 2011. Available: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychology

Capitalize everything

Capitalize 

[1] D. Sarunyagate, Ed.,  . New York: McGraw-Hill, 1996.

[2] G. O. Young, "Synthetic structure of industrial plastics," in  , 2nd ed., vol. 3, J. Peters, Ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1964, pp. 15-64.

[3] L. Bass, P. Clements, and R. Kazman, , 2nd ed. Reading, MA: Addison Wesley, 2003. [E-book] Available: Safari e-book.

[4] G. Liu, K. Y. Lee, and H. F. Jordan, "TDM and TWDM de Bruijn networks and shufflenets for optical communications,"  , vol. 46, pp. 695-701, June 1997.

[5] H. Ayasso and A. Mohammad-Djafari, "Joint NDT Image Restoration and Segmentation Using Gauss–Markov–Potts Prior Models and Variational Bayesian Computation,"  , vol. 19, no. 9, pp. 2265-77, 2010. [Online]. Available: IEEE Xplore, http://www.ieee.org. [Accessed Sept. 10, 2010]. 

[6] A. Altun, “Understanding hypertext in the context of reading on the web: Language learners’ experience,” Current Issues in Education, vol. 6, no. 12, July, 2005. [Online serial]. Available: http://cie.ed.asu.edu/volume6/number12/. [Accessed Dec. 2, 2007].

[7] L. Liu and H. Miao, "A specification based approach to testing polymorphic attributes," in , J. Davies, W. Schulte, M. Barnett, Eds. Berlin: Springer, 2004. pp. 306-19.

[8] T. J. van Weert and R. K. Munro, Eds., : IFIP TC3/WG3.1&3.2 Open Conference on Social, Ethical and Cognitive Issues of Informatics and ICT, July 22-26, 2002, Dortmund, Germany. Boston: Kluwer Academic, 2003.

[9] J. Riley, "Call for new look at skilled migrants," , p. 35, May 31, 2005. [Online]. Available: Factiva, http://global.factiva.com. [Accessed May 31, 2005].

[10] K. E. Elliott and C.M. Greene, "A local adaptive protocol," Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, France, Tech. Rep. 916-1010-BB, 1997.

[11] J. P. Wilkinson, “Nonlinear resonant circuit devices,” U.S. Patent 3 624 125, Jul. 16, 1990.

[12] , IEEE Standard 308, 1969.

[1] J. O. Williams, “Narrow-band analyzer,” Ph.D. dissertation, Dept. Elect. Eng., Harvard Univ., Cambridge, MA, 1993.

                                    Fig. 1.  Small amplifier circuit. [1]

      Fig. 3.  Gate amplifier. (a) FET. (b) Resistor. (c) Capacitor. [4]

Place the Figure title/caption below the figure.

The caption number should be cited with the abbreviation “Fig.” then the number, followed by a period, an em space, and then by the caption text. 

The Figure, and Figure title/captions should be centre-justified.

When referring to multiple parts of figures: Use the singular Fig., not Figs. (e.g. Fig. 4(a) and 4(b)).

If you adapt or modify the figure, indicate this at the end of your caption.

Still unsure? Refer to the  on pages 12-13.

                                Fig. 6.  Cell tower.

            Fig. 8.  Bell X-5 pitot tube. Adapted from [5]

Place the Image title/caption below the image.

If you adapt or modify the image, indicate this at the end of your caption.

Still unsure? Refer to the  on pages 3-5 and the  on pages 12-13.

This data is fictional and for demonstrative purposes only

RESONANT FREQUENCY

Optimal frequency for oscillator testing with current field equipment. Adapted from [8] a  30 Hz was only detectable with a square wave test signal. b  Note the 150 Hz comparison with a sine wave test signal.

Place the table title/caption above the table.

The Table, and Table title/captions should be centre-justified. Table title/captions should capitalised. TABLE should be enumerated with Roman numerals.

Vertical lines are optional. You can include explanatory notes below the table. Notes that apply to a specific part of the table can be marked like a footnote with superscript. Letters or numbers can be used. Statements that serve as captions for the entire table do not need footnote letters/numbers. 

​When referring to multiple parts of tables in text use the singular Table, not Tables. (e.g. Table. III 1 ) and III 2 )).

​If you adapt or modify the table, indicate this at the end of your caption.

Still unsure? Refer to the  Preparation of Papers for IEEE TRANSACTIONS and JOURNALS  on pages 3-5 and the  IEEE Editorial Manual for Authors on pages 12-13.

For an in-print example using footnote numbers see: M. de Freitas Junior, M. Fantinato and V. Sun, "Improvements to the Function Point Analysis Method: A Systematic Literature Review,"  IEEE Trans. Eng. Manag. , vol. 62, no. 4, pp. 495-506, Nov. 2015, doi: 10.1109/TEM.2015.2453354.

TIP: IEEE also provides templates in Word and LaTeX for their publications. Visit their publication template selector here and choose an appropriate template: https://journals.ieeeauthorcenter.ieee.org/create-your-ieee-journal-article/authoring-tools-and-templates/tools-for-ieee-authors/ieee-article-templates/

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Reference Examples

More than 100 reference examples and their corresponding in-text citations are presented in the seventh edition Publication Manual . Examples of the most common works that writers cite are provided on this page; additional examples are available in the Publication Manual .

To find the reference example you need, first select a category (e.g., periodicals) and then choose the appropriate type of work (e.g., journal article ) and follow the relevant example.

When selecting a category, use the webpages and websites category only when a work does not fit better within another category. For example, a report from a government website would use the reports category, whereas a page on a government website that is not a report or other work would use the webpages and websites category.

Also note that print and electronic references are largely the same. For example, to cite both print books and ebooks, use the books and reference works category and then choose the appropriate type of work (i.e., book ) and follow the relevant example (e.g., whole authored book ).

Examples on these pages illustrate the details of reference formats. We make every attempt to show examples that are in keeping with APA Style’s guiding principles of inclusivity and bias-free language. These examples are presented out of context only to demonstrate formatting issues (e.g., which elements to italicize, where punctuation is needed, placement of parentheses). References, including these examples, are not inherently endorsements for the ideas or content of the works themselves. An author may cite a work to support a statement or an idea, to critique that work, or for many other reasons. For more examples, see our sample papers .

Reference examples are covered in the seventh edition APA Style manuals in the Publication Manual Chapter 10 and the Concise Guide Chapter 10

Related handouts

• Common Reference Examples Guide (PDF, 147KB)
• Reference Quick Guide (PDF, 225KB)

Textual Works

Textual works are covered in Sections 10.1–10.8 of the Publication Manual . The most common categories and examples are presented here. For the reviews of other works category, see Section 10.7.

• Journal Article References
• Magazine Article References
• Newspaper Article References
• Blog Post and Blog Comment References
• UpToDate Article References
• Book/Ebook References
• Diagnostic Manual References
• Children’s Book or Other Illustrated Book References
• Classroom Course Pack Material References
• Religious Work References
• Chapter in an Edited Book/Ebook References
• Dictionary Entry References
• Wikipedia Entry References
• Report by a Government Agency References
• Report with Individual Authors References
• Brochure References
• Ethics Code References
• Fact Sheet References
• ISO Standard References
• Press Release References
• White Paper References
• Conference Presentation References
• Conference Proceeding References
• Published Dissertation or Thesis References
• Unpublished Dissertation or Thesis References
• ERIC Database References
• Preprint Article References

Data and Assessments

Data sets are covered in Section 10.9 of the Publication Manual . For the software and tests categories, see Sections 10.10 and 10.11.

• Data Set References
• Toolbox References

Audiovisual Media

Audiovisual media are covered in Sections 10.12–10.14 of the Publication Manual . The most common examples are presented together here. In the manual, these examples and more are separated into categories for audiovisual, audio, and visual media.

• Artwork References
• Clip Art or Stock Image References
• Film and Television References
• Musical Score References
• Online Course or MOOC References
• Podcast References
• PowerPoint Slide or Lecture Note References
• Radio Broadcast References
• TED Talk References
• Transcript of an Audiovisual Work References
• YouTube Video References

Online Media

Online media are covered in Sections 10.15 and 10.16 of the Publication Manual . Please note that blog posts are part of the periodicals category.

• Facebook References
• Instagram References
• LinkedIn References
• Online Forum (e.g., Reddit) References
• TikTok References
• X References
• Webpage on a Website References
• Clinical Practice References
• Open Educational Resource References
• Whole Website References

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• Knowledge Base
• Citing sources

Citation Styles Guide | Examples for All Major Styles

Published on June 24, 2022 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on November 7, 2022.

A citation style is a set of guidelines on how to cite sources in your academic writing . You always need a citation whenever you quote , paraphrase , or summarize a source to avoid plagiarism . How you present these citations depends on the style you follow. Scribbr’s citation generator can help!

Different styles are set by different universities, academic associations, and publishers, often published in an official handbook with in-depth instructions and examples.

There are many different citation styles, but they typically use one of three basic approaches: parenthetical citations , numerical citations, or note citations.

Parenthetical citations

• Chicago (Turabian) author-date

CSE name-year

Numerical citations

CSE citation-name or citation-sequence

Note citations

• Chicago (Turabian) notes and bibliography

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Table of contents

Types of citation: parenthetical, note, numerical, which citation style should i use, parenthetical citation styles, numerical citation styles, note citation styles, frequently asked questions about citation styles.

The clearest identifying characteristic of any citation style is how the citations in the text are presented. There are three main approaches:

• Parenthetical citations: You include identifying details of the source in parentheses in the text—usually the author’s last name and the publication date, plus a page number if relevant ( author-date ). Sometimes the publication date is omitted ( author-page ).
• Numerical citations: You include a number in brackets or in superscript, which corresponds to an entry in your numbered reference list.
• Note citations: You include a full citation in a footnote or endnote, which is indicated in the text with a superscript number or symbol.

Citation styles also differ in terms of how you format the reference list or bibliography entries themselves (e.g., capitalization, order of information, use of italics). And many style guides also provide guidance on more general issues like text formatting, punctuation, and numbers.

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In most cases, your university, department, or instructor will tell you which citation style you need to follow in your writing. If you’re not sure, it’s best to consult your institution’s guidelines or ask someone. If you’re submitting to a journal, they will usually require a specific style.

Sometimes, the choice of citation style may be left up to you. In those cases, you can base your decision on which citation styles are commonly used in your field. Try reading other articles from your discipline to see how they cite their sources, or consult the table below.

The American Anthropological Association (AAA) recommends citing your sources using Chicago author-date style . AAA style doesn’t have its own separate rules. This style is used in the field of anthropology.

APA Style is defined by the 7th edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association . It was designed for use in psychology, but today it’s widely used across various disciplines, especially in the social sciences.

Generate accurate APA citations with Scribbr

The citation style of the American Political Science Association (APSA) is used mainly in the field of political science.

The citation style of the American Sociological Association (ASA) is used primarily in the discipline of sociology.

Chicago author-date

Chicago author-date style is one of the two citation styles presented in the Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition). It’s used mainly in the sciences and social sciences.

The citation style of the Council of Science Editors (CSE) is used in various scientific disciplines. It includes multiple options for citing your sources, including the name-year system.

Harvard style is often used in the field of economics. It is also very widely used across disciplines in UK universities. There are various versions of Harvard style defined by different universities—it’s not a style with one definitive style guide.

Check out Scribbr’s Harvard Reference Generator

MLA style is the official style of the Modern Language Association, defined in the MLA Handbook (9th edition). It’s widely used across various humanities disciplines. Unlike most parenthetical citation styles, it’s author-page rather than author-date.

Generate accurate MLA citations with Scribbr

The American Chemical Society (ACS) provides guidelines for a citation style using numbers in superscript or italics in the text, corresponding to entries in a numbered reference list at the end. It is used in chemistry.

The American Medical Association ( AMA ) provides guidelines for a numerical citation style using superscript numbers in the text, which correspond to entries in a numbered reference list. It is used in the field of medicine.

CSE style includes multiple options for citing your sources, including the citation-name and citation-sequence systems. Your references are listed alphabetically in the citation-name system; in the citation-sequence system, they appear in the order in which you cited them.

The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers ( IEEE ) provides guidelines for citing your sources with IEEE in-text citations that consist of numbers enclosed in brackets, corresponding to entries in a numbered reference list. This style is used in various engineering and IT disciplines.

The National Library of Medicine (NLM) citation style is defined in Citing Medicine: The NLM Style Guide for Authors, Editors, and Publishers (2nd edition).

Vancouver style is also used in various medical disciplines. As with Harvard style, a lot of institutions and publications have their own versions of Vancouver—it doesn’t have one fixed style guide.

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• Missing commas and periods
• Incorrect usage of “et al.”
• Ampersands (&) in narrative citations
• Missing reference entries

The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation is the main style guide for legal citations in the US. It’s widely used in law, and also when legal materials need to be cited in other disciplines.

Chicago notes and bibliography

Chicago notes and bibliography is one of the two citation styles presented in the Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition). It’s used mainly in the humanities.

The Oxford University Standard for the Citation of Legal Authorities ( OSCOLA ) is the main legal citation style in the UK (similar to Bluebook for the US).

There are many different citation styles used across different academic disciplines, but they fall into three basic approaches to citation:

• Parenthetical citations : Including identifying details of the source in parentheses —usually the author’s last name and the publication date, plus a page number if available ( author-date ). The publication date is occasionally omitted ( author-page ).
• Numerical citations: Including a number in brackets or superscript, corresponding to an entry in your numbered reference list.
• Note citations: Including a full citation in a footnote or endnote , which is indicated in the text with a superscript number or symbol.

Check if your university or course guidelines specify which citation style to use. If the choice is left up to you, consider which style is most commonly used in your field.

• APA Style is the most popular citation style, widely used in the social and behavioral sciences.
• MLA style is the second most popular, used mainly in the humanities.
• Chicago notes and bibliography style is also popular in the humanities, especially history.
• Chicago author-date style tends to be used in the sciences.

Other more specialized styles exist for certain fields, such as Bluebook and OSCOLA for law.

The most important thing is to choose one style and use it consistently throughout your text.

A scientific citation style is a system of source citation that is used in scientific disciplines. Some commonly used scientific citation styles are:

• Chicago author-date , CSE , and Harvard , used across various sciences
• ACS , used in chemistry
• AMA , NLM , and Vancouver , used in medicine and related disciplines
• AAA , APA , and ASA , commonly used in the social sciences

APA format is widely used by professionals, researchers, and students in the social and behavioral sciences, including fields like education, psychology, and business.

Be sure to check the guidelines of your university or the journal you want to be published in to double-check which style you should be using.

MLA Style  is the second most used citation style (after APA ). It is mainly used by students and researchers in humanities fields such as literature, languages, and philosophy.

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APA Sample Paper

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Note:  This page reflects the latest version of the APA Publication Manual (i.e., APA 7), which released in October 2019. The equivalent resource for the older APA 6 style  can be found here .

Media Files: APA Sample Student Paper  ,  APA Sample Professional Paper

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Note: The APA Publication Manual, 7 th Edition specifies different formatting conventions for student  and  professional  papers (i.e., papers written for credit in a course and papers intended for scholarly publication). These differences mostly extend to the title page and running head. Crucially, citation practices do not differ between the two styles of paper.

However, for your convenience, we have provided two versions of our APA 7 sample paper below: one in  student style and one in  professional  style.

Note: For accessibility purposes, we have used "Track Changes" to make comments along the margins of these samples. Those authored by [AF] denote explanations of formatting and [AWC] denote directions for writing and citing in APA 7. 

APA 7 Student Paper:

Apa 7 professional paper:.