Citation: Citation basics

The Importance of Citation

Why do we cite? 

1. To avoid plagiarism
2. To credit people whose work we’re in conversation with
3. To be transparent about the genealogy of our work
4. To help readers access the sources we use​

Why are there different styles of citation? Why can't we just have one?

1. Citation styles are different because members of different disciplines and schools of thought pursue research differently! It's that simple!
   • There are many different citation styles, but the ones you'll typically see used at Hampshire are: APA (American Psychological Association), Chicago, and MLA (Modern Language Association). Always confirm with your instructor which style they want you to use.
   • Scientific writing privileges currency, therefore in-text citations emphasize dates. APA is a common citation style in the sciences.
   • Historians usually pay attention to important details and nuance, and must demonstrate rigorous use of evidence in their work. Footnotes in historiography allow authors to include multiple citations and details without interrupting the flow of the paper. Historians often use Chicago, a footnote-based citation style.
   • Writing in the humanities strives to show relationships between authors' thinking, and this is why many literary scholars use MLA (Modern Language Association) style, with parenthetical in-text citations instead of footnotes.

​​​How to recognize the differences between kinds of citations: books, journal articles, etc. 

• Book (Algorithms of Oppression by Safiya Umoja Noble)
  1. MLA 
     1. Noble, Safiya Umoja. Algorithms of Oppression: How Search Engines Reinforce Racism. NYU Press, 2018.
  2. Chicago 
     1. Noble, Safiya Umoja. Algorithms of Oppression: How Search Engines Reinforce Racism. New York: NYU Press, 2018.
  3. APA
     1. Noble, S. U. (2018). Algorithms of Oppression: How Search Engines Reinforce Racism. New York: NYU Press.

• Journal Article ("Mapping the Margins: Intersectionality, Identity Politics, and Violence against Women of Color" by Kimberle Crenshaw)
  1. MLA Chicago 
     1. Crenshaw, Kimberle. "Mapping the Margins: Intersectionality, Identity Politics, and Violence against Women of Color." Stanford Law Review, vol. 43, no. 6, 1991, pp. 1241-99. 
     2. Crenshaw, Kimberle. "Mapping the Margins: Intersectionality, Identity Politics, and Violence against Women of Color," Stanford Law Review, 43, no. 6 (1991): 1241-99. 
  2. APA 
     1. Crenshaw, K. (1991). Mapping the margins: Intersectionality, identity politics, and violence against women of color. Stanford Law Review, 43(6), 1241-99. 

Have questions? Ask a librarian!

This guide was created by 2017-2018 Library Research Alumni Fellow Dykee Gorrell, then updated by 2018-2019 Library Research Alumni Fellow Elan Goldman. It is updated regularly by library staff. For students with questions about citing sources, you can contact a librarian with questions or make an appointment by emailing askharold@hampshire.edu.

The Importance of Citation

Citing in Different Subjects

Tool: a web-based or downloadable software program or application.

Citation: Delineates a source that is mentioned within the body of a document.

Reference: Contains the bibliographic information about a citation.

Bibliography: A formatted list of references cited within the text of a document. Also known as "reference list" or "works cited".

Footnote: A reference that appears at the bottom of a page within a document.

Endnote: A reference that appears in a bibliography at the end of a document.

Citation Generator: A tool that allows a user to input bibliographic information about a source which generates a formatted reference. The reference can then be inserted into a document.

Source: Glassman, N. R. (2018). Citation management tools : a practical guide for librarians. Rowman & Littlefield.

An in-text citation is the brief form of the reference that you include in the body of your work. It provides the basic information that reader will need in order to refer to the full citation listed in your References section (also known as Works Cited or Bibliography depending on the citation style you are using). The in-text citation generally takes one of two forms, parenthetical or narrative (note this format depends on citation style). Examples:

Parenthetical:
Library users most often visited the library and used the library's resources after 7pm on weeknights (Dylan et al., 2020).

Narrative:
According to a 2020 study by Dylan et al., library users most often visited the library and used the library's resources after 7pm on weeknights.