A citation style (or reference style) is a set of rules on how to cite and reference sources in academic writing.
There are different types of references and there are different citation styles.
You should not mix different types of citation styles in a single piece of academic writing.
The list of references are usually found at the end of your written work. In the body text, they are cited by number, or by the author and year of publication
Why should I write in a specific citation style?
Different domains use different citation styles. It is important to use the citation style of your domain, so your work is more accessible to other academics in your domain.
How do I write in a certain citation style?
There are many different citation styles and Automated Feedback can help you check whether references are formatted correctly and in the right style.
It can do this for the following styles:
Reference style | Domain | Description |
Chemistry | In ACS, references are cited by both by numbers and by author and year. So within ACS you can choose from one of the two reference options. | |
Medical research | In AMA, references are cited by numbers. Note that in your reference list the last name and first and middle initial of the author have to be written down without punctuation. | |
Psychology, Behavioural sciences, Social sciences | In APA, references are cited by author and year. | |
Not domain-specific, generally used by university students | In Harvard, references are cited by author and year. | |
Engineering, Computer science, Other technology-related fields | In IEEE, references are cited by numbers. | |
Arts and humanities, like languages, arts, and cultural studies | In MLA, references are cited by author and year. | |
Medicine and sciences | In Vancouver, references are cited by numbers. |