Why cite sources?
Whenever you quote or base your ideas on another person's work, you must document the source you used. Even when you do not quote directly from another work, if reading that source contributed to the ideas presented in your paper, you must give the authors proper credit. Citations allow readers to locate and further explore the sources you consulted, show the depth and scope of your research, and give credit to authors for their ideas.

How do you cite sources?
The means to identify sources is to provide citations within your text linking appropriate passages to relevant resources consulted or quoted. This can be done through in-text parenthetic notes, footnotes, or endnotes. In addition, a bibliography or list of works cited is almost always placed at the end of your paper. The citation system and format you use will be determined by the citation style you choose.

Below are the three major styles used for most academic papers or research in the humanities, social sciences, and some scientific disciplines:

ChicagoManual of Style

The Chicago Manual of Style (abbreviated in writing as CMS or CMOS, or verbally as Chicago) is a style guide for American English published since 1906 by the University of Chicago Press.

View Online Chicago Manual of Style Guide (https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/717/01/

MLA Style Manual

The MLA Style Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing (2008) is the third edition of The MLA Style Manual, first published by the Modern Language Association of America in 1985.

View Online MLA Style Guide (http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/)

APA Style

APA Style originated in 1929, when a group of psychologists, anthropologists, and business managers convened and sought to establish a simple set of procedures, or style rules that would codify the many components of scientific writing to increase the ease of reading comprehension.

View Online APA Style Guide (http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/)