Skip to Main Content

Communication Arts: Writing and Citing

What Are Style Guides?

decorative image to signify a quote for citing

There are different ways to cite and format academic writing, depending on your academic discipline. The rules for how to cite sources and format academic writing are contained in style guides. 

Guides cover essential aspects such as: paper structure, punctuation, abbreviations, and how to correctly format and organize citations.

Common styles include APA, MLA, Chicago, and IEEE.

Always check with your instructor on the preferred citation style for your assignments.

Why We Cite

To cite is to provide credit for ideas that are not your own. Make sure to provide references for:

  • Direct quotations
  • Paraphrases of ideas and concepts
  • Statistics, data, and number sets

Citing is important because it:

  • Eliminates plagiarism
  • Allows others to find the sources used

Work with the Writing and Communications Centre!

Waterloo Ready to Write logo of open book

Reference Manager

 

The University of Waterloo Library is currently suggesting Zotero software for citation management.

When signing up for a free Zotero account is it suggested that you use your UWaterloo e-mail account.  That will automatically give you access to the Institutional Storage provided by a University of Waterloo Library subscription.

If you would like assistance with Zotero, you can contact the Zotero Librarians at zotero@library.uwaterloo.ca

Citation Style Guides

Writing Reference and Inspiration