Use it for:Preparing your bibliography according to the most common publication styles.

Why use it?Because it will help you cite your sources correctly, so your readers will be able to find them and you can avoid plagiarism.

Step 1
Be consistent! Apply the style you chose to both formatting your paper—for example, spacing, paragraphs, and notes— and citing your sources. Follow the links below for a quick guide to these styles.

• APA
• MLA
• Chicago

Step 2
What's the difference among the styles? Choose the most appropriate style for your paper.

• APA (American Psychological Association) is used for the social sciences, like psychology, sociology, education, and anthropology.
• MLA (Modern Language Association) is used for humanities and liberal arts research, such as English, Philosophy, and History.
• Chicago-Style can be used for both humanities and social sciences.

• For tips on how to prepare an APA annotated bibliography, click here. Sample bibliography.
• For tips on how to prepare an MLA annotated bibliography and a sample, click here.

Need Help?                        

• Gelman Library Reference Desk Tel.: 202-994-6048
  E-mail: refdesk@gwu.edu


• The Writing Center at GW
  Tel.: 202-994-3765
  E-mail: gwriter@gwu.edu