The video on the previous page noted the existence of multiple citation style guides. At OSU, we frequently see students startled when they suddenly are asked to use a variety of citation styles across different courses. Many students used the Modern Language Association (MLA) style in high school, and are now required to use the American Psychological Association (APA) style, Chicago Manual of Style, or other discipline-specific styles. Each of these styles developed within the norms of that field.

Given that students may encounter various styles over their education or career, we find it helpful to help them focus on elements are common to multiple styles. Students often stress about the details -- where the comma goes, what is in italics, etc -- when that is secondary to understanding why we cite and what content is important to include.

	Why it matters?	Typically includes...
In-text citations	Indicates to the reader the origin of a specific quotation or idea.	The author May include year of publication May include page number or other indicator to help the reader find a specific location in the text May include full bibliographic information
Works cited or bibliography	This is the collection of all the works used. It may include only the sources actually cited, or additionally sources consulted, depending on the style.	Author or creator Editor, if relevant Title Title of the publication the item is contained in (e.g. journal or book title for a single essay) Year of publication May include page numbers or URL if relevant May include other bibliographic details (e.g. place of publication, edition information, etc)

It may help more advanced students to consider how they think citations are used. While students may think of citations primarily as a bulwark against accusations of plagiarism, citations also help scholars place a work within its broader conversation. This can also help students think about why different disciplines would have different styles. For example, in-text citations in APA provide the author's last name and the date of publication, e.g. (Benjamin, 2019). Given that this style is often used in social sciences and sciences, we might guess that the reader just needs to know whose research the idea comes from, and how current it is. Chicago style, on the other hand, is often used in history and humanities, and provides a full bibliographical entry as a footnote. We might infer that scholars in these fields want a deeper amount of context as they read a work. While the nuances may not hit for your students, the message should be that these styles, frustrating though they may be, derive from specific disciplinary traditions. Using the consistent style can be a form of professionalism, as you align with the community norms.

Generating citations

While some may insist on learning to write out citations by hand, we recognize that there are many tools to help with generating accurate citations. We often hear students talk about using EasyBib or even ChatGPT to generate their citations. We recommend ZoteroBib as an option. We like ZBib because it is an open source tool, so it is free to use and there are no ads. In addition, it is built on Zotero, a more robust citation tool that was built by and for scholars. Using ZBib sets students up well to grow into Zotero users if they need the more complex setup in college or beyond.

If you allow students to use any citation generator, stress the importance of checking that the citations are accurate. This can make a good activity: you may have student swap citations and check them for accuracy.

Ask students in small groups develop their own citation style. What would they include and why? This activity often helps students blow off some steam of the frustrations they have with citation, as well as paying close attention to what matters in citation.

Given that there are many different tools to use for citation, one way to support your students is to work with your colleagues to identify a single tool to use across grade levels and classes. This will allow students to gain mastery over the technology and focus their learning on the content instead.