Here are some of the most important things to keep in mind when it comes to citations:
 

1. I actually read your citations and your bibliography or reference list.  Nothing escapes my critical eye!

 
2. The purpose of citations is to document the material in your paper, to provide legitimacy, and to point interested readers in the right direction to follow up.

 
3. There are three primary citation systems

 
• Chicago/Turabian
• The Chicago or Turabian styles are primarily note systems, with the main method involving footnotes or endnotes, rather than parentheticals. This is among the oldest and most classical reference systems. It is my personal favorite, but not necessarily accepted by all instructors, as it may be considered "old fashioned."
• MLA (Modern Language Association).
• The MLA style has been widely adopted by schools, academic departments, and instructors in the U.S., Canada, and other countries for nearly half a century. It was recently revamped, so make sure you have the latest edition of the style manual if you choose this method. This is my personal second favorite.
• APA (American Psychological Association)
• The APA style is widely used by scholars in the behavioral sciences.  It has also been widely adopted in other disciplines. I don't like this style, but if it's what you know and prefer, that's fine. It may seem simpler than the others, but it is not. It's just as easy to make an error with APA style as any of the other styles.



4. Which should I use?

 
• Your overall best bet may be the MLA style, because it contains features of both the Chicago/Turabian and APA styles, is widely accepted, and has recently been revamped. The two primary considerations in choosing a style are (1) what does your professor or editor require and (2) what does the nature of your paper require? There are certain situations where footnotes are the most useful method for the reader, and therefore the Chicago/Turabian style would be best. In other situations, a journal editor requires APA style, regardless of whether you have ever written in that format. The dictates of your audience should be your guide. Always check. If ever in doubt, go with the revamped MLA style.

 
5. Never mix styles.  Choose one or the other and stick with it.

 
6. Never make up a style or a particular method for citing something.



7. Consistency of style is extremely important.

 
8. Never have a footnote, endnote, or parenthetical reference without a corresponding bibliographical or reference list entry.

 
9. There are many on-line versions of style manuals and many handouts available.  Do yourself a favor:  buy a style guide and update it every time there is a new edition throughout your college and subsequent career (if in academia).  There is no excuse for not owning a style guide.  All college students should own a style guide, a dictionary (preferably the latest edition of Mirriam Webster's Collegiate Dictionary), a thesaurus, and a writing style-grammar guide.

 
10. How to cite the Internet:  See http://www.wisc.edu/writing/Handbook/DocMLAWorksCited_ElecSources.html