4.1 What Is a Citation?

A citation is a reference to a source of information you’ve used for your assignment. It gives key information about the source so the reader can evaluate its credibility and even locate it if they would like to double-check the information or read the source fully.

There are various citation styles (e.g., APA Style, MLA Style, Chicago Style), each with different requirements for what information to include in a citation and how that information should be formatted. These requirements are set through each citation style’s most recent style guide.