Citing your sources properly is one of the messy
little jobs that every student and scholar has to master. With the arrival
of on-line resources, this job has become even more complex. But most humanities
courses and papers use the MLA style; most scientific papers follow the
APA style, and some holdouts, like history professors, us the Chicago style.
Always check with your professor if you are unsure which style he or she
prefers. Some care; some don't.
But we all insist that quotations be cited, that
ideas or words taken from another source even if not directly quoted be
cited, and that controversial "facts" be cited.
Here are some resources to help you out:
MLA Style - for English and other humanities
APA Style - for science papers
Chicago (Turabian) Style - For some History papers
General
Research and Citation Assistance
from Duke University
GMU's Student Friendly Guide to Library Research & Web Tutorial