Handbooks on Documenting Sources

NOTE: Most of these books and software items are for sale at the U of T Bookstore, and all are available at U of T libraries. To find call numbers and locations, use the “search” functions of the online catalogue.

American Psychological Association. Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association.
Thorough clear coverage of the “APA” author-date format; also good general advice on writing. The sixth edition, published in 2010, provides new guidelines for referencing electronic sources and many examples of how to cite these sources. A detailed description of the book is available online.

Council of Science Editors. Scientific Style and Format.
Detailed reference guide for conventions in the sciences (now both the life sciences and the hard sciences), including nomenclature for biological species, chemical formulas, and astronomical time systems, as well as standard systems for documenting sources. The eighth edition (2014) includes updated guidelines on the ICMJE system used in medical publications, including how to refer to electronic sources.

Modern Language Association. MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers.
This MLA Handbook is an indispensable guide to documentation format in many disciplines in the humanities; the 2016 eighth edition marks a significant departure from previous edition, providing general principles for entries in the Works section rather than rules for all the different types of sources.

Turabian, Kate. A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations.
A condensation of the big Chicago Manual; a good investment for graduate students who want to use the footnote or endnote system.