Style Guides
Consult an official guide for the style you are using to write your paper. There is no HKS school-wide policy that mandates a certain citation style for student papers, so if you are unsure, we recommend checking with the individual faculty member who assigned your paper to determine if they have a required or preferred citation style.
The Chicago Manual of Style
The Chicago Manual of Style is a popular citation style for the social sciences.
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The Chicago Manual of Style, 17th ed. (print)Call Number: HKS Library - Ref Z253 .U69 2017Publication Date: 2017
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Chicago Manual of Style Online (Harvard Login)This includes the fully searchable online versions of the 17th (current) and 16th (previous) editions of the Chicago Manual of Style as well as Q & A section, online tools, and a Chicago Style Citation Quick Guide.
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Chicago Style Guide from Purdue University's Online Writing Lab (OWL)This site provides information on the Chicago Manual of Style (CMS) method of document formatting and citation. It also provides sample papers using both the CMS Notes and Bibliography style and the CMS author-date style.
APA (American Psychological Association) Style
The American Psychological Association style, referred to as APA, is also used in the social sciences.
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Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 7th ed. (print)Call Number: HKS Library - Ref BF76.7 .P83 2020ISBN: 9781433832178Publication Date: 2019 -
Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 6th ed. (print)Call Number: HKS Library - Ref BF76.7 .P83 2010Publication Date: 2010
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APA Style (official site)Helpful companion website that primarily covers the basics but also includes the APA Style Blog, which addresses tricky cases, new item types, and general writing tips from experts affiliated with the APA Manual.
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APA Style Guide from Purdue University's Online Writing Lab (OWL)This website provides a quick introduction to the basic principles of APA style, with ample examples.
AP Stylebook
The Communications Program at HKS recommends AP Style for non-academic writing such as blog postings, op-eds and news stories.
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The Associated Press Stylebook 2018 (print)Call Number: HKS Library - Ref PN4783. A83 2018Publication Date: 2018 -
The Associated Press Stylebook 2015 (Harvard Login)Publication Date: 2015
Citation Tools
Many resources like HOLLIS and article databases will offer you citation information for individual articles and books, formatted according to various citation styles. When using this functionality, please remember to check these citations for accuracy before including them in your work.
Instead of relying on these static—and potentially faulty—citations, however, we recommend that you use citation management software that can help you automate the process of keeping your citations up to date, even if you need to make changes. At HKS, the recommended citation management tool is Zotero.
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Getting Started with Zotero
Harvard Library's guide to this free, easy-to-use tool that will help you collect, organize, and cite your sources regardless of the style you choose. Since Zotero is free, anyone with an internet connection can download the program and collaborate with you.
Writing Resouces
- Harvard's Academic Resource Center is open to HKS students. No referral is necessary to use their services.
- The Harvard Guide to Using Sources, from the (undergraduate) Harvard College Writing Program, contains helpful hints on writing with sources, avoiding plagiarism, and using and citing other people’s research.
- Finding Your Voice is an online resource from Harvard Library specifically designed for graduate and professional students.
- Your friendly librarians at HKS Library & Knowledge Services [KNet access] are happy to help you find and work with the wealth of resources Harvard Library has to offer. (For example, check out our Fast Answer on recommended library resources to start a literature review.) LKS is also the go-to support for Zotero at HKS.
- The HKS Communications Program website contains information about writing consultants, workshops offered, as well as links to workshop materials and other resources.
- Among other things, Purdue University's Online Writing Lab (OWL) offers helpful summaries of various citation styles.