Citation Style Guides

Our citation style guides have been updated and re-organized. Please ensure to download the latest version and follow it when you are writing your paper. If you are not sure which style you are required to use, confirm with your instructor first.

Watching the tutorial videos in the Citations Skills course on Canvas can help you understand how to follow the Style Guides better.

If you need further help, please contact the WLC or book an appointment with a Humanity Specialist.

Style Guides

AAA Style Guide
APA Style Guide
CMS Style Guide
MLA Style Guide

Formatting Help

If you need additional assistance with formatting your assignments in any of the citation styles, try checking out our Software Skills Canvas course.

Here, you can find the guides, examples, and video links to set up your assignment in APA, MLA, or CMS style.

Additional Resources

Purdue OWL MLA Guide
Purdue OWL CMS Guide
Purdue OWL APA Guide

Citations Skills FAQ

• Do I need to take all three citation styles?
  Not necessarily – only take the citation style required by your instructor/s.

  For example, if you have been asked to take APA and MLA, you do not need to take CMS.

• What if I failed all three attempts at the Exit Quiz?
  If you’ve failed before the deadline, don’t worry!

  Sign up for a Citations Test Review with the Writing & Learning Centre. To book a spot, go to schedule 05. ONLINE Citation Skills.

  Please DO NOT book an individual appointment for a review! – if you do, your appointment will be cancelled.

  With a small group of other students, you will meet with one of our Humanities specialists to ask questions and go over different citation scenarios. At the end of the session, you will be granted more attempts.

  The WLC (Writing and Learning Centre) can get very, very busy close to the deadline. Be smart and book your appointment early!

• Do I need to submit a pass report to my instructor?
  No. Your result will be uploaded to myAC and will be visible to your instructor.
  If you have any questions about this, please send an email to wlc@alexandercollege.ca.

• What happens if I didn’t manage to pass the Exit Quiz before the deadline?
  If you have missed the deadline, your test will be considered a fail. You will have to speak with your instructor to see if they can make alternate arrangements with you.

  The WLC cannot make exceptions for you and their deadline is firm.

• A quiz/ part is locked. What does this mean?
  The course is designed for you to go through the material in order.

  You must begin by reading about Academic Integrity and doing the Academic Integrity Quiz. Then work through the practice material and quizzes. Finally, complete the Exit Quiz.

• What happens if I didn’t manage to pass the Exit Quiz before the deadline?
  If you have missed the deadline, your test will be considered a failure. You will have to speak with your instructor to see if they can make alternate arrangements with you.

  The WLC cannot make exceptions for you and their deadline is firm.

• I keep submitting answers that I think are correct, but they are showing up as “incorrect”
  Watch our Common Citations Mistakes video on Canvas. Please pay close attention to punctuation, capitalization, and spacing. Make sure you use your style guide to help you as all our quizzes are open book.

• What if I already passed last term?
  If you have already taken a paper test in previous terms, please speak with your instructor to see if they will accept the results.

  Please note that if you have taken a paper test for APA (American Psychological Association) 6th Edition (before Winter 2020), the results are no longer accepted as APA has been updated to the 7th Edition.