Translation

A reference providing information about where a particular quotation, text, etc., is to be found; a bibliographical reference.  [Oxford English Dictionary]

In general, citations help readers to locate the sources of information, as well as avoid plagiarism.

The citation style you use depends on your discipline. If you're not sure, check with your professor. Citation styles commonly used by various disciplines are listed below:

The following are the top 10 publishers which PolyU researchers have their works published across various subject areas [Data from Scopus]
1. Elsevier

2. Sage

3. IEEE

4. Optica Publishing Group

5. American Institute of Physics

6. Taylor & Francis

7. Springer Nature

8. Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI)

9. Public Library of Science

10. American Chemical Society

If you are writing a paper for a journal, always check the citation style requirements from that specific journal, because different journal (or publisher) may use different citation styles.

You may refer to the following examples:

1. Elsevier

2. Springer

3. Wiley

4. Taylor and Francis

You need to understand why and how to use citations to help you avoid plagiarism! The Online Tutorial on Academic Integrity has been developed to raise students’ awareness of academic integrity and the University’s expectations for honest academic behaviour. Use this interactive tutorial to understand the importance and mechanics of avoiding plagiarism through proper citing. You may access this online tutorial via Learn@PolyU:

Online Tutorial on Academic Integrity 

Many databases provide quick link to citation style, you can simply "copy" the citation from your search result list and "paste" to your document. The following are a few examples of copying APA citation (6th edition) from online sources:

1. OneSearch  

2. ProQuest