APA, MLA, Chicago: Your Thoughts on Citation Formats

The release of the 16th edition of the Chicago Manual of Style and the recent revisions to the APA and MLA guidelines prompted us to wonder how instructors are using citation style guides in today’s business communication courses. If you have a moment, we’d appreciate your feedback on a couple of points.

First, which citation format do you use in your class?

Second, how much importance do you place on strict adherence to the guidelines? Clear and complete attribution is always vital, of course, and helping students learn to cite correctly is an important responsibility in any writing class. However, we’re curious about how much latitude you give students who cite clearly and completely but don’t follow the guidelines exactly.