Research Guides: Geological Sciences: WRITING & CITING

CITING SOURCES

The majority of the Library's e-resources can generate a single citation for you.

Places to look for the Cite Button or other Citation Tools in E-Resources:

The right-hand menu on the article abstract page.
At the top of the results list.
Immediately under each citation in the results list.
At the very bottom of an article or article abstract page.

Journals, professors, and disciplines often have their own methods for formatting citations. The Geological Society of America (GSA) has a guide to citation styles. Other citation styles include the Chicago Manual of Style, Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA), and the Modern Language Association (MLA) style.

Ask your professor which citation style you should use.

GSA References and Guidelines

APA Citation Guide (7th Edition)
by Dawn Stahura Last Updated Nov 13, 2025 136786 views this year
MLA Citation Guide (8th Edition)
by Dawn Stahura Last Updated Nov 20, 2025 20073 views this year

Zotero
by Dawn Stahura Last Updated Nov 20, 2025 367 views this year

Depending on your assignment, you might need to consider the general population. The general population does not read scholarly articles for a variety of reasons, some being: access (they are hidden behind paywalls, subscriptions are price prohibitive), jargon (most folx cannot understand the words in a science or medical paper), and general distrust in the scientific and academic community.

Research has shown that the general population reads at a 6th grade reading level. If you are writing something for your community, you will want to take this into consideration. Here is what 6th graders are reading:

A Checklist for Communicating Science and Health Research to the Public
Written by the National Institutes of Health. By pooling the experience and advice from experts in our community, we’ve put together a list of strategies for communicating science and health research to the public.
12 Tips for Scientists Writing for the General Public
Learning the principles of journalistic nonfiction often requires scientist authors to step away from an academic writing style that has come to feel intuitive. Nevertheless, using these principles can make the scientist’s work more relatable, memorable, and trusted.

A table from the article “Communicating the Science of Climate Change,” by Richard C. J. Somerville and Susan Joy Hassol, from the October 2011 issue of Physics Today, page 48:

The Mary G. Walsh Writing Center provides writing support for undergraduates, graduates, and faculty through diverse channels. The Center’s Canvas site hosts a wealth of resources to support writers in the entire Salem State community including tips, guidelines, and a list of online resources. We also offer writing workshops on various topics such as citing sources, brainstorming, and revising.

Visit our full list of workshops offered to the Salem State community each semester.