Hey everyone, I'm working on my first science research paper that's a part of my curriculum. Could somebody tell me which citation style is most commonly used? It’s quite confusing to decide when there are so many available. Thanks!
In general, when writing a science research paper, the citation style most often used is APA (American Psychological Association) or CSE (Council of Science Editors) formerly known as CBE, depending on the specific science discipline. APA is commonly used in psychology and some of the social sciences, while the CSE format is used in hard sciences like biology, chemistry, geology, etc.
However, your teacher may have specific requirements, so it's always a good idea to check with them. If a specific style isn't dictated by your teacher or the journal you're aiming to publish in (for more advanced high school researchers), consider using the citation style most relevant to the specific field of science you're writing in.
In the absence of specific guidelines, you can't go wrong with APA or CSE. They are both widely accepted and have plenty of resources online to guide you in using them!
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