There is no single required citation style for the Independent Project. Students should select a preferred citation style from the following list and use it consistently.
These three citation styles are commonly used in scientific writing, and are predominant among various STEM disciplines. All three are documented in the UW Writing Center's Online Writer's Handbook. They are also represented in the list of output styles in most citation management programs.
- APA (American Psychological Association)
- CSE (Council of Science Editors)
- IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers)
Mentored students: If your mentor wishes for you to use a citation style specific to a particular journal, you should do so, and use it consistently. You will likely need to refer to the journal's Instructions to Authors section for formatting information, as the UW Writing Center does not have documentation for individual journal-specific styles. Most are very similar to the three general styles listed above. A citation management program can be very helpful in this situation.