We recommend using your "disciplinary style manual," which simply means the citation style that is commonly used in your field. Some programs set this requirement for dissertations (for example, Social Welfare must use APA style); others do not. You should check with your committee to see if a particular style is required or recommended. It's also useful to have a look at core journals in your area to see what they use. In the absence of any guidance, we recommend Chicago/Turabian as it is a general style that is commonly applied in academic writing. Many format questions (headings, etc.) are answered by the style guide, not the library's requirements, to accommodate the many different disciplines found at the Graduate Center.

Please view our Citation Styles page on the Dissertation Office website for more general information.