How to build citations

A reference can be written in different ways, as to the order of the elements, the font, the use of initials of the name vs full name.

However, there are some elements that must always be  present; standard ISO 690:2021 describes a set of principles, guidelines, and requirements for the preparation of bibliographic references and citations. 

A citation style is a set of established rules and conventions for writing citations and references; there are many citation styles, but it's important not to mix them: choose one and mantain the same for all your paper.

Each discipline has its own favourite style, and the same is for scientific journals; when you publish, you must use the style required by the journal that acceptes your paper.  

 Tip: For your thesis, ask the tutor and follow his/her instructions. You should also read the University of Bergamo Master degree thesis: a comprehensive writing guide (pdf).

Citation styles families

There are three main families of citation styles:

We'll give here indications on the most used styles.