Urban Planning Resources

Urban planning research typically uses APA (American Psychological Association) style. These resources will help you cite sources correctly:

ASU Library Citation Styles Guide
Comprehensive guide created by ASU librarians covering when and how to cite sources in multiple citation styles.

Purdue OWL
APA Style Guide Detailed formatting and style guidance from Purdue University's writing lab, including examples for all source types.

APA Style Official Website
The official APA resource for current citation guidelines, including new guidance for citing data, maps, and digital sources.

Tools to help organize sources and generate citations:

Zotero
Free, open-source citation manager that integrates with Word and Google Docs. Works well with academic databases and can store PDFs. Download and support available through the ASU Library.

Mendeley
Free citation manager with PDF annotation tools and collaboration features. Integrates with Microsoft Word.

EndNote (Requires purchase)
Professional citation management software is available free to ASU students and faculty.

For more information about each citation style, see the ASU Library Citation Styles LibGuide:
https://libguides.asu.edu/citing

NB: These tools and guides can help you organize research materials and properly cite sources for academic work.

Urban planning research often uses specialized sources:

• Government documents and reports - Include agency name, publication date, and retrieval URL
• GIS data and maps - Include data source, scale, projection, and date
• Planning documents - Include municipality, document type (e.g., General Plan), and adoption date
• Census data - Include dataset name, year, table numbers, and retrieval date