How to list the place of publication in a citation?
The place of publication (city) is a mandatory component in bibliographic citations for books according to major academic styles like APA, MLA, Chicago, and Harvard.
Its inclusion provides necessary geographical context for identifying the publisher and source origin. Typically, only the city name is listed directly before the publisher's name (e.g., *New York: Oxford University Press*). Use the city listed prominently on the title page. For publishers with multiple offices, the primary location or the one listed first is used. Exceptions exist: omit the place if unavailable or for solely online publications without a physical publishing base; classical works may cite the modern city equivalent.
Listing the publication place enables accurate source identification, supports library retrieval, and contributes to understanding the geographical context of the work's production. Researchers locate specific editions and validate references, enhancing scholarly rigor. Standard style manuals provide definitive rules for specific disciplines.
