how do i cite an research paper

Home / Guides / Citation Guides / How to Cite Sources

How to Cite Sources

Here is a complete list for how to cite sources. Most of these guides present citation guidance and examples in MLA, APA, and Chicago.

If you’re looking for general information on MLA or APA citations , the EasyBib Writing Center was designed for you! It has articles on what’s needed in an MLA in-text citation , how to format an APA paper, what an MLA annotated bibliography is, making an MLA works cited page, and much more!

MLA Format Citation Examples

The Modern Language Association created the MLA Style, currently in its 9th edition, to provide researchers with guidelines for writing and documenting scholarly borrowings.  Most often used in the humanities, MLA style (or MLA format ) has been adopted and used by numerous other disciplines, in multiple parts of the world.

MLA provides standard rules to follow so that most research papers are formatted in a similar manner. This makes it easier for readers to comprehend the information. The MLA in-text citation guidelines, MLA works cited standards, and MLA annotated bibliography instructions provide scholars with the information they need to properly cite sources in their research papers, articles, and assignments.

• Book Chapter
• Conference Paper
• Documentary
• Encyclopedia
• Google Images
• Kindle Book
• Memorial Inscription
• Museum Exhibit
• Painting or Artwork
• PowerPoint Presentation
• Sheet Music
• Thesis or Dissertation
• YouTube Video

APA Format Citation Examples

The American Psychological Association created the APA citation style in 1929 as a way to help psychologists, anthropologists, and even business managers establish one common way to cite sources and present content.

APA is used when citing sources for academic articles such as journals, and is intended to help readers better comprehend content, and to avoid language bias wherever possible. The APA style (or APA format ) is now in its 7th edition, and provides citation style guides for virtually any type of resource.

Chicago Style Citation Examples

The Chicago/Turabian style of citing sources is generally used when citing sources for humanities papers, and is best known for its requirement that writers place bibliographic citations at the bottom of a page (in Chicago-format footnotes ) or at the end of a paper (endnotes).

The Turabian and Chicago citation styles are almost identical, but the Turabian style is geared towards student published papers such as theses and dissertations, while the Chicago style provides guidelines for all types of publications. This is why you’ll commonly see Chicago style and Turabian style presented together. The Chicago Manual of Style is currently in its 17th edition, and Turabian’s A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations is in its 8th edition.

Citing Specific Sources or Events

• Declaration of Independence
• Gettysburg Address
• Martin Luther King Jr. Speech
• President Obama’s Farewell Address
• President Trump’s Inauguration Speech
• White House Press Briefing

Additional FAQs

• Citing Archived Contributors
• Citing a Blog
• Citing a Book Chapter
• Citing a Source in a Foreign Language
• Citing an Image
• Citing a Song
• Citing Special Contributors
• Citing a Translated Article
• Citing a Tweet

6 Interesting Citation Facts

The world of citations may seem cut and dry, but there’s more to them than just specific capitalization rules, MLA in-text citations , and other formatting specifications. Citations have been helping researches document their sources for hundreds of years, and are a great way to learn more about a particular subject area.

Ever wonder what sets all the different styles apart, or how they came to be in the first place? Read on for some interesting facts about citations!

1. There are Over 7,000 Different Citation Styles

You may be familiar with MLA and APA citation styles, but there are actually thousands of citation styles used for all different academic disciplines all across the world. Deciding which one to use can be difficult, so be sure to ask you instructor which one you should be using for your next paper.

2. Some Citation Styles are Named After People

While a majority of citation styles are named for the specific organizations that publish them (i.e. APA is published by the American Psychological Association, and MLA format is named for the Modern Language Association), some are actually named after individuals. The most well-known example of this is perhaps Turabian style, named for Kate L. Turabian, an American educator and writer. She developed this style as a condensed version of the Chicago Manual of Style in order to present a more concise set of rules to students.

3. There are Some Really Specific and Uniquely Named Citation Styles

How specific can citation styles get? The answer is very. For example, the “Flavour and Fragrance Journal” style is based on a bimonthly, peer-reviewed scientific journal published since 1985 by John Wiley & Sons. It publishes original research articles, reviews and special reports on all aspects of flavor and fragrance. Another example is “Nordic Pulp and Paper Research,” a style used by an international scientific magazine covering science and technology for the areas of wood or bio-mass constituents.

4. More citations were created on  EasyBib.com  in the first quarter of 2018 than there are people in California.

The US Census Bureau estimates that approximately 39.5 million people live in the state of California. Meanwhile, about 43 million citations were made on EasyBib from January to March of 2018. That’s a lot of citations.

5. “Citations” is a Word With a Long History

The word “citations” can be traced back literally thousands of years to the Latin word “citare” meaning “to summon, urge, call; put in sudden motion, call forward; rouse, excite.” The word then took on its more modern meaning and relevance to writing papers in the 1600s, where it became known as the “act of citing or quoting a passage from a book, etc.”

6. Citation Styles are Always Changing

The concept of citations always stays the same. It is a means of preventing plagiarism and demonstrating where you relied on outside sources. The specific style rules, however, can and do change regularly. For example, in 2018 alone, 46 new citation styles were introduced , and 106 updates were made to exiting styles. At EasyBib, we are always on the lookout for ways to improve our styles and opportunities to add new ones to our list.

Why Citations Matter

Here are the ways accurate citations can help your students achieve academic success, and how you can answer the dreaded question, “why should I cite my sources?”

They Give Credit to the Right People

Citing their sources makes sure that the reader can differentiate the student’s original thoughts from those of other researchers. Not only does this make sure that the sources they use receive proper credit for their work, it ensures that the student receives deserved recognition for their unique contributions to the topic. Whether the student is citing in MLA format , APA format , or any other style, citations serve as a natural way to place a student’s work in the broader context of the subject area, and serve as an easy way to gauge their commitment to the project.

They Provide Hard Evidence of Ideas

Having many citations from a wide variety of sources related to their idea means that the student is working on a well-researched and respected subject. Citing sources that back up their claim creates room for fact-checking and further research . And, if they can cite a few sources that have the converse opinion or idea, and then demonstrate to the reader why they believe that that viewpoint is wrong by again citing credible sources, the student is well on their way to winning over the reader and cementing their point of view.

They Promote Originality and Prevent Plagiarism

The point of research projects is not to regurgitate information that can already be found elsewhere. We have Google for that! What the student’s project should aim to do is promote an original idea or a spin on an existing idea, and use reliable sources to promote that idea. Copying or directly referencing a source without proper citation can lead to not only a poor grade, but accusations of academic dishonesty. By citing their sources regularly and accurately, students can easily avoid the trap of plagiarism , and promote further research on their topic.

They Create Better Researchers

By researching sources to back up and promote their ideas, students are becoming better researchers without even knowing it! Each time a new source is read or researched, the student is becoming more engaged with the project and is developing a deeper understanding of the subject area. Proper citations demonstrate a breadth of the student’s reading and dedication to the project itself. By creating citations, students are compelled to make connections between their sources and discern research patterns. Each time they complete this process, they are helping themselves become better researchers and writers overall.

When is the Right Time to Start Making Citations?

Make in-text/parenthetical citations as you need them.

As you are writing your paper, be sure to include references within the text that correspond with references in a works cited or bibliography. These are usually called in-text citations or parenthetical citations in MLA and APA formats. The most effective time to complete these is directly after you have made your reference to another source. For instance, after writing the line from Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities : “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…,” you would include a citation like this (depending on your chosen citation style):

(Dickens 11).

This signals to the reader that you have referenced an outside source. What’s great about this system is that the in-text citations serve as a natural list for all of the citations you have made in your paper, which will make completing the works cited page a whole lot easier. After you are done writing, all that will be left for you to do is scan your paper for these references, and then build a works cited page that includes a citation for each one.

Need help creating an MLA works cited page ? Try the MLA format generator on EasyBib.com! We also have a guide on how to format an APA reference page .

2. Understand the General Formatting Rules of Your Citation Style Before You Start Writing

While reading up on paper formatting may not sound exciting, being aware of how your paper should look early on in the paper writing process is super important. Citation styles can dictate more than just the appearance of the citations themselves, but rather can impact the layout of your paper as a whole, with specific guidelines concerning margin width, title treatment, and even font size and spacing. Knowing how to organize your paper before you start writing will ensure that you do not receive a low grade for something as trivial as forgetting a hanging indent.

Don’t know where to start? Here’s a formatting guide on APA format .

3. Double-check All of Your Outside Sources for Relevance and Trustworthiness First

Collecting outside sources that support your research and specific topic is a critical step in writing an effective paper. But before you run to the library and grab the first 20 books you can lay your hands on, keep in mind that selecting a source to include in your paper should not be taken lightly. Before you proceed with using it to backup your ideas, run a quick Internet search for it and see if other scholars in your field have written about it as well. Check to see if there are book reviews about it or peer accolades. If you spot something that seems off to you, you may want to consider leaving it out of your work. Doing this before your start making citations can save you a ton of time in the long run.

Finished with your paper? It may be time to run it through a grammar and plagiarism checker , like the one offered by EasyBib Plus. If you’re just looking to brush up on the basics, our grammar guides  are ready anytime you are.

How useful was this post?

Click on a star to rate it!

We are sorry that this post was not useful for you!

Let us improve this post!

Tell us how we can improve this post?

Citation Basics

Harvard Referencing

Plagiarism Basics

Plagiarism Checker

Upload a paper to check for plagiarism against billions of sources and get advanced writing suggestions for clarity and style.

Get Started

• PRO Courses Guides New Tech Help Pro Expert Videos About wikiHow Pro Upgrade Sign In
• EDIT Edit this Article
• EXPLORE Tech Help Pro About Us Random Article Quizzes Request a New Article Community Dashboard This Or That Game Happiness Hub Popular Categories Arts and Entertainment Artwork Books Movies Computers and Electronics Computers Phone Skills Technology Hacks Health Men's Health Mental Health Women's Health Relationships Dating Love Relationship Issues Hobbies and Crafts Crafts Drawing Games Education & Communication Communication Skills Personal Development Studying Personal Care and Style Fashion Hair Care Personal Hygiene Youth Personal Care School Stuff Dating All Categories Arts and Entertainment Finance and Business Home and Garden Relationship Quizzes Cars & Other Vehicles Food and Entertaining Personal Care and Style Sports and Fitness Computers and Electronics Health Pets and Animals Travel Education & Communication Hobbies and Crafts Philosophy and Religion Work World Family Life Holidays and Traditions Relationships Youth
• Browse Articles
• Learn Something New
• Quizzes Hot
• Happiness Hub
• This Or That Game
• Train Your Brain
• Explore More
• Support wikiHow
• About wikiHow
• Log in / Sign up
• Education and Communications
• College University and Postgraduate
• Academic Writing
• Research Papers

How to Cite a Research Paper in APA

Last Updated: October 19, 2022 Fact Checked

This article was reviewed by Gerald Posner . Gerald Posner is an Author & Journalist based in Miami, Florida. With over 35 years of experience, he specializes in investigative journalism, nonfiction books, and editorials. He holds a law degree from UC College of the Law, San Francisco, and a BA in Political Science from the University of California-Berkeley. He’s the author of thirteen books, including several New York Times bestsellers, the winner of the Florida Book Award for General Nonfiction, and has been a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in History. He was also shortlisted for the Best Business Book of 2020 by the Society for Advancing Business Editing and Writing. There are 12 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 163,377 times.

If you’re citing a research article or paper in APA style, you’ll need to use a specific citation format that varies depending on the source. Assess whether your source is an article or report published in an academic journal or book, or whether it is an unpublished research paper, such as a print-only thesis or dissertation. Either way, your in-text citations will need to include information about the author (if available) and the date when your source was published or written.

Sample Citations

Writing an In-Text Citation

• For example, you may write, “Gardener (2008) notes, ‘There are several factors to consider about lobsters’ (p. 199).”

• For example, you may write, “‘There are several factors to consider about lobsters’ (Gardner, 2008, p. 199).” Or, “The paper claims, ‘The fallen angel trope is common in religious and non-religious texts’ (Meek & Hill, 2015, p.13-14).”
• For articles with 3-5 authors, write out the names of all the authors the first time you cite the source. For example: (Hammett, Wooster, Smith, & Charles, 1928). In subsequent citations, write only the first author’s name, followed by et al.: (Hammett et al., 1928).
• If there are 6 or more authors for the paper, include the last name of the first author listed and then write "et al." to indicate that there are more than 5 authors.
• For example, you may write, "'This is a quote' (Minaj et al., 1997, p. 45)."

• For example, you may write, “‘The risk of cervical cancer in women is rising’ (American Cancer Society, 2012, p. 2).”

• For example, you may write, “‘Shakespeare may have been a woman’ (“Radical English Literature,” 2004, p. 45).” Or, “The paper notes, ‘There is a boom in Virgin Mary imagery’ (“Art History in Italy,” 2011, p. 32).”

• For example, you may write, “‘There are several factors to consider about lobsters’ (Gardner, 2008, p. 199).” Or, “The paper claims, ‘The fallen angel trope is common in religious and non-religious texts’ (“Iconography in Italian Frescos,” 2015, p.13-14).”

• For example, you may write, “‘There are several factors to consider about lobsters’ (Gardner, 2008, p. 199).” Or, “The paper claims, ‘The fallen angel trope is common in religious and non-religious texts’ (“Iconography in Italian Frescos,” 2015, p.145-146).”

• For example, you may write, “‘The effects of food deprivation are long-term’ (Mett, 2005, para. 18).”

Creating a Reference List Citation for a Published Source

• Material on websites is also considered “published,” even if it’s not peer-reviewed or associated with a formal publishing company.
• While academic dissertations or theses that are print-only are considered unpublished, these types of documents are considered published if they’re included in an online database (such as ProQuest) or incorporated into an institutional repository.

• For example, you may write, “Gardner, L. M.” Or, “Meek, P. Q., Kendrick, L. H., & Hill, R. W.”
• If there is no author, you can list the name of the organization that published the research paper. For example, you may write, “American Cancer Society” or “The Reading Room.”
• Formally published documents that don’t list an author or that have a corporate author are typically reports or white papers .

• For example, you may write, “Gardner, L. M. (2008).” Or, “American Cancer Society. (2015).”

• For example, you may write, “Gardner, L. M. (2008). Crustaceans: Research and data.” Or, “American Cancer Society. (2015). Cervical cancer rates in women ages 20-45.”

• For example, for a journal article, you may write, “Gardner, L. M. (2008). Crustaceans: Research and data. Modern Journal of Malacostracan Research, 25, 150-305.”
• For a book chapter, you could write: “Wooster, B. W. (1937). A comparative study of modern Dutch cow creamers. In T. E. Travers (Ed.), A Detailed History of Tea Serviceware (pp. 127-155). London: Wimble Press."

• For example, you may write, “Kotb, M. A., Kamal, A. M., Aldossary, N. M., & Bedewi, M. A. (2019). Effect of vitamin D replacement on depression in multiple sclerosis patients. Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders, 29, 111-117. Retrieved from PubMed, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30708308.
• If you’re citing a paper or article that was published online but did not come from an academic journal or database, provide information about the author (if known), the date of publication (if available), and the website where you found the article. For example: “Hill, M. (n.d.). Egypt in the Ptolemaic Period. Retrieved from https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/ptol/hd_ptol.htm”

Citing Unpublished Sources in Your Reference List

• Print-only dissertations or theses.
• Articles or book chapters that are in press or have been recently prepared or submitted for publication.
• Papers that have been rejected for publication or were never intended for publication (such as student research papers or unpublished conference papers).

• If the paper is currently being prepared for publication, include the author’s name, the year when the current draft was completed, and the title of the article in italics, followed by “Manuscript in preparation.” For example: Wooster, B. W. (1932). What the well-dressed man is wearing. Manuscript in preparation.
• If the paper has been submitted for publication, format the citation the same way as if it were in preparation, but instead follow the title with “Manuscript submitted for publication.” For example: Wooster, B. W. (1932). What the well-dressed man is wearing. Manuscript submitted for publication.
• If the paper has been accepted for publication but is not yet published, replace the date with “in press.” Do not italicize the paper title, but do include the title of the periodical or book in which it will be published and italicize that. For example: Wooster, B. W. (in press). What the well-dressed man is wearing. Milady’s Boudoir.

• If the paper was written for a conference but never published, your citation should look like this: Riker, W. T. (2019, March). Traditional methods for the preparation of spiny lobe-fish. Paper presented at the 325th Annual Intergalactic Culinary Conference, San Francisco, CA.
• For an unpublished paper written by a student for a class, include details about the institution where the paper was written. For example: Crusher, B. H. (2019). A typology of Cardassian skin diseases. Unpublished manuscript, Department of External Medicine, Starfleet Academy, San Francisco, CA.

• For example, you may write, “Pendlebottom, R. H. (2011). Iconography in Italian Frescos (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). New York University, New York, United States.”

Community Q&A

• If you want certain information to stand out in the research paper, then you can consider using a block quote. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

You Might Also Like

• ↑ https://libraryguides.vu.edu.au/apa-referencing/7JournalArticles
• ↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/apa_style/apa_formatting_and_style_guide/in_text_citations_author_authors.html
• ↑ https://bowvalleycollege.libguides.com/c.php?g=714519&p=5093747
• ↑ https://guides.libraries.psu.edu/apaquickguide/intext
• ↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/apa_style/apa_formatting_and_style_guide/in_text_citations_the_basics.html
• ↑ https://libguides.southernct.edu/c.php?g=7125&p=34582#1951239
• ↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/apa_style/apa_formatting_and_style_guide/reference_list_electronic_sources.html
• ↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/apa_style/apa_formatting_and_style_guide/reference_list_articles_in_periodicals.html
• ↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/apa_style/apa_formatting_and_style_guide/reference_list_books.html
• ↑ https://morlingcollege.libguides.com/apareferencing/unpublished-or-informally-published-work
• ↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/apa_style/apa_formatting_and_style_guide/general_apa_faqs.html
• ↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/apa_style/apa_formatting_and_style_guide/reference_list_other_print_sources.html

About This Article

To cite a research paper in-text in APA, name the author in the text to introduce the quote and put the publication date for the text in parentheses. At the end of your quote, put the page number in parentheses. If you don’t mention the author in your prose, include them in the citation. Start the citation, which should come at the end of the quote, by listing the author’s last name, the year of publication, and the page number. Make sure to put all of this information in parentheses. If there’s no author, use the name of the organization that published the paper or the first few words from the title. To learn how to cite published and unpublished sources in your reference list, keep reading! Did this summary help you? Yes No

• Send fan mail to authors

Did this article help you?

Featured Articles

Trending Articles

Watch Articles

• Terms of Use
• Privacy Policy
• Do Not Sell or Share My Info
• Not Selling Info

Don’t miss out! Sign up for

wikiHow’s newsletter

How To Cite a Research Paper: MLA, APA, and Chicago Style

• Posted on January 25, 2022

When you’re writing a research paper, you’ll use a variety of sources to find information. You might find that you end up using other people’s research papers as sources of information for your own work. You need to know how to cite a research paper properly.

Using text citations tells readers where you got your information, and help build a sense of trust, allowing the reader to feel confident that you haven’t falsified the information. You have to prove that you’ve done the research and found data to back up the claims you’re making.

Writing a paper without giving credit to people whose work you’re using is plagiarism. Unless you’re citing a direct quote you want to change the language enough, by putting the quote in your own words, so it sounds like original content. Quetext’s plagiarism checker  helps you search for similar content across the web so you can turn in a completely original paper.

Whether you’re submitting a research paper to school or for publication in a peer-reviewed journal, you’re required to cite your sources. Editors often reread the work of writers and researchers to ensure the information is factual. A teacher or professor will definitely check that your sources are accurate, so using tools like Quetext will help avoid unintentional plagiarism errors or wrongfully cited information.

Why Text Citations are Important

If you don’t have sources to back up your research, others might accuse you of spreading false information or plagiarism. Any journal publishing papers should verify what they’re printing, but ultimately, as the author, the buck stops with you.

In general, it’s a kindness to cite your sources. The people who created them did a lot of work, so it’s wrong to claim ownership of their ideas and information. But it’s also an ethical issue that can have major repercussions.

There have been cases where researchers  make up information  or falsify their sources and must face the consequences. People depend on factual information and don’t react well when they realize you lied to them or falsely paraphrase information.

That’s why it’s common knowledge to write a well-researched paper with text citations. If anyone claims your information is incorrect, you can point them to the source where you found the data. This doesn’t guarantee that the information you cited is correct, but you’ll be able to provide readers with a source of where you gathered your information.

When you’re citing other people’s research papers, make sure the source is legitimate. You should only use peer-reviewed journals so you know the article has gone through edits and fact-checking. Something identified as a research paper that is only on a blog or message board isn’t always a reliable source.

Many students like to use  Wikipedia  because there’s so much information available from one source. However, Wikipedia allows users to edit the information. What you read in a specific entry might not be true. It’s best to scroll down to the works cited and go to the original source yourself. If you can’t find a reliable, original source for the information, you shouldn’t use it.

Using the Various Citation Styles

The information used in any citation is basically the same across each style guide. The formatting and order of some elements may vary, so it’s important to know the difference between Modern Language Association (MLA), American Psychological Association (APA), and Chicago Styles.

The style you use depends on what type of writing you’re doing. All will use these basic elements in some form or another:

Source name

Volume and edition

Publication date

Page numbers

Publisher name

City and country of the publisher

URL and DOI for web pages and digital sources

The date you accessed the material

In addition to a reference list at the end of your work, you’ll also use in-text citations. Whenever you reference an idea or data that isn’t yours, you cite it. Each style has different types of in-text citations as well. Read on to find out about each citation format.

You’ll likely use the  MLA citation guide  if you’re writing papers in the humanities, such as for language arts, literary criticism, cultural studies, and more. The current edition of the MLA Handbook is the ninth because the style constantly evolves. As new technology creates new potential sources, MLA adds information to help students and researchers cite everything correctly.

The MLA Handbook has instructions on how to cite song lyrics, social media posts, and digital images, along with all of the standard research outlets. The book also gives detailed information on how to cite a research paper.

The MLA Handbook includes information about how to format your reference page. Use a 12-pt standard font like Times New Roman, so the text in italics is clearly different from the regular font. Center the title, Works Cited, at the top of the page. Your last name and page number are in the top right corner, and the reference page always comes at the end of your document.

Alphabetize citations according to the last name of the author. Left-align the citations and double-space them with no extra lines between each entry. When a citation goes beyond a single line, use a hanging indent to format it correctly. This lets the reader know it’s still the same citation continuing on.

Now that you know the basic format for the Works Cited page read on to find out how to cite a research paper for inclusion on this list.

Citing a Research Paper in MLA Style

When you’re citing a research paper in MLA style, you start with the author’s full name, putting the last name of the author first, followed by the title of the research paper in quotation marks. Next comes the the title of the journal that published the paper in italics, followed by the volume number, issue number, and date of publication.

You’ll also include the page number since the paper is in a journal with many pages. If you found the source online, include the digital object identifier or DOI. The DOI is a way to give a document a permanent web address so people reading your work can easily find the source.

MLA format also asks you to include the date you accessed online materials. Doing so gives your reader more information about when you read the research if it changed since that date. Here is an example of a research paper citation in MLA style:

Writer, Maria. “My Research Paper.” Research Journal, vol 3, no. 4, 2020, pp. 7-9. doi:12.34/mfs.12.34. Accessed 13 March 2021.

If the work wasn’t published online, you could stop your citation after the page numbers.

Sometimes you might find research papers that aren’t published in a scholarly journal. You can still use those in your work, but the MLA citation will look different. You’ll still put the last name of the author first, but instead of putting the title of the research paper in quotation marks, you’ll put it in italics.

Here is an example of an unpublished research paper citation in MLA style:

Writer, Maria. My Research Paper. 2020, http://websiteused.com . Accessed 13 March 2021.

These two examples show you how to document the source on your Works Cited page. In-text citations look different.

In-Text Citations for a Research Paper in MLA Style

When you’re working with the MLA format, an in-text reference requires a parenthetical citation.

If you refer to someone else’s research in a sentence, either with a direct quote or by paraphrasing, you need to give that author credit. At the end of the sentence where you use the information, you’ll put the author’s information in parenthesis and then put the sentence’s ending punctuation.

You use the author’s last name and the page number where you found the information for in-text citations. Then anyone reading your work can go to your Works Cited page, find the entry by the author’s last name, and access the document themselves. The page number directs them to where you got the specific information, so they don’t have to read the whole paper to find it. Here is an example of an in-text citation in MLA style:

Over 80% of the city’s garbage ended up in the ocean (Writer, 8).

You might mention the author’s name in your sentence. In that case, the parenthetical citation only needs to have the page numbers for reference. Here is an example:

According to Maria Writer, over 80% of the city’s garbage went into the ocean (8).

Researchers in the social science field, like sociology, anthropology, and psychology, use the  APA style  in their work. Like the MLA Handbook, the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association has gone through changes over the years. It’s currently on the 7th edition.

In addition to helping you understand how to cite research, the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association has information about how to format your paper to include tables, figures, and headings that often accompany scientific journal articles.

The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association also tells you how to format your reference page. In MLA style, this is the Works Cited page. For APA style, it’s either the Reference List or Reference Page.

This page uses the same font style as the rest of the paper but starts on its own page with a number in the top right corner. The title of the page is bold and centered at the top and should simply read “References.”

List citations in alphabetical order by author’s last name regardless of the type of source. Each citation is double-spaced and has a hanging indent if it goes beyond one line.

Now that you understand how to properly format your APA reference page, learn how to cite a research paper to include on the list.

Citing a Research Paper in APA Style

When you use a research paper in your work, you need to include it on your APA references page at the end of your document.

An APA citation includes the same information as the MLA format but in a different order. The citation starts with the author’s last name but only uses their first initial. Then comes the year of publication in parenthesis.

The paper’s title follows, then the title of the journal in italics. You also include the journal volume, issue number, and page numbers. As with MLA citations, include a DOI if you found the research paper online. Here is an example of a published research paper cited in APA format:

Writer, M. (2020). My Research Paper. Research Journal, 3(4), 7-9. doi:12.34/mfs.12.34

If the paper isn’t published in a journal, you can still use it in your work with a proper citation. Here is an example:

Writer, M. (2020). My Research Paper [PDF]. Retrieved from http://websiteused.com

In-Text Citations for a Research Paper in APA Style

In-text citations in the APA format differ from MLA style. You still put it in parenthesis, but you include different information. For APA parentheticals, include the author’s last name and the paper’s year of publication. This method applies when you’re summarizing or paraphrasing the author’s idea. Here is an example of an in-text citation for a research paper in APA style:

Over 80% of the city’s garbage went into the ocean (Writer, 2020).

If you’re using a direct quote from the work you need to include the page number so the reader can find the quotation. Here is an example:

Maria Writer said, “Over 80% of the city’s garbage is going into the ocean” (2020, p. 8).

Chicago Style

Chicago Style  got its name from the University of Chicago, where the style originated. Writers use this format for works in the field of history, but you can also use it for the sciences, social sciences, and humanities.

MLA style has a Works Cited page, APA has References, and Chicago Style differs because it includes a Bibliography. The page comes at the end of your work with a page number in the top right corner. The title, “Bibliography,” is bold and centered at the top.

You will single-space your citations, but you’ll add an extra line between each entry. As with the other reference pages, you’ll left-align the work and use a hanging indent when a citation continues onto a second line.

Having an overview of how to format the bibliography will help you understand the citation styles for a research paper.

Citing a Research Paper in Chicago Style

Citations in Chicago Style are a mix of MLA and APA formats. It’s easiest to follow this template:

Writer, Maria. 2020. “My Research Paper.” Research Journal 3 (4): 7-9. doi:12.34/mfs.12.34.

As with other styles, you can reference an unpublished research paper as a document. Here is an example:

Writer, Maria. 2020. My Research Paper. PDF. http://websiteused.com .

In both instances, if there are multiple authors for a paper, list the rest of the authors in normal format. For example:

Author, Alan, Stanley Sample, and Maria Writer. 2020. “My Research Paper.” Research Journal 3 (4): 7-9. doi:12.34/mfs.12.34.

In-Text Citations for a Research Paper in Chicago Style

An in-text citation in Chicago Style is much simpler than both MLA and APA formats. You only need to include the last name of the author and year of publication in parenthesis with no comma in between them. For example:

Almost 80% of the city’s garbage goes into the ocean (Writer 2020).

You’ll include the page number for specificity if you’re quoting the author. Here’s an example:

Maria Writer said, “Over 80% of the city’s garbage is going into the ocean” (2020, 8).

You can also use endnotes in Chicago Style. A citation refers the reader to your source, but an endnote includes a bit of an explanation of why you used it. The information included in an endnote would disrupt the flow of your paper, but it’s still something you want the reader to know.

Make Text Citations Easy

Knowing when you need to cite a source helps you manage your research. Anytime you find information that you’re going to paraphrase, summarize, or quote in your work, you need to cite the source. The full citation will go on your reference page, but you’ll need an in-text citation where you use the information in your paper.

When you’re stating something that is  common knowledge , there’s no need to make a citation. Common knowledge is something that your reader would believe without needing proof. You can check if something is common knowledge by searching for it and finding it mentioned, without a citation, in at least five sources.

Once you learn the basics about citing a research paper in MLA, APA, and Chicago Styles, you’ll feel more confident in your work. The important thing is to pay attention to small details, like capitalization, italics and the use of abbreviations. But there’s no need to do it all on your own—Quetext has a  citation assistant  waiting to help. Give Quetext citation generator a try on your next project.

Sign Up for Quetext Today!

Click below to find a pricing plan that fits your needs.

You May Also Like

How Professors Check for Plagiarism (and Tips for Plagiarism Prevention)

• Posted on September 18, 2024

How Accurate Are AI Content Detectors? (+ How They Work)

• Posted on September 6, 2024 September 12, 2024

The 9 Best AI Detector Tools to Uncover AI Content

• Posted on August 22, 2024

• Tips & Guides

The Importance of Proofreading: Techniques for Catching Errors and Polishing Your Writing

• Posted on August 16, 2024 August 19, 2024

The Benefits of Peer Review: How to Give and Receive Constructive Feedback on Your Writing

• Posted on August 9, 2024

Teaching Students About Plagiarism: Strategies for Promoting Academic Integrity

• Posted on August 2, 2024

Encouraging Proper Citation Practices: Tips for Teaching Students How to Cite Sources Correctly and Ethically

• Posted on July 22, 2024

A Guide to Paraphrasing Poetry, With Examples

• Posted on July 12, 2024

Input your search keywords and press Enter.

• MAY 16, 2024

How To Cite a Research Paper in 2024: Citation Styles Guide

by Imed Bouchrika, Phd

Co-Founder and Chief Data Scientist

If you are looking for the best advice on how to write a research paper , the first thing you would find is to cite your sources. In academic research, it is standardized by many institutions. And, publication venues such as conferences and journals are somehow strict about their formats. Hence, it is best for students with PhD degrees and aspiring researchers to know how to cite a research paper and other sources in their works. Citing your sources properly is also important for many reasons. One of the most important ones is that you can easily establish to your reviewers and readers the context around and relevancy of your work.

But, creating a reference section for your paper or dissertation can be a tedious task. As such, this article should serve as your guide on how to reference a research paper in popular formats: APA, MLA, Chicago/Turabian, and the IEEE style. A list of digital tools that can make citation easier and a quick tutorial will also be provided. This way, you can concentrate more on the content of your paper rather than what many consider a cumbersome task.

How To Cite a Research Paper Table of Contents

The rationale behind citations, apa style citation guide, mla style citation guide, chicago/turabian style citation guide, ieee style citation guide.

The main reason for citing references properly is to avoid intellectual dishonesty (Bast & Samuels, 2008). Presenting ideas of other scholars without proper research paper citation goes against scientific ethics (Gross, 2016). While this is not the highest of ethical requirements, it is simply basic decency. This is because we humans have a strong sense of ownership, not just of our physical properties but also of our intellectual works and achievements. We have a strong drive to know who or where exactly pieces of information came from and how ideas develop. Thus it is important to know how to give reference in a research paper.

In research, this is very apparent in literature where scholars discuss and debate who first created a research methodology , an idea, or made a discovery (e.g., Newton versus Leibniz for calculus and Le Verrier versus Adams for Neptune).

A free plagiarism checker for students does not make the cut. You must properly reference a source even if you have reworded the idea you lifted from it. Properly referencing a source is not only important that the right people get the proper recognition for their ideas. It is also crucial to the whole research publication and consumption process for the following reasons:

• To Avoid Plagiarism Citations allow researchers to properly quote the work of others. It helps them acknowledge where the information came from.
• Respect for Intellectual Property Rights Research work can include industry information legally protected by intellectual property rights. These include trademarks, patents, industrial designs, and geographical indications. Creative works for entertainment are also included, ranging from films to architectural designs.
• To Provide Evidence  Citing studies and data properly allows you to provide evidence for key points of your work. This is especially important when making a case for a position you take.
• To Give Details on Source Documents Citations make it easier for reviewers to check for data and even the line of arguments. Also, it helps direct the readers to original sources where they can find more detailed information about the point you cited and the subject matter.

Overall, referencing helps research communities place a work in its proper context to better judge its potential impact on its field.

There are many different fields and disciplines in the research world. And, they have different styles and standards for what proper referencing is. Rules also vary from the types of sources you cite, including but not limited to research papers, technical reports, books, patents, court cases, conference journals, conference papers,  podcasts, YouTube videos, and social media posts . But, most styles have common elements on how to write references in a research paper.

Basic Citation Elements

• Source or venue name (e.g. name of the journal  it was published or conference where it was presented)
• Volume and edition
• Date or year of publication
• Page numbers
• City and country
• Publisher or university for theses
• URL for online sources
• Retrieval date for online sources with dynamic content subjected to change

Aside from the above mentioned, it’s important to note that there are two aspects to consider on how to write a citation in a research paper: in-text and the reference list section. In-text citations are included in the body of your work. These are also repeated but in more detail in the reference list usually situated after your article. Different levels of styles have different ways to cite works. However, they usually include the critical information listed above.

Furthermore, the choice of citation styles or formats largely depends on your discipline, your institution, and other venues for publication (e.g., journals and conferences). So, it is best to check your target venue for submission for its preferred citation style. It is also good to note that some have specific style preferences, apart from the popular formats (e.g. APA, MLA, Chicago, and IEEE). Hence, it is best to check the author’s instructions page on their websites and articles that have already been published for reference.

Appropriate Level of Citation: Undercitation, Overcitation, and Unethical Citations

Just like most things, citation in research should be done in a reasonable amount. You must avoid undercitation and overcitation. The former is when you miss out to cite a source while the latter is when you put unnecessary citations that can be too distracting (Appropriate Level of Citation, n.d.). By citing all utilized sources used and giving proper credit to actual authors, scholarly writers do not only prevent plagiarism but also show that they have conducted extensive research, are well-informed about the study subject, and their research is reliable (Truluck & Richardson, 2013).

In this section on how to make citations in research, we will discuss when you must cite a source and how to avoid overcitation.

When to Cite a Source

The components in a citation or reference entry are devised to allow the reader to identify or locate the specific source that is cited (Lanning, 2016). Whenever you use another individual’s work, you really must cite a source. Forgetting to or intentionally not doing so can lead to a serious dent on your reputation. Thus, remember to cite properly when you:

• Quote the exact words of authors
• Paraphrase or state the ideas of others in your own words
• Refer to data or data sets
• Reprint a long text passage or a copyrighted test item
• Reprint or adopt a figure or a table, including free images and diagrams from the internet even when free or licensed via Creative Commons

When writers fail to cite their sources, they commit undercitation, as the APA (n.d.) calls it. This leads to plagiarism. This is really frowned upon not just in the academic research community. It is also a no-no in every type of publication, from films to music. So, it is best to be really thorough in collecting and referencing your sources. Learning how to cite papers is simple. But, you also have to be careful not to be too thorough. Too much care or fear of undercitation can lead to overdoing them.

Putting more citations than required is called overcitation. This is also frowned upon but to a somewhat lesser extent. The reasoning here is that when you place inappropriate amounts of citations, it can be quite distracting for readers. This is especially true when dealing with in-text citations. Readers and reviewers will find it difficult to follow the thoughts and arguments in your paper if they are constantly getting interrupted by unnecessary in-text citations. It can really become annoying. The key to writing a coherent research paper lies in knowing how to cite a study and when to add in-text citations.

Overcitation usually happens when writers repeat the same citation in every sentence even though the topic and source have not changed at all. To avoid overdoing citations when paraphrasing, remember to place a citation for a key point in a paragraph only in the first sentence where it is relevant. Do not repeat the citation when the source of the material remains clear and the same.

Moreover, overcitation can also be very unethical especially when a writer cites a source as evidence even when the source does not really count as one. This unethical practice usually happens when a writer cites a study or dataset to support a claim but when reviewers and readers go through the source, they would find it not to be valid evidence for the writer’s claim. Sometimes, this can happen unintentionally, especially when a writer misunderstands what was cited or the implications of the information cited. But, there can be instances when there is malicious intent to boost the credits of a claim by beefing up cited works. This must be avoided at all costs.

Furthermore, it is highly discouraged for writers to cite themselves especially when their works are unrelated. It may be quite tempting to cite your work or your colleagues’ to boost your profiles or publications. But, this should be avoided to keep the integrity of the current work. Reviewers and other researchers are able to recognize self-promotion when they see it. Keep in the context of the work and keep unrelated stuff and self-promotion out of it.

In the next few sections, we’ll provide basic guides on how to cite various sources using four popular citation formats: (1) APA, (2) MLA, (3) Chicago/Turabian, and (4) IEEE.

APA stands for American Psychological Association. The APA style for citation is popular among behavioral and social science journals. However, it is not limited to such disciplines. The style originated in 1929, created by a group of psychologists, anthropologists, and business managers to improve reading comprehension (University of Pittsburgh, 2020). The citation style has undergone many changes throughout the years.

The latest version is the APA 7th edition published in October 2019. This section draws from the APA official Style and Grammar Guidelines (American Psychological Association, n.d.).

The guidelines on how to add references in a research paper, including in-text citation, formatting of the reference list, or bibliography section are explained in this section.

APA In-Text Citation

In-text citations let users know which ideas are attributed to whom. The APA citation style has two major elements for in-text citation: the author and the date. Also, they come in two forms: parenthetical and narrative (APA, 2019).

Parenthetical Citations

For parenthetical citations, both author and date appear separated by a comma. A parenthetical citation may appear within or at the end of a sentence.

• …98% of participants (Smith, 2014) .

Should other texts appear within the parenthetical citation, one should use commas around the year.

• …however old the findings may be (see Bishop, 1996, for further explanation).

If both text and citation are included in parentheses, use a semicolon to separate them. Never use parentheses within parentheses.

• …(e.g., experimental anomalies in clinical trials; Chan, 2015).

Narrative Citations

In narrative citations, the author’s last name appears in the running text while the date appears in parentheses after it. The author’s name can be placed in any part of the sentence that makes sense.

• Yang (2004) suggested that…

In cases where both the author and date element appear in the running text, do not use parentheses.

• In 2004, Yang concluded that…

Citations by the Number of Authors

For a single author 

• Coleman (2019) stated that early…
• …hominids hunted large game (Coleman, 2019).

For two authors

• Smith and Johnson (2020) avoided the term…
• …paradigm because of its use in ordinary language (Smith & Johnson, 2020).

For three to five authors

• Use the last name of the first author and “et al." even for the first citation: …especially when observers are involved (James et al., 2017).
• …especially when observers are involved (James et al., 2017).

For six or more authors

• Cite only the name of the first author, use et al., and the year: …for complex adaptive systems (Chambers et al., 2019).
• …for complex adaptive systems (Chambers et al., 2019).
• Chambers et al. (2010) put forward a model…

If the author information is not available, you can use the source title to replace the author element. When there is no date included in the source, cite the first few words of the article inside quotation marks using a headline-style capitalization with the year after the comma in your in-text citation in the form:

• (“No Author, No Date," n.d.).

APA Reference List Entries Format

For the reference lists located at the end of the research paper, you need to cite four major elements:

• Author : includes the individual author names format and group author names format
• Date : includes the date format and how to include retrieval dates
• Title : includes the title format and how to include bracketed descriptions
• Source : includes the source format and how to include database information

Below are the APA style rules for each of them.

APA Individual Author Names Format

When citing individual author’s names, write the surname first. This is followed by a comma then the author’s initials.

• Kimathi, J. M.

If there is more than one author, place a comma to separate an author’s initials from subsequent author names. This is also applicable even when there are only two authors. Also, use an ampersand “&" before the final author’s name and put one space between initials.

• Kimathi, J. M., & Yuen, C. W.

Include both surnames and initials or up to and including 20 authors. Again, in this case, use an ampersand before the last author’s name.

• Kimathi, J. M., Yuen, C. W., & Glenn, F. V.

If there are 21 authors or more, include the first 19 authors’ names, then insert an ellipsis before adding the final author’s name. Note that you should not use an ampersand in this case.

• Kimathi, J. M., Yuen, C.W., Glenn, F.V., James, C. T., Bahn, F. F., Childress, Y. B., Uy, J. F., Fong, U. T., Rivera, C. N., Karl, J. E., Chan, K. O., Yu, B. N., Jones, C. V., Williams, J. J., Adebayo, M. N., Tong, G. H., Prince, A. L., Santos, F. L., Garcia, J. H., . . . , Vernon, A. R.

Moreover, it is important to write the author’s name as it appears in published works. This does not only include two-part surnames and hyphenated surnames but also the author’s preferred capitalization.

• Rodriguez-Lopez, C., & Bixler Zavala, O. M.
• cherry, B. or de Souza, N. C.

Group Author Names Format

Usually, group authors come in the form of task forces, non-profit organizations, and government agencies. When only the name of the group is used on the cover or title page of a publication, treat it as having a group author. This is even the case when individuals are credited elsewhere in the work itself like the acknowledgment section. However, if there are individual names in the cover or title page, treat the work as having multiple individual authors.

For the reference list entry, you should spell out the full name of the group then add a period after it.

• Correct : American Psychological Association.
• Incorrect : APA
• Incorrect : American Psychological Association (APA)

You can use the abbreviation of the group in the text (e.g. APA for the American Psychological Association).

Use the most specific agency as the author when there are various layers of government agencies listed. Parent agencies not appearing in the group author name should be found in the source element as the publisher of the work.

• Minority Business Development Agency. (2015).  The state of minority business enterprises: An overview of the 2007 survey of business owners . U.S. Department of Commerce. https://www.mbda.gov/page/state-minority-business-enterprises-overview-2007-survey-business-owners-0

Date Format

For most publications, you only use the year. Put the year of publication inside parentheses followed by a period.

For others that require day, month, and/or season along with the year, place the month and date or season after the year. Separate them with a comma.

• (2019, February 5).
•  (2020, January).
• (2014, Spring).

If the work you are citing has been accepted for publication yet is still to be published, use “in press" instead of the year. However, for in-progress works, unpublished papers, and informally published documents, never use “submitted for publication" or “in progress." Instead, give the year the work was produced instead. Also, if you are citing a work that is an advanced online publication, use the year of the advanced online publication.

For dates with an approximate date of publication use “ca." for “circa" before the year.

If you want to cite publications that are designed to change over time, you would need to provide the retrieval date for the document. Use this following format:

• Retrieved June 11, 2020, from https://…

If there is no date available, again, use “n.d." The entry can take the form of:

• No Work Available. (n.d.) In  Jerry’s House Help Agency . Retrieved from http://jerry…

Title Format

There are two main kinds of titles. Firstly, titles can be the name of the standalone work like books and research papers. In this case, the title of the work should appear in the title element of the reference. Secondly, they can be a part of a bigger work, such as edited chapters, podcast episodes, and even songs. In this case, the title of the article or chapter or part of the work should appear in the title element. The title of the bigger work should appear in the source element.

For standalone works, italicize the title. Also, use sentence case.

• End of the rope: The gleeful ending of movie credits .

When citing parts of a bigger work like an edited chapter or journal articles, capitalize the title using sentence case. Do not, however, italicize the title or place it between quotation marks.

• A critical analysis of movie credits: From fonts to scroll speeds

If there are different editions, volumes, or report numbers, include these after the title enclosed in parentheses. Do not use a period to separate the title and the parenthetical. If both volume information and edition are included, use a comma as a separator and put the edition number first.

• Necromancy and witchcraft (6th ed.).
• Casting spells: For little boys and girls (3rd ed., Vol. 6).

When the numbered volume has its own title, both of them should be included as part of the main title instead of the parenthetical information. Also, the title element should be finished with a period whenever the title does not end with a question mark or exclamation point. In cases where titles do, use the appropriate punctuation marks.

• Birdwatching handbook for the visually-impaired enthusiast:    Vol. 2.  Seeing through sounds .
• Why birds sing their songs?

When citing works outside the peer-reviewed academic literature, give a description of the work in square brackets after the title but before the period. You should capitalize the first letter but do not italicize the description. Do this for YouTube videos, audiobooks, manuscripts in preparation, theses, and others. Moreover, bracketed descriptions can also be used for social media references.

• Economic stimulation simulation (Version 1.0.5) [Computer software].
• Curling updates. (2020, January 15).  Get to know the rising stars in Canada. Will one of them be the Michael Jordan of curling?  [Image attached] [Status update]. Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/xxx.xxx.x.xxxx…

Source Format

Different sources require different formatting conventions. There are usually six types of source references commonly cited: journal articles, conference papers, authored book or whole edited book, edited book chapter, webpage on a website with authors different from the site name, and webpage on a website where authors name is the same with the site.

For journal articles, there are five components: periodical title, volume, issue, page range, and DOI or URL. So, for the article with the title “The Basic Problem of the Theory of Levels of Reality" by Roberto Poli published in 2001, you write the reference as:

• Poli, R. (2001). The basic problem of the theory of levels of reality.  Axiomathes ,  12 (3), 261-283.  https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1015845217681

Above, “Axiomathes" is the name of the journal, “12" is the volume number, “3" is the issue number, and “261-283" is the page range.

When citing a paper or session in a conference that is not formally published in the proceedings, the format is:

• Author, F. M. (Year, Month).  Title of contribution . [Type of contribution]. Conference Name, City. DOI or URL when applicable. Example : Johns, Y. (2018, January).  An analysis of Klingon syntax.  [Poster presentation], Fictional Language Conference 2018, Auckland, New Zealand. https://bit.ly/xxxxx
• Example : Johns, Y. (2018, January).  An analysis of Klingon syntax.  [Poster presentation], Fictional Language Conference 2018, Auckland, New Zealand. https://bit.ly/xxxxx

When citing an authored book or whole edited book, provide the name of the publisher and the DOI or URL. The format is:

• Author, F. N. (Year).  Title of book.  Publisher. DOI or URL if available. George, R. F. (2009). Quicks and other tells.  Rubbarb. https://doi.org/xx.xxx/x.xxxxxx
• George, R. F. (2009). Quicks and other tells.  Rubbarb. https://doi.org/xx.xxx/x.xxxxxx

And, when citing a book chapter for edited books, you cite each chapter separately. When citing more than one chapter, you cite each chapter as a different source. The format is:

• Author, F. N. (Year). Chapter title. In Editor(s) name(s) (Ed.), Book title  (page range). Publisher. DOI or URL if applicable. Example : Spurlock, C. (2005). Dire consequences of plagiarism. In J. Morgan & C. Spurlock (Eds.),  The greatest blunders in publishing (pp. 65-72). Hop Press.   https://doi.org/xx.xxx/xxxx
• Example : Spurlock, C. (2005). Dire consequences of plagiarism. In J. Morgan & C. Spurlock (Eds.),  The greatest blunders in publishing (pp. 65-72). Hop Press.   https://doi.org/xx.xxx/xxxx

For webpages that have different authors’ names from the site name, provide the website name and the URL for the source element. For webpages whose authors’ names are the same as the site, only provide the URL.

• Bikram News. https://www.bikramnews.com/xxx-xxx/xxx
• https://www.sinkholeobserver.com/xx/x

Database Information

In APA style references, DOIs and URLs are used. DOI is short for digital object identifiers. These are alphanumeric strings identifying unique content while providing a persistent link to their locations. You can find these in database records and reference lists.

DOIs come in the form of: “https://doi.org/xxxxx" where “xxxxx" is the DOI number. On the other hand, URL is short for uniform resource locators. These are basically the links you find on the address bar of your browser. So, when do you include DOIs and URLs? Here are the APA guidelines.

• When a work has a DOI, include a DOI regardless of whether you used the online or print version.
• If you are using a print work without a DOI, do not include a URL or DOI.
• When citing an online work that has both DOI and a URL, only include the DOI.
• If an online work has no DOI but has a URL, include the URL in the reference when citing websites without DOIs, not including academic research databases. Make sure the URL works for your readers.
• When citing works in academic research databases without DOIs, do not include a URL or database information. The reference should be the same as the ones in print versions. This is because the work is already widely available.
• If citing works from databases publishing exclusive original propriety material (e.g. UpToDate database), or for works of limited circulation (e.g. monographs in the ERIC database), provide the name of the database and the URL of the work. In cases where the URL needs a login to access, give the URL of the home page or the log-in page instead of the direct URL of the work.

In the APA style, you do not include other alphanumeric identifiers, such as the International Standard Serial Number (ISSN) and the International Standard Book Number (ISBN). Also, when using DOIs and URLs, present them as hyperlinks. This means they begin with “http:" or “https:".  And, it is acceptable to display the link in blue font and underlined like in the default setting in your word-processing software or you can use plain text.

Examples of APA Reference List

In this section, an example of a reference list containing different types of sources that you could use as a quick guide.

• Ridley, M. (1994).  The red queen: Sex and the evolution of human nature . Penguin UK.

Chapter of an Edited Book

• Spurlock, C. (2005). Dire consequences of plagiarism. In J. Morgan & C. Spurlock (Eds.),  The greatest blunders in publishing (pp. 65-72). Hop Press.   https://doi.org/xx.xxx/xxxx

Journal Article

• Benoit, J. N., Barrowman, J. A., Harper, S. L., Kvietys, P. R., & Granger, D. (1984). Role of humoral factors in the intestinal hyperemia associated with chronic portal hypertension.  American Journal of Physiology-Gastrointestinal and Liver Physiology ,  247 (5), G486-G493.

Conference Paper/Presentation

• Dodson, J. (2005, April).  Faith and medicine  [Conference session]. Medical Sociology 2005, Austin, Texas.
• Coyne, J. (2020, June 29).  WaPo editor emits bigoted and hateful tweets, but will she be disciplined as others have been?  Why Evolution Is True. Retrieved June 30, 2020, from  https://whyevolutionistrue.com/2020/06/29/wapo-editor-emits-hateful-tweets-but-will-she-be-disciplined-in-the-same-way-as-others/

Thesis/Dissertation

• Dough, K. (2009).  The future rationale of post-modernist art  [Unpublished doctoral dissertation]. Academy of Art University. San Francisco, California.

MLA is short for the Modern Language Association based in the U.S. The MLA style is used worldwide and is popularly used in the humanities. The latest version is the 8th edition published in 2016. And, just like APA, it has in-text citation and reference list rules. However, when you use the MLA format, you use the title “Works-Cited List" for your reference list. In this section, the rules for both in-text citation and the works-cited list will be discussed.

MLA In-Text Citation

The MLA in-text citations have two elements: the author’s surname and the page or page-range where the reference is found. MLA style in-text citations also come in two forms: parenthetical and narrative. Also, they are usually inserted immediately after a quote or parenthetical or in a natural pause. In-text references are used to reference works that you quote or paraphrase from. The latest version is the MLA 8th edition (Mendeley, 2019).

• Parenthetical : (Handel 354)
• Narrative : Handel suggested that…(354).

If there are more two to three authors, they should be cited in the following format.

• (Kwan, Yang, and Connor 238)

For more than three authors, you only include the surname of the first author followed by “et al." such as:

• (Kwan et al. 238)

If there are no authors, you should italicize the whole title for books. For articles, you enclose the title in quotations. Also, you can use a shortened title within quotation marks instead of the author’s name.

• For books :  The Birdwatching Handbook   shows “…" (123)   or ( The Birdwatching Handbook 123)
• For articles : “Theoretical Foundations of Birdwatching" states “…" or (“Theoretical Foundations of Birdwatching" 123).

For authors with multiple cited works, include a shortened version of the title within the citation.

• (Kwan, Theoretical Foundations of Birdwatching 123)

In cases where authors have the same surnames, you should include an initial to differentiate.

• (Y. Kwan 123) and (J. Kwan 9)

If there are no page numbers, then include the number pattern included in the book like chapters or paragraphs. If there are no numbered sections, then only the name should be included.

• No page number, with chapters : (Kwan, ch. 9)
• No number pattern : (James)

When citing a quote or a parenthetical, use “qtd." before the author’s name.

• (qtd. In Kwan 123)

Also, when citing audio-visual sources, use a timestamp instead of a page number. The format should be in “hh:mm:ss".

• (Johnson 01:15:22)

MLA Works-Cited List

The MLA style uses a “Works-Cited List" instead of a reference list on a new page after the document. This list contains all the sources referenced in the document containing different elements, depending on the source type. Moreover, it is also ordered alphabetically by the name of the first author or title (when the author is unknown). Also, when alphabetizing, you should ignore the articles “a," “an," and “the."

Furthermore, if there are multiple works by a single author, you should order these by date. If the works were published in the same year, order them alphabetically by the title. Also, the first reference must contain the full name of the author. Subsequent references should have author name replaced by “- -."

Format-wise, entries must be double spaced and the second and subsequent lines of the source are indented by half an inch from the margin.  Also, different types of sources cited require different formats for citation.

MLA Style Citation for Books, Chapters (or Essays) in a Book, and E-Books

The basic structure for citing books is:

• MLA books citation format : Last name, first name.  Title.   Title of container,  Contributors, Version, Number, Publisher, Year of publication.
• Example : Wilson, Edward O.  Sociobiology: The new synthesis . Harvard University Press, 2000. Note: Author name.  Title.  Publisher, Year of Publication.
• Note: Author name.  Title.  Publisher, Year of Publication.

When there are two authors, the first author’s name should be written surname first while the second author’s name should be written in its normal order. There should be an “and" between both names.

• Books citation with two authors : John, Karl and Boris Jaspers.  Creating great titles. 3rd ed, Generic Publishing House, 2009. Note: Author names.  Title . Version, Publisher, Year of Publication.
• Note: Author names.  Title . Version, Publisher, Year of Publication.

For three or more authors, provide the first author’s name surname first then followed by “et al."

• Books with three or more authors : Joseph, Gary, et al.  Changing shirts.  Generic Publishing House, 2011.

When you want to cite a chapter or an essay in a book, follow this basic format.

• Book content citation format : Author name(s). “Chapter Title".  Title of Book,  Contributors, Version, Number, Publisher, Year of Publication, Page number/range. Example : John, Derek. “Geriatric Fashion".  Fashion for Everyone , Generic Publishing House, 2009, pp. 68 72. Note: The chapter title is inside quotations and is not italicized. The page number(s) preceded by “p." or “pp."
• Example : John, Derek. “Geriatric Fashion".  Fashion for Everyone , Generic Publishing House, 2009, pp. 68 72. Note: The chapter title is inside quotations and is not italicized. The page number(s) preceded by “p." or “pp."
• Note: The chapter title is inside quotations and is not italicized. The page number(s) preceded by “p." or “pp."

For e-books, the basic format is as follows:

• E-book citation format : Last name, first name. Title . Title of container, Contributors, edition, e-book, Number, Publisher, Year of publication. Example : Joseph, Gary.  More shirts to wear than most. 3rd ed, e-book, Generic Publishing House, 2000.
• Example : Joseph, Gary.  More shirts to wear than most. 3rd ed, e-book, Generic Publishing House, 2000.

MLA Style Citation for Journals, Newspaper/Magazines, and Online Publications

Citing journals, newspapers, magazines, and online articles have the same basic format in MLA:

• Articles citation format : Author name(s). “Article Title".  Title of container,  contributors, version, numbers, date of publication, location.  Title of database , DOI or URL.

Here are a few examples:

• Journal article : Kind, Bradford. “A Critical Analysis of Analyses". Hypothetical Journal , vol. 2, no. 16, Winter 2019, pp. 108-111.
• Newspaper/Magazine : Kind, Bradford. “Never Get Tired of Analyzing".  The Hypothetical , February edition, vol. 15, no. 6, 10 March 2016, pp. 18-21.
• Online article : Kind, Bradford. “The End of Analysis".  The Hypothetical Online , vol. 19, no. 10, Summer 2019, pp. 356-364. Journal Database, https://www.thehyponline.com/xxx/xxxxx/xx

To cite a webpage, use this basic format:

• Webpage citation format : Last name of author, first name. “Title of page/document".  Title of overall webpage,  date, URL. Example : Hsieh, Henry F., and Jane Krause. “The Fishing Roots of Phishing". Obvious Observer . 13 Oct. 2004: https://www.obviousobserver.com/xxxx/xx/x.
• Example : Hsieh, Henry F., and Jane Krause. “The Fishing Roots of Phishing". Obvious Observer . 13 Oct. 2004: https://www.obviousobserver.com/xxxx/xx/x.

MLA Citation for Non-Print Materials: Images, Music, Film, and TV Series

When citing the image, follow the following format:

• Image citation format : Creator’s surname, other names. “Title of Image". Website Title . Contributors, reproduction, number, date, URL. Example :  House, Jerry. “The Tea Pot."  House of Jerry , RP0177, 120-1, www.houseofjerry.com/xx/xxxx/x
• Example :  House, Jerry. “The Tea Pot."  House of Jerry , RP0177, 120-1, www.houseofjerry.com/xx/xxxx/x

For music, citations come in the form of:

• Music citation format : Author name(s). “Track Title".  Album Title,  other contributors, version, Record Label, Year of Publication. Example : Cordova. “Backwater Town".  Places to Forget , Park Records, 2004.
• Example : Cordova. “Backwater Town".  Places to Forget , Park Records, 2004.

Films/movies can be cited using two different formats. You put the movie title first when you focused more on the film rather than the director. Otherwise, when you focus more on the director, provide the director’s name first.

• Film/Movie format (film-focused) : “Movie Title". Directed by director name, Contributors,  Distributor,  year of release. Medium. Example : “Backwater Town". Directed by Janis Cordova, Indie Struggles, 2011. DVD.
• Example : “Backwater Town". Directed by Janis Cordova, Indie Struggles, 2011. DVD.
• Film/Movie format (director-focused) : “Director name, director. “Movie Title". Contributors, Distributor , year of release. Medium. Example : Cordova, Janis, director. “Backwater Town". Performances by Dee Dee Corset and Ramona Hardy, Indie Struggles Studio, 1998. DVD. Note: If the movie is found online, use a URL instead of declaring the medium. Also, the medium itself is not a requirement for MLA citation. It is highly encouraged as it can be useful to the reader.
• Example : Cordova, Janis, director. “Backwater Town". Performances by Dee Dee Corset and Ramona Hardy, Indie Struggles Studio, 1998. DVD. Note: If the movie is found online, use a URL instead of declaring the medium. Also, the medium itself is not a requirement for MLA citation. It is highly encouraged as it can be useful to the reader.
• Note: If the movie is found online, use a URL instead of declaring the medium. Also, the medium itself is not a requirement for MLA citation. It is highly encouraged as it can be useful to the reader.

To cite TV or a web series, you should include the episode and season number.

• TV/web series format : “Episode Title".  Program Title , created by Creator Name, contributors, season #, episode #. Network, Year of Publication. Example : “The Big Cringe". The Life of Agatha Roland , written by Jeremy Lee and Sara McManus, directed by Trace Young, season 1, episode 3, Big Drama Show Network, 2019.  
• Example : “The Big Cringe". The Life of Agatha Roland , written by Jeremy Lee and Sara McManus, directed by Trace Young, season 1, episode 3, Big Drama Show Network, 2019.  

Chicago and Turabian are interchangeable. The latter is a much simpler style aimed at students whose works are not intended for publishing. However, both are considered to be the official Chicago style (Hansen, 2011). The Chicago style has two citation style conventions: the notes and bibliography style and the author-date style. Both of these appear in  The Chicago Manual of Style .   The latest version is the 8th edition (University of Chicago Press, 2017a).

The notes and bibliography style is popular in the humanities, literature, and the arts. It uses a footnotes or endnotes system. Each note has a corresponding superscript number in the text. On the other hand, the author-date style cites sources briefly in the text by the author’s last name and the year of publication of the work. Each citation in both conventions has matches in a separate reference list at the end of the document.

[table “chicagostyle" could not be loaded /]

We will discuss the two conventions below including some examples.

Notes and Bibliography Style

For this convention, you use a raised number or superscript. These are usually placed at the end of sentences (University of Chicago Press, 2017b). This is used to let readers know that a sentence contains information from a different source. Each superscript corresponds to an item on the footnotes (notes located at the bottom of a page) or endnotes (notes located at the end of a paper, chapter, or book).

The full footnote citation for a book takes the form of:

• Full Footnote Citation : First Name Surname,  Title of Work  (Location: Publisher, Year of Publication), page number. Example : Jerry Slay, Just Whining About  (California: Garden Variety Publishing House, 2005), 27.
• Example : Jerry Slay, Just Whining About  (California: Garden Variety Publishing House, 2005), 27.

If you cite a work multiple times, you can use a shortened version such as:

• Shortened Footnote Citation:  Author’s Surname, Shortened Title , page/pages. Example : Slay.  Wining About , 34-39.
• Example : Slay.  Wining About , 34-39.

For the bibliography section, entries should be in alphabetical order. They come in the form of:

• Bibliography   Entry : Surname, Preferred Name(s).  Title of Work . Location: Publisher, Year of Publication. Example : Slay, Jerry.  Just Whining About . California: Garden Variety Publishing House, 2005.
• Example : Slay, Jerry.  Just Whining About . California: Garden Variety Publishing House, 2005.

The citation formats for different sources are identical in both the notes and bibliography style and the author-date style. The only difference is the in-text citation. The latter provides in-text mentions of the last name of the author and publication date instead of a corresponding superscript.

Author-Date Style: In-Text Citations and Citing Different Sources on the Reference List

In-text citations provide the author’s last name, the year of publication, and the page or page range. Only use a comma to separate the publication year and the page. Do not use a comma in between the author’s last name and publication date (University of Chicago Press, 2017c).

• In-text citations : (Author’s Surname Year of Publication, Page/Pages) Example : (Boyle 2013, 99-102)
• Example : (Boyle 2013, 99-102)

Citing a book in the reference list has the same format as citing a book on the other convention’s bibliography entry discussed in the previous subsection. For citing a chapter or some part of an edited book, cite specific pages in the text and include the page range for the chapter or part in the reference list.

• In-text citation a chapter/part of a work : (Surname Year of Publication, Page/Pages) Example : (Kim 2004, 34-55)
• Example : (Kim 2004, 34-55)
• Reference list citation : Surname, Preferred Name(s). Year of Publication. “Chapter or Part of Book." In Title of the Larger Work , edited by Editor(s) name(s), Page(s). Location: Publisher. Example : Kim, Hannibal. 2004. “Common Tropes in Dark Comedy." In  The Re-Analysis of Film Analyses , edited by Lex Henley, 68-79. Ontario: Maple Publishing.
• Example : Kim, Hannibal. 2004. “Common Tropes in Dark Comedy." In  The Re-Analysis of Film Analyses , edited by Lex Henley, 68-79. Ontario: Maple Publishing.

When there are multiple authors provide the last name first for the first author and list the subsequent authors using their first names first. Also, separate the names using commas and at the end of the authors element place a period.

• Reference list citation (multiple authors) example : John, George, Kristine Jeffries, Ma Chok Bee. 2018. “

When citing an edited book as a whole, provide the editor(s) name first.

• In-text citation of a whole edited book : (Henley 2004, 68-79)
• Reference list citation : Henley, Lex, ed. 2004.  The Re-Analysis of Film Analyses . Ontario: Maple Publishing.

If you are citing a translated book, follow this format:

• In-text citation of translated book : (Author’s Surname Year of Publication, Page/Pages) Example : (Adebayo 2004, 23)
• Example : (Adebayo 2004, 23)
• Reference list citation : Surname, Preferred Name(s). Year of Publication.  Title of Work . Translated by Translator’s Preferred Name(s) Surname. Location: Publisher. Example : Darchinian, Karo. 2007.  Popcorn Addicts: World Tour . Translated by Gerry Yeates. Yerevan: Acute Taste Publishing House.
• Example : Darchinian, Karo. 2007.  Popcorn Addicts: World Tour . Translated by Gerry Yeates. Yerevan: Acute Taste Publishing House.

When citing an e-book, the in-text citation takes the same form as others. However, for the reference list entry, you should include a URL or the name of the database. For other types of e-books, provide a format like Kindle, among others.

• E-book reference list citation : Surname Preferred Name(s). Year of Publication.  Title of Work . Location: Publisher. Format/URL/Name of Database. Example : Herbert, Robert. 2010. Most Famous Herberts . New York: Backalley House. Kindle.
• Example : Herbert, Robert. 2010. Most Famous Herberts . New York: Backalley House. Kindle.

When citing a book review, indicate that it is a review and of what material after the title.

• Book review reference list citation example:  McDonald, Harland. 1998. “The Success of Copycats: Replicating Success." Review of  The Fast Food Cold War : The Colonel v.s. The Golden Arches , by Ronald Sanders. The City Post, January 7, 1998.

If you are citing a thesis or dissertation, the basic format you should follow is:

• Thesis/dissertation reference list citation : Surname, Preferred Name(s). Year of Publication. “Title of Work." master’s thesis or diss., School, Location. Name of Database or Retrieved from URL Example : Prince, Tracy. 2017. “Distributed Leadership in Little League Sports Teams." PhD diss., University of California, Los Angeles. Open Thesis Database.
• Example : Prince, Tracy. 2017. “Distributed Leadership in Little League Sports Teams." PhD diss., University of California, Los Angeles. Open Thesis Database.

For journal articles, you should include the page range of the whole article you are citing. Also, you should cite specific page numbers in the text. If you are using online articles, use a URL or the database name in the reference list entry. However, a DOI is preferred over a URL.

• Journal article reference list citation:  Author Name(s). Year of Publication. “Title of Work." Name of Publication  Issue #, Article # (edition or month): page/pages. DOI. Example : Burns, Brigham. 2007. “The State of Artificial Intelligence in Trucking."  Truckers Journal 6, no. 13 (June): 78 -92. https://doi.org/xx.xxxx/xxxxxx.
• Example : Burns, Brigham. 2007. “The State of Artificial Intelligence in Trucking."  Truckers Journal 6, no. 13 (June): 78 -92. https://doi.org/xx.xxxx/xxxxxx.

When there are four or more authors, list up to ten in the reference list. For the citation in the text, only provide the surname of the first author followed by “et al.". If there are more than ten authors, just list the first seven in the reference list and add “et al.".

The rules for citing news or magazine articles are the same. It is the same with blog sites and news sites as well. Under the reference list, it is highly recommended that you repeat the year in sources that you also cite with a month and day. Moreover, you should cite the page numbers, if any, in the text. But, leave these out in the reference list entries. And, if you are citing an online article, provide the name of the database or the URL.

• News or magazine article citation : Author names.  Year of Publication. “Title of Work."  Name of Publication , Month Day, Year. Name of Database/URL Example : Brando, Jack. 2017. “The Case for Unilateral Foreign Policies."  Conspiracy of Truths , June 11, 2017. https://www.conspiracyoftruths…
• Example : Brando, Jack. 2017. “The Case for Unilateral Foreign Policies."  Conspiracy of Truths , June 11, 2017. https://www.conspiracyoftruths…

When citing website content, do include the access date especially if the webpage is designed to get upated or changed. Also, use “n.d." for no date if the site does not list a date of publication, revision, or posting. Here are some examples:

•   Website citation with publication date :  Yoohaa. 2018. “User Agreement." Privacy & Terms. Last modified October 19, 2017. https://www.yoohaa.com…
• Website citation with no publication date and with access date : Bikram News. n.d. “The History of Traveling Bikrams." Accessed January 20, 2020. http://www.bikramnews.com/x/…

For audiovisual content, the citation format is quite similar to the others here. However, one should provide contributors, content type, and timestamp or clip length. Here is an example:

• Music video citation example :   Lil Tay Tay. 2018. “Lil Big Mess." Directed by James Saturn and Krunch Man. December 23, 2018. Music video, 6:25. https://www.youtube.com/xx.x…

When citing social media content, providing the quoted text is already enough in your document. For more formal citation, you should consider providing a link and a reference list entry. When you do, in place of a title, quote the post with up to the first 160 characters.

• Social media reference list citation: Author Name (@handle). Year of Publication. “Place a quote up to the first 160 characters of the post… ." Social media site, Month Day, Year. URL. Example : Yu, John. (@YuThaManJJ). 2019. “The protests turned violent here as military forces started coming in." Instagram photo, October 2, 2019. https://www.instagram.com/xxx…
• Example : Yu, John. (@YuThaManJJ). 2019. “The protests turned violent here as military forces started coming in." Instagram photo, October 2, 2019. https://www.instagram.com/xxx…

Moreover, comments are cited in reference to the original post. And, you should include the date and time of the comment in the in-text citation in the form:

• In-text citation of social media comments : (Author name first, Month Day, Year, h:mm a.m./p.m., comment on Post Author or Post Title Year of Publication) Example : James Ash, January 8, 2015, 12:51 a.m., comment on Friday Night Update 2015)
• Example : James Ash, January 8, 2015, 12:51 a.m., comment on Friday Night Update 2015)

The IEEE citation style is mainly used for reports in electronics, engineering, computer science, telecommunications, and information technology. IEEE is the official style of the eponymous Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. There are three main parts of an IEEE-style reference. They are:

• Author’s name : listed as the first initial of first name and full last name (e.g., J. Dunn).
• Title of the work : it can be a journal article, conference paper, patent, etc. Also, it should be in quotation marks.
• Title of journal or book : the title of the larger work you referenced in italics. (e.g.  Computer Science for Beginners) .

Just like other popular citation styles, the format and inclusion of punctuations, page numbers, dates, and other information vary according to the types of references cited. Also, the IEEE style has both in-text and reference list citations.

IEEE In-Text Citation

In the IEEE style, each citation is noted in the text using simple sequential numbers enclosed in square brackets:  “[number]". Also, they should be in the same line as the text and appear before any punctuation with a space before the bracket. Each bracketed number corresponds to a specific work and citations are numbered in the order of their appearances. In cases where the same source is cited, the same number is used in other citation instances. Moreover, no distinction is made between print and electronic sources. Distinguishing information is included in the references list (IEEE, n.d.).

• IEEE in-text citation examples : Citing ideas : …have found computation to be extensive [1]. Citing authors : Laland [2] suggested that… Citing examples : For a good example, see [3]. Note: No need to write “…see reference [3]." Just write “…see [3]." Citing multiple sources : Narrative: Several simulations [4, 5, 6, 7] resulted…Sentence end: “…have found the problem intractable [4], [5], [6]." or  “…have found the problem intractable [4] [6]."
• Citing ideas : …have found computation to be extensive [1].
• Citing authors : Laland [2] suggested that…
• Citing examples : For a good example, see [3]. Note: No need to write “…see reference [3]." Just write “…see [3]."
• Note: No need to write “…see reference [3]." Just write “…see [3]."
• Citing multiple sources : Narrative: Several simulations [4, 5, 6, 7] resulted…Sentence end: “…have found the problem intractable [4], [5], [6]." or  “…have found the problem intractable [4] [6]."
• Narrative: Several simulations [4, 5, 6, 7] resulted…
• Sentence end: “…have found the problem intractable [4], [5], [6]." or  “…have found the problem intractable [4] [6]."

IEEE Reference List Citation

Different source types get cited differently in the IEEE style. But, the basic principle applies just like other citation styles. Citations basically answer the who, what, when, and where questions. In this section, we will provide a general format for major document types and some citation examples.

Print Documents

For published works, the titles are italicized and capitalized. On the other hand, you do not italicize the titles of unpublished works. And, you only capitalize the first word for the titles. Also, authors’ names are written with initials first then their surnames. For two authors, each name is separated with the word “and." For three or more authors, you only use the word “and" before the last author’s name. Also, you end the author element with a comma.

• Journal article : [n] Author name(s), “Title of Work,"  Journal Title , vol #, no. #, Abbreviated Month., Page(s), Year of Publication. [6] A. Lutter and T. Silva, “Logic and Dialethism,"  Journal of Formal Systems , vol. 3, no. 5, Jan., pp. 8-9, 2001.
• [6] A. Lutter and T. Silva, “Logic and Dialethism,"  Journal of Formal Systems , vol. 3, no. 5, Jan., pp. 8-9, 2001.
• Single author book : [n] F. M. Surname,  Title of Work . Location: Publisher, Year of Publication. Example : [1] J. H. Tinsley, Writing for Speeches . Los Angeles, California: Hot Press, 2007.
• Example : [1] J. H. Tinsley, Writing for Speeches . Los Angeles, California: Hot Press, 2007.
• Edited book (multiple editors) : [n] E. O. Surname and E. T. Last Name, Eds.,  Title of Work . Location: Publisher, Year of Publication. Example : [2] Y. H. Chan and L. C. Daniels, Eds.,  Computation and its History . New York: Lavender House, 2008.
• Example : [2] Y. H. Chan and L. C. Daniels, Eds.,  Computation and its History . New York: Lavender House, 2008.
• Selection in edited books :  [n] Author name(s), “Chapter/Part Title," in  Book Title , Editor name(s), Eds. Location: Publisher, Year of Publication, Page(s). Example : [3] T. T. Kennedy and B. B. Gunn, “The circulation of conspiracy theories," in  Evolving Pop Culture , L. D. Myers and C. D. Roberts, Eds. Quebec: Maple Press, 2017, pp.23-29.
• Example : [3] T. T. Kennedy and B. B. Gunn, “The circulation of conspiracy theories," in  Evolving Pop Culture , L. D. Myers and C. D. Roberts, Eds. Quebec: Maple Press, 2017, pp.23-29.
• Manuals : [n] Author name(s),  Manual Title , Publisher, Year of Publication. Example : [4] Information Technology Department Staff, Company Digital Tools Manual , Kite Analog Systems, 2009.
• Example : [4] Information Technology Department Staff, Company Digital Tools Manual , Kite Analog Systems, 2009.
• Thesis or Dissertation  (unpublished) :  [n]  Author name(s), “Title of Work," M. S. Thesis or Ph.D. diss., School, City, State, Year. Example : [5] H. Johns, “Category Theory and Computing," M. S. Thesis, City University of New York, New York, New York, 2018.
• Example : [5] H. Johns, “Category Theory and Computing," M. S. Thesis, City University of New York, New York, New York, 2018.
• Conference proceedings : [n] Author name(s), “Title of paper," in  Abbrev. Title of Conf. Proceedings,  Place of Conference/Publication, (volume number if available), Year (only if not included in the title), Page(s) Example : [6] A. Y. Tsieh, “Legal loopholes in hoarding laws," in  2nd   Local Conf. on Bus. Pol.,  Clark, Pampanga, March 2013
• Example : [6] A. Y. Tsieh, “Legal loopholes in hoarding laws," in  2nd   Local Conf. on Bus. Pol.,  Clark, Pampanga, March 2013

Internet Documents and Software

For online documents and digital software, one needs to include the format using “[format]". For online sources, provide the URL using this format “Available: URL." Also, provide the access date with “[Accessed Month Day, Year]" Also, there are different ways of citing different source types.

• Professional internet site : [n] Author Name(s), “Title of Work,"  Title of Source, Year of Publication. [Online]. Available: URL. [Accessed Month Day, Year]. Example : [1] Consumer Rights Charter, “A 2017 Review of Consumer Rights Issues in the United States,"  Consumer Rights Charter , 2019. [Online]. Available: https://www.CRC1.org/xx/xxx… [Accessed November 3, 2020].
• Example : [1] Consumer Rights Charter, “A 2017 Review of Consumer Rights Issues in the United States,"  Consumer Rights Charter , 2019. [Online]. Available: https://www.CRC1.org/xx/xxx… [Accessed November 3, 2020].
• Personal website : [n] Author name(s), “Title of Work," Month, Year of Publication. [Online]. Available: URL. [Accessed Month Day. Year]. Example : [2] K. Hong, “Lucid Dreaming Techniques," June, 2001. [Online]. Available: https://www.khong.com/x/… [Accessed March 3, 2009].
• Example : [2] K. Hong, “Lucid Dreaming Techniques," June, 2001. [Online]. Available: https://www.khong.com/x/… [Accessed March 3, 2009].
• General website : [n] Author Name(s), “Title of Work,"  website name , para. #, Abbreviated Month Day, Year. [Online]. Available: URL. [Accessed Month Day, Year]. Example : [3] G. Davidson, “Types of Woks,"  cooksbakersfiends.com , para. 4, Feb. 19, 2010. [Online]. Available: https://www.cooksbakersfiends.com/x/xxx… [Accessed January 17, 2018].
• Example : [3] G. Davidson, “Types of Woks,"  cooksbakersfiends.com , para. 4, Feb. 19, 2010. [Online]. Available: https://www.cooksbakersfiends.com/x/xxx… [Accessed January 17, 2018].
• Software : [n] Author Name(s),  Software Name and Version . [Format]. Location: Software Publisher, Year. Example : Software News Staff,  Indie Cad 9 . [CD-ROM]. Las Vegas, Nevada: Yolo Sith, 2008.
• Example : Software News Staff,  Indie Cad 9 . [CD-ROM]. Las Vegas, Nevada: Yolo Sith, 2008.

There are many other document types and examples that we cannot cover here. It is best to check the official IEEE style guide for more.

Citation Styles Summary

The table below can serve as a quick guide to help you cite your sources properly. In case you are using other data sources for your research, you may also consult this guide on how to cite a PowerPoint in APA.

Lastly, if you wish to circumvent all the troubles in citing materials, you can use a bibliography generator . However, it is still best to be able to make proper citations in different styles on your own.

Key Insights

• Citations prevent intellectual dishonesty and uphold scientific ethics.
• They give credit to original authors and provide context and evidence for research.
• Various citation styles (APA, MLA, Chicago/Turabian, IEEE) cater to different disciplines and publication venues.
• Common citation elements include author, title, publication year, volume, page numbers, and URL or DOI for online sources.
• APA citations emphasize the author and date.
• In-text citations can be parenthetical or narrative, and the reference list requires detailed formatting of authors' names, publication dates, titles, and sources.
• MLA focuses on the author and page number for in-text citations.
• The works-cited list includes author names, titles, publication dates, and sources formatted specifically for books, articles, and digital content.
• Chicago offers notes and bibliography and author-date styles.
• Footnotes/endnotes and bibliography entries require detailed formatting, including publication information and page numbers.
• IEEE uses numerical in-text citations in brackets.
• Reference lists include author initials and surnames, titles in quotation marks, and publication information.
• Undercitation and overcitation should be avoided to maintain clarity and credibility.
• Ethical citations are crucial, avoiding self-promotion and ensuring sources are relevant and properly credited.
• Digital tools and bibliography generators can simplify citation tasks but understanding manual citation is beneficial for accuracy and integrity.

Why is citing sources important in research?

Citing sources is crucial for preventing plagiarism, giving proper credit to original authors, and providing evidence and context for your research. It helps readers trace the origin of ideas and assess the validity and relevance of your work.

What are the common elements included in a citation?

Common citation elements include the author's name, title of the work, publication year, volume and issue numbers (for articles), page numbers, and URLs or DOIs for online sources. Specific requirements vary by citation style.

How do APA and MLA citation styles differ in in-text citations?

APA in-text citations include the author's last name and the publication year (e.g., Smith, 2020). MLA in-text citations include the author's last name and the page number (e.g., Smith 123). APA focuses on the date to emphasize the currency of research, while MLA focuses on the location of the cited information within the source.

What should I do to avoid overcitation?

To avoid overcitation, ensure that you only cite a source once per paragraph unless the source is integral to multiple points. Avoid repeating citations unnecessarily within the same context, and ensure that each citation adds value to your argument.

What is the difference between footnotes and endnotes in Chicago style?

Footnotes appear at the bottom of the page where the citation is made, while endnotes appear at the end of a chapter or document. Both are used in the notes and bibliography style of Chicago to provide detailed citation information corresponding to superscript numbers in the text.

When should I use a bibliography generator?

A bibliography generator can be useful for quickly creating citation lists and ensuring proper formatting. However, it is essential to understand manual citation rules to verify the accuracy of generated citations and make necessary adjustments.

Can I cite my own previous work in a new research paper?

Yes, you can cite your previous work if it is relevant to your current research. However, avoid excessive self-citation as it can be seen as self-promotion and may detract from the credibility of your current work. Ensure that the cited work directly contributes to your new research.

References:

• APA (2009, May). How do you cite website material that has no author, no year, and no page numbers?  APA Style . Washington, DC: American Psychological Association .
• APA (2019, September).  Appropriate level of citation . APA Style. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association .
• APA (2020). Style and grammar guidelines. APA Style . Washington, DC: American Psychological Association .
• Bast, C. M., & Samuels, L. B. (2008). Plagiarism and legal scholarship in the age of information sharing: the need for intellectual honesty.  Catholic University Law Review ,  57  (3), 777-815.  https://scholarship.law.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1077&context=lawreview
• Gross, C. (2016). Scientific misconduct. Annual Review of Psychology, 67 , 693-711. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-psych-122414-033437
• Lanning, S. (2016). A modern, simplified citation style and student response. Reference Services Review, 44 (1), 21-37. https://doi.org/10.1108/RSR-10-2015-0045
• IEEE (n.d.). How to Cite References: IEEE Documentation Style. IEEE DataPort .
• Mendeley. (2019). How to cite sources in MLA citation format . Mendeley .
• Truluck, C., & Richardson, D. (2013). Citing sources correctly. Radiologic Technology, 84 (3), 311-316. https://www.radiologictechnology.org/content/84/3/311.extract
• University of Chicago Press (2017a). The Chicago Manual of Style, 17th edition. The Chicago Manual of Style Online .
• University of Chicago Press (2017b). Notes and bibliography: Sample citations. Turabian: A Manual for Writers .
• University of Chicago Press (2017c). Author-date: Sample citations. Turabian: A Manual for Writers .
• University of Pittsburgh. (2020, January 28). LibGuides: Citation styles: APA, MLA, Chicago, Turabian, IEEE: APA 6th edition. LibGuides at University of Pittsburgh .

Related Articles

Hello World ! Writing a Latex document on Windows

How to Write a Research Proposal in 2024: Structure, Examples & Common Mistakes

What Is a University Dissertation: 2024 Structure, Challenges & Writing Tips

Major Philosophers and Their Ideas in 2024: Past and Future Wisdom

72 Scholarship Statistics: 2024 Data, Facts & Analysis

Logical Fallacies: Examples and Pitfalls in Research and Media in 2024

What Is a Research Question? Tips on How to Find Interesting Topics in 2024

Guide2Research Becomes Research.com – New Disciplines, Tools & Layout

How to Write a Research Paper Abstract in 2024: Guide With Examples

Web-Based Research: Tips For Conducting Academic Research

EasyChair : Tutorial of how to request an installation for Conference Management System

What Is Empirical Research? Definition, Types & Samples in 2024

How to Become a Preschool Teacher in Georgia: Requirements & Certification in 2024

How to Become a Preschool Teacher in Alaska: Requirements & Certification in 2024

Most Affordable Online Master's in Artificial Intelligence Degree Programs for 2024

How to Become a Preschool Teacher in Kansas: Requirements & Certification in 2024

How to Become a Preschool Teacher in Missouri: Requirements & Certification in 2024

How to Become a Preschool Teacher in Maryland: Requirements & Certification in 2024

How to Become a Preschool Teacher in Ohio: Requirements & Certification in 2024

How to Become a Preschool Teacher in Kentucky: Requirements & Certification in 2024

How to Become a Preschool Teacher in Hawaii: Requirements & Certification in 2024

Recently published articles.

How to Become a Licensed Counselor (LPC) in Arkansas in 2024

2024 Most Affordable Online Master's in Accounting Degree Programs Ranking in Colorado

How to Become a Preschool Teacher in Michigan: Requirements & Certification in 2024

How to Become a Preschool Teacher in Minnesota: Requirements & Certification in 2024

2024 Most Affordable Online Master's in Counseling Degree Programs Ranking in Pennsylvania

2024 Most Affordable Online Master's in Business Degree Programs Ranking in Atlanta, GA

2024 Fastest Online Master's in Education Degree Programs Ranking in South Dakota

2024 Best Online Doctorate in Business Degree Programs Ranking in Michigan

2024 Most Valuable Online Business Degree Programs Ranking in Chicago, IL

2024 Most Valuable Online Bachelor's in Business Degree Programs Ranking in North Carolina

2024 Most Valuable Online Master's in Business Degree Programs Ranking in Wichita, KS

2024 Best Online Business Degree Programs Ranking in Cambridge, MA

2024 Most Affordable Online Master's in Business Degree Programs Ranking in Utah

2024 Most Valuable Online Bachelor's in Criminal Justice Degree Programs Ranking in Illinois

2024 Most Valuable Online Master's in Accounting Degree Programs Ranking in Connecticut

2024 Most Valuable Online Master's in Education Degree Programs Ranking in Muncie, IN

Is a Master of Accounting Worth It? 2024 Costs & Job Opportunities

Best Online Nursing Programs in New Mexico – 2024 Accredited RN to BSN Programs

2024 Most Affordable Online Counseling Degree Programs Ranking in Ohio

2024 Most Valuable Online Counseling Degree Programs Ranking in Fort Lauderdale, FL

2024 Most Valuable Online Accounting Degree Programs Ranking in Lakewood, CO

Newsletter & conference alerts.

Research.com uses the information to contact you about our relevant content. For more information, check out our privacy policy .

Thank you for subscribing!

Confirmation email sent. Please click the link in the email to confirm your subscription.

• Privacy Policy

Home » How to Cite Research Paper – All Formats and Examples

How to Cite Research Paper – All Formats and Examples

Table of Contents

Research Paper Citation

Research paper citation refers to the act of acknowledging and referencing a previously published work in a scholarly or academic paper . When citing sources, researchers provide information that allows readers to locate the original source, validate the claims or arguments made in the paper, and give credit to the original author(s) for their work.

The citation may include the author’s name, title of the publication, year of publication, publisher, and other relevant details that allow readers to trace the source of the information. Proper citation is a crucial component of academic writing, as it helps to ensure accuracy, credibility, and transparency in research.

How to Cite Research Paper

There are several formats that are used to cite a research paper. Follow the guide for the Citation of a Research Paper:

Last Name, First Name. Title of Book. Publisher, Year of Publication.

Example : Smith, John. The History of the World. Penguin Press, 2010.

Journal Article

Last Name, First Name. “Title of Article.” Title of Journal, vol. Volume Number, no. Issue Number, Year of Publication, pp. Page Numbers.

Example : Johnson, Emma. “The Effects of Climate Change on Agriculture.” Environmental Science Journal, vol. 10, no. 2, 2019, pp. 45-59.

Research Paper

Last Name, First Name. “Title of Paper.” Conference Name, Location, Date of Conference.

Example : Garcia, Maria. “The Importance of Early Childhood Education.” International Conference on Education, Paris, 5-7 June 2018.

Author’s Last Name, First Name. “Title of Webpage.” Website Title, Publisher, Date of Publication, URL.

Example : Smith, John. “The Benefits of Exercise.” Healthline, Healthline Media, 1 March 2022, https://www.healthline.com/health/benefits-of-exercise.

News Article

Last Name, First Name. “Title of Article.” Name of Newspaper, Date of Publication, URL.

Example : Robinson, Sarah. “Biden Announces New Climate Change Policies.” The New York Times, 22 Jan. 2021, https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/22/climate/biden-climate-change-policies.html.

Author, A. A. (Year of publication). Title of book. Publisher.

Example: Smith, J. (2010). The History of the World. Penguin Press.

Author, A. A., Author, B. B., & Author, C. C. (Year of publication). Title of article. Title of Journal, volume number(issue number), page range.

Example: Johnson, E., Smith, K., & Lee, M. (2019). The Effects of Climate Change on Agriculture. Environmental Science Journal, 10(2), 45-59.

Author, A. A. (Year of publication). Title of paper. In Editor First Initial. Last Name (Ed.), Title of Conference Proceedings (page numbers). Publisher.

Example: Garcia, M. (2018). The Importance of Early Childhood Education. In J. Smith (Ed.), Proceedings from the International Conference on Education (pp. 60-75). Springer.

Author, A. A. (Year, Month Day of publication). Title of webpage. Website name. URL

Example: Smith, J. (2022, March 1). The Benefits of Exercise. Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/health/benefits-of-exercise

Author, A. A. (Year, Month Day of publication). Title of article. Newspaper name. URL.

Example: Robinson, S. (2021, January 22). Biden Announces New Climate Change Policies. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/22/climate/biden-climate-change-policies.html

Chicago/Turabian style

Please note that there are two main variations of the Chicago style: the author-date system and the notes and bibliography system. I will provide examples for both systems below.

Author-Date system:

• In-text citation: (Author Last Name Year, Page Number)
• Reference list: Author Last Name, First Name. Year. Title of Book. Place of publication: Publisher.
• In-text citation: (Smith 2005, 28)
• Reference list: Smith, John. 2005. The History of America. New York: Penguin Press.

Notes and Bibliography system:

• Footnote/Endnote citation: Author First Name Last Name, Title of Book (Place of publication: Publisher, Year), Page Number.
• Bibliography citation: Author Last Name, First Name. Title of Book. Place of publication: Publisher, Year.
• Footnote/Endnote citation: John Smith, The History of America (New York: Penguin Press, 2005), 28.
• Bibliography citation: Smith, John. The History of America. New York: Penguin Press, 2005.

JOURNAL ARTICLES:

• Reference list: Author Last Name, First Name. Year. “Article Title.” Journal Title Volume Number (Issue Number): Page Range.
• In-text citation: (Johnson 2010, 45)
• Reference list: Johnson, Mary. 2010. “The Impact of Social Media on Society.” Journal of Communication 60(2): 39-56.
• Footnote/Endnote citation: Author First Name Last Name, “Article Title,” Journal Title Volume Number, Issue Number (Year): Page Range.
• Bibliography citation: Author Last Name, First Name. “Article Title.” Journal Title Volume Number, Issue Number (Year): Page Range.
• Footnote/Endnote citation: Mary Johnson, “The Impact of Social Media on Society,” Journal of Communication 60, no. 2 (2010): 39-56.
• Bibliography citation: Johnson, Mary. “The Impact of Social Media on Society.” Journal of Communication 60, no. 2 (2010): 39-56.

RESEARCH PAPERS:

• Reference list: Author Last Name, First Name. Year. “Title of Paper.” Conference Proceedings Title, Location, Date. Publisher, Page Range.
• In-text citation: (Jones 2015, 12)
• Reference list: Jones, David. 2015. “The Effects of Climate Change on Agriculture.” Proceedings of the International Conference on Climate Change, Paris, France, June 1-3, 2015. Springer, 10-20.
• Footnote/Endnote citation: Author First Name Last Name, “Title of Paper,” Conference Proceedings Title, Location, Date (Place of publication: Publisher, Year), Page Range.
• Bibliography citation: Author Last Name, First Name. “Title of Paper.” Conference Proceedings Title, Location, Date. Place of publication: Publisher, Year.
• Footnote/Endnote citation: David Jones, “The Effects of Climate Change on Agriculture,” Proceedings of the International Conference on Climate Change, Paris, France, June 1-3, 2015 (New York: Springer, 10-20).
• Bibliography citation: Jones, David. “The Effects of Climate Change on Agriculture.” Proceedings of the International Conference on Climate Change, Paris, France, June 1-3, 2015. New York: Springer, 10-20.
• In-text citation: (Author Last Name Year)
• Reference list: Author Last Name, First Name. Year. “Title of Webpage.” Website Name. URL.
• In-text citation: (Smith 2018)
• Reference list: Smith, John. 2018. “The Importance of Recycling.” Environmental News Network. https://www.enn.com/articles/54374-the-importance-of-recycling.
• Footnote/Endnote citation: Author First Name Last Name, “Title of Webpage,” Website Name, URL (accessed Date).
• Bibliography citation: Author Last Name, First Name. “Title of Webpage.” Website Name. URL (accessed Date).
• Footnote/Endnote citation: John Smith, “The Importance of Recycling,” Environmental News Network, https://www.enn.com/articles/54374-the-importance-of-recycling (accessed April 8, 2023).
• Bibliography citation: Smith, John. “The Importance of Recycling.” Environmental News Network. https://www.enn.com/articles/54374-the-importance-of-recycling (accessed April 8, 2023).

NEWS ARTICLES:

• Reference list: Author Last Name, First Name. Year. “Title of Article.” Name of Newspaper, Month Day.
• In-text citation: (Johnson 2022)
• Reference list: Johnson, Mary. 2022. “New Study Finds Link Between Coffee and Longevity.” The New York Times, January 15.
• Footnote/Endnote citation: Author First Name Last Name, “Title of Article,” Name of Newspaper (City), Month Day, Year.
• Bibliography citation: Author Last Name, First Name. “Title of Article.” Name of Newspaper (City), Month Day, Year.
• Footnote/Endnote citation: Mary Johnson, “New Study Finds Link Between Coffee and Longevity,” The New York Times (New York), January 15, 2022.
• Bibliography citation: Johnson, Mary. “New Study Finds Link Between Coffee and Longevity.” The New York Times (New York), January 15, 2022.

Harvard referencing style

Format: Author’s Last name, First initial. (Year of publication). Title of book. Publisher.

Example: Smith, J. (2008). The Art of War. Random House.

Journal article:

Format: Author’s Last name, First initial. (Year of publication). Title of article. Title of journal, volume number(issue number), page range.

Example: Brown, M. (2012). The impact of social media on business communication. Harvard Business Review, 90(12), 85-92.

Research paper:

Format: Author’s Last name, First initial. (Year of publication). Title of paper. In Editor’s First initial. Last name (Ed.), Title of book (page range). Publisher.

Example: Johnson, R. (2015). The effects of climate change on agriculture. In S. Lee (Ed.), Climate Change and Sustainable Development (pp. 45-62). Springer.

Format: Author’s Last name, First initial. (Year, Month Day of publication). Title of page. Website name. URL.

Example: Smith, J. (2017, May 23). The history of the internet. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/history-of-the-internet

News article:

Format: Author’s Last name, First initial. (Year, Month Day of publication). Title of article. Title of newspaper, page number (if applicable).

Example: Thompson, E. (2022, January 5). New study finds coffee may lower risk of dementia. The New York Times, A1.

IEEE Format

Author(s). (Year of Publication). Title of Book. Publisher.

Smith, J. K. (2015). The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business. Random House.

Journal Article:

Author(s). (Year of Publication). Title of Article. Title of Journal, Volume Number (Issue Number), page numbers.

Johnson, T. J., & Kaye, B. K. (2016). Interactivity and the Future of Journalism. Journalism Studies, 17(2), 228-246.

Author(s). (Year of Publication). Title of Paper. Paper presented at Conference Name, Location.

Jones, L. K., & Brown, M. A. (2018). The Role of Social Media in Political Campaigns. Paper presented at the 2018 International Conference on Social Media and Society, Copenhagen, Denmark.

• Website: Author(s) or Organization Name. (Year of Publication or Last Update). Title of Webpage. Website Name. URL.

Example: National Aeronautics and Space Administration. (2019, August 29). NASA’s Mission to Mars. NASA. https://www.nasa.gov/topics/journeytomars/index.html

• News Article: Author(s). (Year of Publication). Title of Article. Name of News Source. URL.

Example: Johnson, M. (2022, February 16). Climate Change: Is it Too Late to Save the Planet? CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/16/world/climate-change-planet-scn/index.html

Vancouver Style

In-text citation: Use superscript numbers to cite sources in the text, e.g., “The study conducted by Smith and Johnson^1 found that…”.

Reference list citation: Format: Author(s). Title of book. Edition if any. Place of publication: Publisher; Year of publication.

Example: Smith J, Johnson L. Introduction to Molecular Biology. 2nd ed. New York: Wiley-Blackwell; 2015.

In-text citation: Use superscript numbers to cite sources in the text, e.g., “Several studies have reported that^1,2,3…”.

Reference list citation: Format: Author(s). Title of article. Abbreviated name of journal. Year of publication; Volume number (Issue number): Page range.

Example: Jones S, Patel K, Smith J. The effects of exercise on cardiovascular health. J Cardiol. 2018; 25(2): 78-84.

In-text citation: Use superscript numbers to cite sources in the text, e.g., “Previous research has shown that^1,2,3…”.

Reference list citation: Format: Author(s). Title of paper. In: Editor(s). Title of the conference proceedings. Place of publication: Publisher; Year of publication. Page range.

Example: Johnson L, Smith J. The role of stem cells in tissue regeneration. In: Patel S, ed. Proceedings of the 5th International Conference on Regenerative Medicine. London: Academic Press; 2016. p. 68-73.

In-text citation: Use superscript numbers to cite sources in the text, e.g., “According to the World Health Organization^1…”.

Reference list citation: Format: Author(s). Title of webpage. Name of website. URL [Accessed Date].

Example: World Health Organization. Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) advice for the public. World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/emergencies/disease/novel-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public [Accessed 3 March 2023].

In-text citation: Use superscript numbers to cite sources in the text, e.g., “According to the New York Times^1…”.

Reference list citation: Format: Author(s). Title of article. Name of newspaper. Year Month Day; Section (if any): Page number.

Example: Jones S. Study shows that sleep is essential for good health. The New York Times. 2022 Jan 12; Health: A8.

Author(s). Title of Book. Edition Number (if it is not the first edition). Publisher: Place of publication, Year of publication.

Example: Smith, J. Chemistry of Natural Products. 3rd ed.; CRC Press: Boca Raton, FL, 2015.

Journal articles:

Author(s). Article Title. Journal Name Year, Volume, Inclusive Pagination.

Example: Garcia, A. M.; Jones, B. A.; Smith, J. R. Selective Synthesis of Alkenes from Alkynes via Catalytic Hydrogenation. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2019, 141, 10754-10759.

Research papers:

Author(s). Title of Paper. Journal Name Year, Volume, Inclusive Pagination.

Example: Brown, H. D.; Jackson, C. D.; Patel, S. D. A New Approach to Photovoltaic Solar Cells. J. Mater. Chem. 2018, 26, 134-142.

Author(s) (if available). Title of Webpage. Name of Website. URL (accessed Month Day, Year).

Example: National Institutes of Health. Heart Disease and Stroke. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health-topics/heart-disease-and-stroke (accessed April 7, 2023).

News articles:

Author(s). Title of Article. Name of News Publication. Date of Publication. URL (accessed Month Day, Year).

Example: Friedman, T. L. The World is Flat. New York Times. April 7, 2023. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/07/opinion/world-flat-globalization.html (accessed April 7, 2023).

In AMA Style Format, the citation for a book should include the following information, in this order:

• Title of book (in italics)
• Edition (if applicable)
• Place of publication
• Year of publication

Lodish H, Berk A, Zipursky SL, et al. Molecular Cell Biology. 4th ed. New York, NY: W. H. Freeman; 2000.

In AMA Style Format, the citation for a journal article should include the following information, in this order:

• Title of article
• Abbreviated title of journal (in italics)
• Year of publication; volume number(issue number):page numbers.

Chen H, Huang Y, Li Y, et al. Effects of mindfulness-based stress reduction on depression in adolescents and young adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis. JAMA Netw Open. 2020;3(6):e207081. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.7081

In AMA Style Format, the citation for a research paper should include the following information, in this order:

• Title of paper
• Name of journal or conference proceeding (in italics)
• Volume number(issue number):page numbers.

Bredenoord AL, Kroes HY, Cuppen E, Parker M, van Delden JJ. Disclosure of individual genetic data to research participants: the debate reconsidered. Trends Genet. 2011;27(2):41-47. doi:10.1016/j.tig.2010.11.004

In AMA Style Format, the citation for a website should include the following information, in this order:

• Title of web page or article
• Name of website (in italics)
• Date of publication or last update (if available)
• URL (website address)
• Date of access (month day, year)

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. How to protect yourself and others. CDC. Published February 11, 2022. Accessed February 14, 2022. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/prevention.html

In AMA Style Format, the citation for a news article should include the following information, in this order:

• Name of newspaper or news website (in italics)
• Date of publication

Gorman J. Scientists use stem cells from frogs to build first living robots. The New York Times. January 13, 2020. Accessed January 14, 2020. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/13/science/living-robots-xenobots.html

Bluebook Format

One author: Daniel J. Solove, The Future of Reputation: Gossip, Rumor, and Privacy on the Internet (Yale University Press 2007).

Two or more authors: Martha Nussbaum and Saul Levmore, eds., The Offensive Internet: Speech, Privacy, and Reputation (Harvard University Press 2010).

Journal article

One author: Daniel J. Solove, “A Taxonomy of Privacy,” University of Pennsylvania Law Review 154, no. 3 (January 2006): 477-560.

Two or more authors: Ethan Katsh and Andrea Schneider, “The Emergence of Online Dispute Resolution,” Journal of Dispute Resolution 2003, no. 1 (2003): 7-19.

One author: Daniel J. Solove, “A Taxonomy of Privacy,” GWU Law School Public Law Research Paper No. 113, 2005.

Two or more authors: Ethan Katsh and Andrea Schneider, “The Emergence of Online Dispute Resolution,” Cyberlaw Research Paper Series Paper No. 00-5, 2000.

WebsiteElectronic Frontier Foundation, “Surveillance Self-Defense,” accessed April 8, 2023, https://ssd.eff.org/.

News article

One author: Mark Sherman, “Court Deals Major Blow to Net Neutrality Rules,” ABC News, January 14, 2014, https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/court-deals-major-blow-net-neutrality-rules-21586820.

Two or more authors: Siobhan Hughes and Brent Kendall, “AT&T Wins Approval to Buy Time Warner,” Wall Street Journal, June 12, 2018, https://www.wsj.com/articles/at-t-wins-approval-to-buy-time-warner-1528847249.

In-Text Citation: (Author’s last name Year of Publication: Page Number)

Example: (Smith 2010: 35)

Reference List Citation: Author’s last name First Initial. Title of Book. Edition. Place of publication: Publisher; Year of publication.

Example: Smith J. Biology: A Textbook. 2nd ed. New York: Oxford University Press; 2010.

Example: (Johnson 2014: 27)

Reference List Citation: Author’s last name First Initial. Title of Article. Abbreviated Title of Journal. Year of publication;Volume(Issue):Page Numbers.

Example: Johnson S. The role of dopamine in addiction. J Neurosci. 2014;34(8): 2262-2272.

Example: (Brown 2018: 10)

Reference List Citation: Author’s last name First Initial. Title of Paper. Paper presented at: Name of Conference; Date of Conference; Place of Conference.

Example: Brown R. The impact of social media on mental health. Paper presented at: Annual Meeting of the American Psychological Association; August 2018; San Francisco, CA.

Example: (World Health Organization 2020: para. 2)

Reference List Citation: Author’s last name First Initial. Title of Webpage. Name of Website. URL. Published date. Accessed date.

Example: World Health Organization. Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. WHO website. https://www.who.int/emergencies/disease-coronavirus-2019. Updated August 17, 2020. Accessed September 5, 2021.

Example: (Smith 2019: para. 5)

Reference List Citation: Author’s last name First Initial. Title of Article. Title of Newspaper or Magazine. Year of publication; Month Day:Page Numbers.

Example: Smith K. New study finds link between exercise and mental health. The New York Times. 2019;May 20: A6.

Purpose of Research Paper Citation

The purpose of citing sources in a research paper is to give credit to the original authors and acknowledge their contribution to your work. By citing sources, you are also demonstrating the validity and reliability of your research by showing that you have consulted credible and authoritative sources. Citations help readers to locate the original sources that you have referenced and to verify the accuracy and credibility of your research. Additionally, citing sources is important for avoiding plagiarism, which is the act of presenting someone else’s work as your own. Proper citation also shows that you have conducted a thorough literature review and have used the existing research to inform your own work. Overall, citing sources is an essential aspect of academic writing and is necessary for building credibility, demonstrating research skills, and avoiding plagiarism.

Advantages of Research Paper Citation

There are several advantages of research paper citation, including:

• Giving credit: By citing the works of other researchers in your field, you are acknowledging their contribution and giving credit where it is due.
• Strengthening your argument: Citing relevant and reliable sources in your research paper can strengthen your argument and increase its credibility. It shows that you have done your due diligence and considered various perspectives before drawing your conclusions.
• Demonstrating familiarity with the literature : By citing various sources, you are demonstrating your familiarity with the existing literature in your field. This is important as it shows that you are well-informed about the topic and have done a thorough review of the available research.
• Providing a roadmap for further research: By citing relevant sources, you are providing a roadmap for further research on the topic. This can be helpful for future researchers who are interested in exploring the same or related issues.
• Building your own reputation: By citing the works of established researchers in your field, you can build your own reputation as a knowledgeable and informed scholar. This can be particularly helpful if you are early in your career and looking to establish yourself as an expert in your field.

About the author

Muhammad Hassan

Researcher, Academic Writer, Web developer

You may also like

Chapter Summary & Overview – Writing Guide...

Context of the Study – Writing Guide and Examples

Appendices – Writing Guide, Types and Examples

Tables in Research Paper – Types, Creating Guide...

Delimitations in Research – Types, Examples and...

Research Methodology – Types, Examples and...

Have a language expert improve your writing

Run a free plagiarism check in 10 minutes, automatically generate references for free.

• Knowledge Base
• Referencing

A Quick Guide to Referencing | Cite Your Sources Correctly

Referencing means acknowledging the sources you have used in your writing. Including references helps you support your claims and ensures that you avoid plagiarism .

There are many referencing styles, but they usually consist of two things:

• A citation wherever you refer to a source in your text.
• A reference list or bibliography at the end listing full details of all your sources.

The most common method of referencing in UK universities is Harvard style , which uses author-date citations in the text. Our free Harvard Reference Generator automatically creates accurate references in this style.

Instantly correct all language mistakes in your text

Be assured that you'll submit flawless writing. Upload your document to correct all your mistakes.

Table of contents

Referencing styles, citing your sources with in-text citations, creating your reference list or bibliography, harvard referencing examples, frequently asked questions about referencing.

Each referencing style has different rules for presenting source information. For in-text citations, some use footnotes or endnotes , while others include the author’s surname and date of publication in brackets in the text.

The reference list or bibliography is presented differently in each style, with different rules for things like capitalisation, italics, and quotation marks in references.

Your university will usually tell you which referencing style to use; they may even have their own unique style. Always follow your university’s guidelines, and ask your tutor if you are unsure. The most common styles are summarised below.

Harvard referencing, the most commonly used style at UK universities, uses author–date in-text citations corresponding to an alphabetical bibliography or reference list at the end.

Harvard Referencing Guide

Vancouver referencing, used in biomedicine and other sciences, uses reference numbers in the text corresponding to a numbered reference list at the end.

Vancouver Referencing Guide

APA referencing, used in the social and behavioural sciences, uses author–date in-text citations corresponding to an alphabetical reference list at the end.

APA Referencing Guide APA Reference Generator

MHRA referencing, used in the humanities, uses footnotes in the text with source information, in addition to an alphabetised bibliography at the end.

MHRA Referencing Guide

OSCOLA referencing, used in law, uses footnotes in the text with source information, and an alphabetical bibliography at the end in longer texts.

OSCOLA Referencing Guide

The only proofreading tool specialized in correcting academic writing

The academic proofreading tool has been trained on 1000s of academic texts and by native English editors. Making it the most accurate and reliable proofreading tool for students.

Correct my document today

In-text citations should be used whenever you quote, paraphrase, or refer to information from a source (e.g. a book, article, image, website, or video).

Quoting and paraphrasing

Quoting is when you directly copy some text from a source and enclose it in quotation marks to indicate that it is not your own writing.

Paraphrasing is when you rephrase the original source into your own words. In this case, you don’t use quotation marks, but you still need to include a citation.

In most referencing styles, page numbers are included when you’re quoting or paraphrasing a particular passage. If you are referring to the text as a whole, no page number is needed.

In-text citations

In-text citations are quick references to your sources. In Harvard referencing, you use the author’s surname and the date of publication in brackets.

Up to three authors are included in a Harvard in-text citation. If the source has more than three authors, include the first author followed by ‘ et al. ‘

The point of these citations is to direct your reader to the alphabetised reference list, where you give full information about each source. For example, to find the source cited above, the reader would look under ‘J’ in your reference list to find the title and publication details of the source.

Placement of in-text citations

In-text citations should be placed directly after the quotation or information they refer to, usually before a comma or full stop. If a sentence is supported by multiple sources, you can combine them in one set of brackets, separated by a semicolon.

If you mention the author’s name in the text already, you don’t include it in the citation, and you can place the citation immediately after the name.

• Another researcher warns that the results of this method are ‘inconsistent’ (Singh, 2018, p. 13) .
• Previous research has frequently illustrated the pitfalls of this method (Singh, 2018; Jones, 2016) .
• Singh (2018, p. 13) warns that the results of this method are ‘inconsistent’.

The terms ‘bibliography’ and ‘reference list’ are sometimes used interchangeably. Both refer to a list that contains full information on all the sources cited in your text. Sometimes ‘bibliography’ is used to mean a more extensive list, also containing sources that you consulted but did not cite in the text.

A reference list or bibliography is usually mandatory, since in-text citations typically don’t provide full source information. For styles that already include full source information in footnotes (e.g. OSCOLA and Chicago Style ), the bibliography is optional, although your university may still require you to include one.

Format of the reference list

Reference lists are usually alphabetised by authors’ last names. Each entry in the list appears on a new line, and a hanging indent is applied if an entry extends onto multiple lines.

Different source information is included for different source types. Each style provides detailed guidelines for exactly what information should be included and how it should be presented.

Below are some examples of reference list entries for common source types in Harvard style.

• Chapter of a book
• Journal article

Your university should tell you which referencing style to follow. If you’re unsure, check with a supervisor. Commonly used styles include:

• Harvard referencing , the most commonly used style in UK universities.
• MHRA , used in humanities subjects.
• APA , used in the social sciences.
• Vancouver , used in biomedicine.
• OSCOLA , used in law.

Your university may have its own referencing style guide.

If you are allowed to choose which style to follow, we recommend Harvard referencing, as it is a straightforward and widely used style.

References should be included in your text whenever you use words, ideas, or information from a source. A source can be anything from a book or journal article to a website or YouTube video.

If you don’t acknowledge your sources, you can get in trouble for plagiarism .

To avoid plagiarism , always include a reference when you use words, ideas or information from a source. This shows that you are not trying to pass the work of others off as your own.

You must also properly quote or paraphrase the source. If you’re not sure whether you’ve done this correctly, you can use the Scribbr Plagiarism Checker to find and correct any mistakes.

Harvard referencing uses an author–date system. Sources are cited by the author’s last name and the publication year in brackets. Each Harvard in-text citation corresponds to an entry in the alphabetised reference list at the end of the paper.

Vancouver referencing uses a numerical system. Sources are cited by a number in parentheses or superscript. Each number corresponds to a full reference at the end of the paper.

Is this article helpful?

Other students also liked.

• A Quick Guide to Harvard Referencing | Citation Examples
• APA Referencing (7th Ed.) Quick Guide | In-text Citations & References

How to Avoid Plagiarism | Tips on Citing Sources

More interesting articles.

• A Quick Guide to OSCOLA Referencing | Rules & Examples
• Harvard In-Text Citation | A Complete Guide & Examples
• Harvard Referencing for Journal Articles | Templates & Examples
• Harvard Style Bibliography | Format & Examples
• MHRA Referencing | A Quick Guide & Citation Examples
• Reference a Website in Harvard Style | Templates & Examples
• Referencing Books in Harvard Style | Templates & Examples
• Vancouver Referencing | A Quick Guide & Reference Examples

Scribbr APA Citation Checker

An innovative new tool that checks your APA citations with AI software. Say goodbye to inaccurate citations!

Appropriate Level of Citation

The number of sources you cite in your paper depends on the purpose of your work. For most papers, cite one or two of the most representative sources for each key point. Literature review papers, however, typically include a more exhaustive list of references.

Provide appropriate credit to the source (e.g., by using an in-text citation) whenever you do the following:

• paraphrase (i.e., state in your own words) the ideas of others
• directly quote the words of others
• refer to data or data sets
• reprint or adapt a table or figure, even images from the internet that are free or licensed in the Creative Commons
• reprint a long text passage or commercially copyrighted test item

Avoid both undercitation and overcitation. Undercitation can lead to plagiarism and/or self-plagiarism . Overcitation can be distracting and is unnecessary.

For example, it is considered overcitation to repeat the same citation in every sentence when the source and topic have not changed. Instead, when paraphrasing a key point in more than one sentence within a paragraph, cite the source in the first sentence in which it is relevant and do not repeat the citation in subsequent sentences as long as the source remains clear and unchanged.

Figure 8.1 in Chapter 8 of the Publication Manual provides an example of an appropriate level of citation.

Determining the appropriate level of citation is covered in the seventh edition APA Style manuals in the Publication Manual Section 8.1 and the Concise Guide Section 8.1

Related handouts

• In-Text Citation Checklist (PDF, 227KB)
• Six Steps to Proper Citation (PDF, 112KB)

From the APA Style blog

The importance of integrating APA Style into high school classrooms

Read insights from a recent high school graduate about the value of learning APA Style in high school.

How to cite your own translations

If you translate a passage from one language into another on your own in your paper, your translation is considered a paraphrase, not a direct quotation.

Key takeaways from the Psi Chi webinar So You Need to Write a Literature Review

This blog post describes key tasks in writing an effective literature review and provides strategies for approaching those tasks.

How to cite a work with a nonrecoverable source

In most cases, nonrecoverable sources such as personal emails, nonarchived social media livestreams (or deleted and unarchived social media posts), classroom lectures, unrecorded webinars or presentations, and intranet sources should be cited only in the text as personal communications.

The “outdated sources” myth

The “outdated sources” myth is that sources must have been published recently, such as the last 5 to 10 years. There is no timeliness requirement in APA Style.

From COVID-19 to demands for social justice: Citing contemporary sources for current events

The guidance in the seventh edition of the Publication Manual makes the process of citing contemporary sources found online easier than ever before.

Citing classical and religious works

A classical or religious work is cited as either a book or a webpage, depending on what version of the source you are using. This post includes details and examples.

Academic Writer—APA’s essential teaching resource for higher education instructors

Academic Writer’s advanced authoring technology and digital learning tools allow students to take a hands-on approach to learning the scholarly research and writing process.

APA Style webinar on citing works in text

Attend the webinar, “Citing Works in Text Using Seventh Edition APA Style,” on July 14, 2020, to learn the keys to accurately and consistently citing sources in APA Style.

University Library

Start your research.

• Research Process
• Find Background Info
• Find Sources through the Library
• Evaluate Your Info
• Cite Your Sources
• Evaluate, Write & Cite

• is the right thing to do  to give credit to those who had the idea
• shows that you have read and understand  what experts have had to say about your topic
• helps people find the sources  that you used in case they want to read more about the topic
• provides   evidence  for your arguments
• is professional and  standard practice   for students and scholars

What is a Citation?

A citation identifies for the reader the original source for an idea, information, or image that is referred to in a work.

• In the body of a paper, the  in-text citation  acknowledges the source of information used.
• At the end of a paper, the citations are compiled on a  References  or  Works Cited  list. A basic citation includes the author, title, and publication information of the source. 

From:  Lemieux  Library,  University  of Seattle 

Why Should You Cite?

Quoting Are you quoting two or more consecutive words from a source? Then the original source should be cited and the words or phrase placed in quotes. 

Paraphrasing If an idea or information comes from another source,  even if you put it in your own words , you still need to credit the source.  General vs. Unfamiliar Knowledge You do not need to cite material which is accepted common knowledge. If in doubt whether your information is common knowledge or not, cite it. Formats We usually think of books and articles. However, if you use material from web sites, films, music, graphs, tables, etc. you'll also need to cite these as well.

Plagiarism is presenting the words or ideas of someone else as your own without proper acknowledgment of the source. When you work on a research paper and use supporting material from works by others, it's okay to quote people and use their ideas, but you do need to correctly credit them. Even when you summarize or paraphrase information found in books, articles, or Web pages, you must acknowledge the original author.

Citation Style Help

Helpful links:

• MLA ,  Works Cited : A Quick Guide (a template of core elements)
• CSE  (Council of Science Editors)

For additional writing resources specific to styles listed here visit the  Purdue OWL Writing Lab

Citation and Bibliography Resources

• How to Write an Annotated Bibliography
• << Previous: Evaluate Your Info
• Next: Evaluate, Write & Cite >>

Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License except where otherwise noted.

Land Acknowledgement

The land on which we gather is the unceded territory of the Awaswas-speaking Uypi Tribe. The Amah Mutsun Tribal Band, comprised of the descendants of indigenous people taken to missions Santa Cruz and San Juan Bautista during Spanish colonization of the Central Coast, is today working hard to restore traditional stewardship practices on these lands and heal from historical trauma.

The land acknowledgement used at UC Santa Cruz was developed in partnership with the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band Chairman and the Amah Mutsun Relearning Program at the UCSC Arboretum .

Generate accurate APA citations for free

• Knowledge Base
• APA Style 7th edition
• APA format for academic papers and essays

APA Formatting and Citation (7th Ed.) | Generator, Template, Examples

Published on November 6, 2020 by Raimo Streefkerk . Revised on September 5, 2024.

The 7th edition of the APA Publication Manual provides guidelines for clear communication , citing sources , and formatting documents. This article focuses on paper formatting.

Generate accurate APA citations with Scribbr

Throughout your paper, you need to apply the following APA format guidelines:

• Set page margins to 1 inch on all sides.
• Double-space all text, including headings.
• Indent the first line of every paragraph 0.5 inches.
• Use an accessible font (e.g., Times New Roman 12pt., Arial 11pt., or Georgia 11pt.).
• Include a page number on every page.

Let an expert format your paper

Our APA formatting experts can help you to format your paper according to APA guidelines. They can help you with:

• Margins, line spacing, and indentation
• Font and headings
• Running head and page numbering

Table of contents

How to set up apa format (with template), apa alphabetization guidelines, apa format template [free download], page header, headings and subheadings, reference page, tables and figures, frequently asked questions about apa format.

Scribbr Citation Checker New

The AI-powered Citation Checker helps you avoid common mistakes such as:

• Missing commas and periods
• Incorrect usage of “et al.”
• Ampersands (&) in narrative citations
• Missing reference entries

References are ordered alphabetically by the first author’s last name. If the author is unknown, order the reference entry by the first meaningful word of the title (ignoring articles: “the”, “a”, or “an”).

Why set up APA format from scratch if you can download Scribbr’s template for free?

Student papers and professional papers have slightly different guidelines regarding the title page, abstract, and running head. Our template is available in Word and Google Docs format for both versions.

• Student paper: Word | Google Docs
• Professional paper: Word | Google Docs

In an APA Style paper, every page has a page header. For student papers, the page header usually consists of just a page number in the page’s top-right corner. For professional papers intended for publication, it also includes a running head .

A running head is simply the paper’s title in all capital letters. It is left-aligned and can be up to 50 characters in length. Longer titles are abbreviated .

Are your APA in-text citations flawless?

The AI-powered APA Citation Checker points out every error, tells you exactly what’s wrong, and explains how to fix it. Say goodbye to losing marks on your assignment!

Get started!

APA headings have five possible levels. Heading level 1 is used for main sections such as “ Methods ” or “ Results ”. Heading levels 2 to 5 are used for subheadings. Each heading level is formatted differently.

Want to know how many heading levels you should use, when to use which heading level, and how to set up heading styles in Word or Google Docs? Then check out our in-depth article on APA headings .

The title page is the first page of an APA Style paper. There are different guidelines for student and professional papers.

Both versions include the paper title and author’s name and affiliation. The student version includes the course number and name, instructor name, and due date of the assignment. The professional version includes an author note and running head .

For more information on writing a striking title, crediting multiple authors (with different affiliations), and writing the author note, check out our in-depth article on the APA title page .

The abstract is a 150–250 word summary of your paper. An abstract is usually required in professional papers, but it’s rare to include one in student papers (except for longer texts like theses and dissertations).

The abstract is placed on a separate page after the title page . At the top of the page, write the section label “Abstract” (bold and centered). The contents of the abstract appear directly under the label. Unlike regular paragraphs, the first line is not indented. Abstracts are usually written as a single paragraph without headings or blank lines.

Directly below the abstract, you may list three to five relevant keywords . On a new line, write the label “Keywords:” (italicized and indented), followed by the keywords in lowercase letters, separated by commas.

APA Style does not provide guidelines for formatting the table of contents . It’s also not a required paper element in either professional or student papers. If your instructor wants you to include a table of contents, it’s best to follow the general guidelines.

Place the table of contents on a separate page between the abstract and introduction. Write the section label “Contents” at the top (bold and centered), press “Enter” once, and list the important headings with corresponding page numbers.

The APA reference page is placed after the main body of your paper but before any appendices . Here you list all sources that you’ve cited in your paper (through APA in-text citations ). APA provides guidelines for formatting the references as well as the page itself.

Creating APA Style references

Play around with the Scribbr Citation Example Generator below to learn about the APA reference format of the most common source types or generate APA citations for free with Scribbr’s APA Citation Generator .

Formatting the reference page

Write the section label “References” at the top of a new page (bold and centered). Place the reference entries directly under the label in alphabetical order.

Finally, apply a hanging indent , meaning the first line of each reference is left-aligned, and all subsequent lines are indented 0.5 inches.

Tables and figures are presented in a similar format. They’re preceded by a number and title and followed by explanatory notes (if necessary).

Use bold styling for the word “Table” or “Figure” and the number, and place the title on a separate line directly below it (in italics and title case). Try to keep tables clean; don’t use any vertical lines, use as few horizontal lines as possible, and keep row and column labels concise.

Keep the design of figures as simple as possible. Include labels and a legend if needed, and only use color when necessary (not to make it look more appealing).

Check out our in-depth article about table and figure notes to learn when to use notes and how to format them.

The easiest way to set up APA format in Word is to download Scribbr’s free APA format template for student papers or professional papers.

Alternatively, you can watch Scribbr’s 5-minute step-by-step tutorial or check out our APA format guide with examples.

APA Style papers should be written in a font that is legible and widely accessible. For example:

• Times New Roman (12pt.)
• Arial (11pt.)
• Calibri (11pt.)
• Georgia (11pt.)

The same font and font size is used throughout the document, including the running head , page numbers, headings , and the reference page . Text in footnotes and figure images may be smaller and use single line spacing.

You need an APA in-text citation and reference entry . Each source type has its own format; for example, a webpage citation is different from a book citation .

Use Scribbr’s free APA Citation Generator to generate flawless citations in seconds or take a look at our APA citation examples .

Yes, page numbers are included on all pages, including the title page , table of contents , and reference page . Page numbers should be right-aligned in the page header.

To insert page numbers in Microsoft Word or Google Docs, click ‘Insert’ and then ‘Page number’.

APA format is widely used by professionals, researchers, and students in the social and behavioral sciences, including fields like education, psychology, and business.

Be sure to check the guidelines of your university or the journal you want to be published in to double-check which style you should be using.

Cite this Scribbr article

If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the “Cite this Scribbr article” button to automatically add the citation to our free Citation Generator.

Streefkerk, R. (2024, September 05). APA Formatting and Citation (7th Ed.) | Generator, Template, Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved September 28, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/apa-style/format/

Is this article helpful?

Raimo Streefkerk

Other students also liked, apa title page (7th edition) | template for students & professionals, creating apa reference entries, beginner's guide to apa in-text citation, "i thought ai proofreading was useless but..".

I've been using Scribbr for years now and I know it's a service that won't disappoint. It does a good job spotting mistakes”

• USC Libraries
• Research Guides

Organizing Your Social Sciences Research Paper

• 11. Citing Sources
• Purpose of Guide
• Design Flaws to Avoid
• Independent and Dependent Variables
• Glossary of Research Terms
• Reading Research Effectively
• Narrowing a Topic Idea
• Broadening a Topic Idea
• Extending the Timeliness of a Topic Idea
• Academic Writing Style
• Applying Critical Thinking
• Choosing a Title
• Making an Outline
• Paragraph Development
• Research Process Video Series
• Executive Summary
• The C.A.R.S. Model
• Background Information
• The Research Problem/Question
• Theoretical Framework
• Citation Tracking
• Content Alert Services
• Evaluating Sources
• Primary Sources
• Secondary Sources
• Tiertiary Sources
• Scholarly vs. Popular Publications
• Qualitative Methods
• Quantitative Methods
• Insiderness
• Using Non-Textual Elements
• Limitations of the Study
• Common Grammar Mistakes
• Writing Concisely
• Avoiding Plagiarism
• Footnotes or Endnotes?
• Further Readings
• Generative AI and Writing
• USC Libraries Tutorials and Other Guides
• Bibliography

A citation is a formal reference to a published or unpublished source that you consulted and obtained information from while writing your research paper. It refers to a source of information that supports a factual statement, proposition, argument, or assertion or any quoted text obtained from a book, article, web site, or any other type of material . In-text citations are embedded within the body of your paper and use a shorthand notation style that refers to a complete description of the item at the end of the paper. Materials cited at the end of a paper may be listed under the heading References, Sources, Works Cited, or Bibliography. Rules on how to properly cite a source depends on the writing style manual your professor wants you to use for the class [e.g., APA, MLA, Chicago, Turabian, etc.]. Note that some disciplines have their own citation rules [e.g., law; medicine].

Citations: Overview. OASIS Writing Center, Walden University; Research and Citation. The Writing Lab and The OWL. Purdue University; Citing Sources. University Writing Center, Texas A&M University.

Citing Your Sources

Reasons for Citing Sources in Your Research Paper

English scientist, Sir Isaac Newton, once wrote, "If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.”* Citations support learning how to "see further" through processes of intellectual discovery, critical thinking, and applying a deliberate method of navigating through the scholarly landscape by tracking how cited works are propagated by scholars over time and the subsequent ways this leads to the devarication of new knowledge.

Listed below are specific reasons why citing sources is an important part of doing good research.

• Shows the reader where to find more information . Citations help readers expand their understanding and knowledge about the issues being investigated. One of the most effective strategies for locating authoritative, relevant sources about a research problem is to review materials cited in studies published by other authors. In this way, the sources you cite help the reader identify where to go to examine the topic in more depth and detail.
• Increases your credibility as an author . Citations to the words, ideas, and arguments of scholars demonstrates that you have conducted a thorough review of the literature and, therefore, you are reporting your research results or proposing recommended courses of action from an informed and critically engaged perspective. Your citations offer evidence that you effectively contemplated, evaluated, and synthesized sources of information in support of your conceptualization of the research problem.
• Illustrates the non-linear and contested nature of knowledge creation . The sources you cite show the reader how you characterized the dynamics of prior knowledge creation relevant to the research problem and how you managed to identify the contested relationships between problems and solutions proposed among scholars. Citations don't just list materials used in your study, they tell a story about how prior knowledge-making emerged from a constant state of creation, renewal, and transformation.
• Reinforces your arguments . Sources cited in your paper provide the evidence that readers need to determine that you properly addressed the “So What?” question. This refers to whether you considered the relevance and significance of the research problem, its implications applied to creating new knowledge, and its importance for improving practice. In this way, citations draw attention to and support the legitimacy and originality of your own ideas and assertions.
• Demonstrates that you "listened" to relevant conversations among scholars before joining in . Your citations tell the reader where you developed an understanding of debates among scholars. They show how you educated yourself about the ongoing conversations taking place within relevant communities of researchers before inserting your own ideas and arguments. In peer-reviewed scholarship, most of these conversations emerge within books, research reports, journal articles, and other cited works.
• Delineates alternative approaches to explaining the research problem . If you disagree with prior research assumptions or you believe that a topic has been understudied or you find that there is a gap in how scholars have understood a problem, your citations serve as the source materials from which to analyze and present an alternative viewpoint or to assert that a different course of action should be pursued. In short, the materials you cite serve as the means by which to argue persuasively against long-standing assumptions promulgated in prior studies.
• Helps the reader understand contextual aspects of your research . Cited sources help readers understand the specific circumstances, conditions, and settings of the research problem being investigated and, by extension, how your arguments can be fully understood and assessed. Citations place your line of reasoning within a specific contextualized framework based on how others have studied the topic and how you interpreted their findings in support of your overall research objectives.
• Frames the development of concepts and ideas within the literature . No topic in the social and behavioral sciences rests in isolation from research that has taken place in the past. Your citations help the reader understand the growth and transformation of the theoretical assumptions, key concepts, and systematic inquiries that emerged prior to your engagement with the research problem.
• Underscores sources that were most important to you . Your citations represent a set of choices made about what you determined to be the most important sources for understanding the research problem. They not only list what you discovered, but why it matters and how the materials you chose to cite fit within the broader context of your research design and arguments. As part of an overall assessment of the study’s validity and reliability , the choices you make also helps the reader determine what sources may have been excluded.
• Provides evidence of interdisciplinary thinking . An important principle of good research is to extend your review of the literature beyond the predominant disciplinary space where scholars have previously examined a topic. Citations provide evidence that you have integrated epistemological arguments, observations, and/or methodological strategies of other disciplines into your paper, thereby demonstrating that you understand the complex, interconnected nature of contemporary research problems.
• Forms the basis for bibliometric analysis of research . Bibliometric analysis is a quantitative method used, for example, to identify and predict emerging trends in research, document patterns of collaboration among scholars, explore the intellectual structure of a specific domain of research, map the development of research within and across disciplines, or identify gaps in knowledge within the literature. Bibliometric data can also be used to visually map relationships among published studies. Citations represent the raw data used in bibliometric research.
• Reveals possible adherence to the principles of citational justice. Citational justice refers to equity in the inclusion of sources published by authors who are members of marginalized or underrepresented groups and, as a consequence, are often under-cited because of their background, community of origin, identity, or location. In so doing, this movement “challenges entrenched hierarchies and biases in knowledge production.” ** Within this context, the sources cited in your paper can help the reader obtain a more inclusive divergency of voices and perspectives about how a research problem can be understood, contextualized, and investigated.
• Supports critical thinking and independent learning . Evaluating the authenticity, reliability, validity, and originality of prior research is an act of interpretation and introspective reasoning applied to assessing whether a source of information will contribute to understanding the problem in ways that are persuasive and align with your overall research objectives. Reviewing and citing prior studies represents a deliberate act of critically scrutinizing each source as part of your overall assessment of how scholars have confronted the research problem.
• Honors the achievements of others . As Susan Blum recently noted, *** citations not only identify sources used, they acknowledge the achievements of scholars within the larger network of research about the topic. Citing sources is a normative act of professionalism within academe and a way to highlight and recognize the work of scholars who likely do not obtain any tangible benefits or monetary value from their research endeavors. Your citations help to validate the work of others.

*Vernon. Jamie L. "On the Shoulder of Giants." American Scientist 105 (July-August 2017): 194.

**Dadze Arthur, Abena and Mary S. Mangai. "The Journal and the Quest for Epistemic Justice." Public Administration and Development 44 (2024): 11.

***Blum, Susan D. "In Defense of the Morality of Citation.” Inside Higher Ed , January 29, 2024.

Aksnes, Dag W., Liv Langfeldt, and Paul Wouters. "Citations, Citation Indicators, and Research Quality: An Overview of Basic Concepts and Theories." Sage Open 9 (January-March 2019): https://doi.org/10.1177/2158244019829575; Blum, Susan Debra. My Word!: Plagiarism and College Culture . Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 2009; Bretag, Tracey., editor. Handbook of Academic Integrity . Singapore: Springer Singapore, 2020; Ballenger, Bruce P. The Curious Researcher: A Guide to Writing Research Papers . 7th edition. Boston, MA: Pearson, 2012; D'Angelo, Barbara J. "Using Source Analysis to Promote Critical Thinking." Research Strategies 18 (Winter 2001): 303-309; Kwon, Diana. “The Rise of Citational Justice.” Nature 603 (March 24, 2022): 568-572; Donthu, Naveen et al. “How to Conduct a Bibliometric Analysis: An Overview and Guidelines.” Journal of Business Research 133 (2021): 285-296; Mauer, Barry and John Venecek. “Scholarship as Conversation.” Strategies for Conducting Literary Research, University of Central Florida, 2021; Öztürk, Oguzhan, Ridvan Kocaman, and Dominik K. Kanbach. "How to Design Bibliometric Research: An Overview and a Framework Proposal." Review of Managerial Science (2024): 1-29; Why Cite? Poorvu Center for Teaching and Learning, Yale University; Citing Information. The Writing Center. University of North Carolina; Harvard Guide to Using Sources. Harvard College Writing Program. Harvard University; Newton, Philip. "Academic Integrity: A Quantitative Study of Confidence and Understanding in Students at the Start of Their Higher Education."  Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education 41 (2016): 482-497; Referencing More Effectively. Academic Skills Centre. University of Canberra; Using Sources. Yale College Writing Center. Yale University; Vosburgh, Richard M. "Closing the Academic-practitioner Gap: Research Must Answer the “SO WHAT” Question." H uman Resource Management Review 32 (March 2022): 100633; When and Why to Cite Sources. Information Literacy Playlists, SUNY, Albany Libraries.

Structure and Writing Style

Referencing your sources means systematically showing what information or ideas you acquired from another author’s work, and identifying where that information come from . You must cite research in order to do research, but at the same time, you need to delineate what are your original thoughts and ideas and what are the thoughts and ideas of others. Citations establish the demarcation between each set of statements. Procedures used to cite sources vary among different fields of study. If not outlined in your course syllabus or writing assignment, always speak with your professor about what writing style for citing sources should be used for the class because it is important to fully understand the citation rules that should be used in your paper and to apply them consistently. If your professor defers and tells you to "choose whatever you want, just be consistent," then choose the citation style you are most familiar with or that is appropriate to your major [e.g., use Chicago style if you are majoring in history; use APA if its an education course; use MLA if it is a general writing course].

For examples of common citation styles, GO HERE .

GENERAL GUIDELINES

1. Are there any reasons I should avoid referencing other people's work? No. If placed in the proper context, r eferencing other people's research is never an indication that your work is substandard or lacks originality. In fact, the opposite is true. If you write your paper without adequate references to previous studies, you are signaling to the reader that you are not familiar with the literature on the topic, thereby, undermining the validity of your study and your credibility as a researcher. Including references in academic writing is one of the most important ways to demonstrate your knowledge and understanding of how the research problem has been addressed. It is the intellectual packaging around which you present your thoughts, ideas, and arguments to the reader.

2. What should I do if I find out that my great idea has already been studied by another researcher? It can be frustrating to come up with what you believe is a great topic for your paper only to discover that it's already been thoroughly studied. However, do not become frustrated by this. You can acknowledge the prior research by writing in the text of your paper [see also Smith, 2002], then citing the complete source in your list of references. Use the discovery of prior studies as an opportunity to demonstrate the significance of the problem being investigated and, if applicable, as a means of delineating your analysis from those of others [e.g., the prior study is ten years old and doesn't take into account new variables]. Strategies for responding to prior research can include: stating how your study updates previous understandings about the topic, offering a new or different perspective, applying a different or innovative method of gathering and interpreting data, and/or describing a new set of insights, guidelines, recommendations, best practices, or working solutions.

3. What should I do if I want to use an adapted version of someone else's work? You still must cite the original work. For example, you use a table of statistics from a journal article published in 1996 by author Smith, but you have altered or added new data to it. Reference the revised chart, such as, [adapted from Smith, 1996], then cite the original source in your list of references. You can also use other terms in order to specify the exact relationship between the original source and the version you have presented, such as, "based on data from Smith [1996]...," or "summarized from Smith [1996]...." Citing the original source helps the reader locate where the information was first presented and under what context it was used as well as to evaluate how effectively you adapted it to your own research.

4. What should I do if several authors have published very similar information or ideas? You can indicate that the topic, idea, concept, or information can be found in the works of others by stating something similar to the following example: "Though many scholars have applied rational choice theory to understanding economic relations among nations [Smith, 1989; Jones, 1991; Johnson, 1994; Anderson, 2003; Smith, 2014], little attention has been given to applying the theory to examining the influence of non-governmental organizations in a globalized economy." If you only reference one author or only the most recent study, then your readers may assume that only one author has published on this topic, or more likely, they will conclude that you have not conducted a thorough review of the literature. Referencing all relevant authors of prior studies gives your readers a clear idea of the breadth of analysis you conducted in preparing to study the research problem. If there has been a significant number of prior studies on the topic [i.e., ten or more], describe the most comprehensive and recent works because they will presumably discuss and reference the older studies. However, note in your review of the literature that there has been significant scholarship devoted to the topic so the reader knows that you are aware of the numerous prior studies.

5. What if I find exactly what I want to say in the writing of another researcher? In the social sciences, the rationale in duplicating prior research is generally governed by the passage of time, changing circumstances or conditions, or the emergence of variables that necessitate new investigations . If someone else has recently conducted a thorough investigation of precisely the same research problem that you intend to study, then you likely will have to revise your topic, or at the very least, review this literature to identify something new to say about the problem. However, if it is someone else's particularly succinct expression, but it fits perfectly with what you are trying to say, then you can quote from the author directly, referencing the source. Identifying an author who has made the exact same point that you want to make can be an opportunity to validate, as well as reinforce the significance of, the research problem you are investigating. The key is to build on that idea in new and innovative ways. If you are not sure how to do this, consult with a librarian .

6. Should I cite a source even if it was published long ago? Any source used in writing your paper should be cited, regardless of when it was written. However, in building a case for understanding prior research about your topic, it is generally true that you should focus on citing more recently published studies because they presumably have built upon the research of older studies. When referencing prior studies, use the research problem as your guide when considering what to cite. If a study from forty years ago investigated the same topic, it probably should be examined and considered in your list of references because the research may have been foundational or groundbreaking at the time, even if its findings are no longer relevant to current conditions or reflect current thinking [one way to determine if a study is foundational or groundbreaking is to examine how often it has been cited in recent studies using the "Cited by" feature of Google Scholar ]. However, if an older study only relates to the research problem tangentially or it has not been cited in recent studies, then it may be more appropriate to list it under further readings .

7. Can I cite unusual and non-scholarly sources in my research paper? The majority of the citations in a research paper should be to scholarly [a.k.a., academic; peer-reviewed] studies that rely on an objective and logical analysis of the research problem based on empirical evidence that reliably supports your arguments. However, any type of source can be considered valid if it brings relevant understanding and clarity to the topic. This can include, for example, non-textual elements such as photographs, maps, or illustrations. A source can include materials from special or archival collections, such as, personal papers, manuscripts, business memorandums, the official records of an organization, or digitized collections. Citations can also be to unusual items, such as, an audio recording, a transcript from a television news program, a unique set of data, or a social media post. The challenge is knowing how to cite unusual and non-scholarly sources because they often do not fit within consistent citation rules of books or journal articles. Given this, consult with a librarian if you are unsure how to cite a source.

NOTE:   In any academic writing, you are required to identify which ideas, facts, thoughts, concepts, or declarative statements are yours and which are derived from the research of others. The only exception to this rule is information that is considered to be a commonly known fact [e.g., "George Washington was the first president of the United States"] or a statement that is self-evident [e.g., "Australia is a country in the Global South"]. Appreciate, however, that any "commonly known fact" or self-evidencing statement is culturally constructed and shaped by specific social and aesthetical biases . If you have any doubt about whether or not a fact is considered to be widely understood knowledge, provide a supporting citation, or, ask your professor for clarification about whether the statement should be cited.

ANOTHER NOTE:   What is a foundational or groundbreaking study? In general, this refers to a study that investigated a research problem which , up to that point, had never been clearly defined or explained. If you trace a research topic back in time using citations as your guide, you will often discover an original study or set of studies that was the first to identify, explain the significance, and thoroughly investigate a problem. It is considered f oundational or groundbreaking because it pushed the boundaries of existing knowledge and influenced how researchers thought about the problem in new or innovative ways. Evidence of  foundational or groundbreaking research is the number of times a study has been subsequently cited, and continues to be cited, since it was first published.

Ballenger, Bruce P. The Curious Researcher: A Guide to Writing Research Papers . 7th edition. Boston, MA: Pearson, 2012; Blum, Susan Debra. My Word!: Plagiarism and College Culture . Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 2009; Bretag, Tracey., editor. Handbook of Academic Integrity . Singapore: Springer Singapore, 2020; Carlock, Janine. Developing Information Literacy Skills: A Guide to Finding, Evaluating, and Citing Sources . Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan Press, 2020; Harvard Guide to Using Sources. Harvard College Writing Program. Harvard University; How to Cite Other Sources in Your Paper. The Structure, Format, Content, and Style of a Journal-Style Scientific Paper. Department of Biology. Bates College; Lunsford, Andrea A. and Robert Connors; The St. Martin's Handbook . New York: St. Martin's Press, 1989; Mills, Elizabeth Shown. Evidence Explained: Citing History Sources from Artifacts to Cyberspace . 3rd edition. Baltimore, MD: Genealogical Publishing Company, 2015; Research and Citation Resources. The Writing Lab and The OWL. Purdue University; Writing Tutorial Services, Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning. Indiana University; Why Cite? Poorvu Center for Teaching and Learning, Yale Univeraity.

Other Citation Research Guides

The following USC Libraries research guide can help you properly cite sources in your research paper:

• Citation Guide

The following USC Libraries research guide offers basic information on using images and media in research:

Listed below are particularly well-done and comprehensive websites that provide specific examples of how to cite sources under different style guidelines.

• Purdue University Online Writing Lab
• Southern Cross University Harvard Referencing Style
• University of Wisconsin Writing Center

This is a useful guide concerning how to properly cite images in your research paper.

• Colgate Visual Resources Library, Citing Images

This guide provides good information on the act of citation analysis, whereby you count the number of times a published work is cited by other works in order to measure the impact of a publication or author.

Measuring Your Impact: Impact Factor, Citation Analysis, and other Metrics: Citation Analysis [Sandy De Groote, University of Illinois, Chicago]

Automatic Citation Generators

The links below lead to systems where you can type in your information and have a citation compiled for you. Note that these systems are not foolproof so it is important that you verify that the citation is correct and check your spelling, capitalization, etc. However, they can be useful in creating basic types of citations, particularly for online sources.

• BibMe -- APA, MLA, Chicago, and Turabian styles
• DocsCite -- for citing government publications in APA or MLA formats
• EasyBib -- APA, MLA, and Chicago styles
• Son of Citation Machine -- APA, MLA, Chicago, and Turabian styles

NOTE:   Many companies that create the research databases the USC Libraries subscribe to, such as ProQuest , include built-in citation generators that help take the guesswork out of how to properly cite a work. When available, you should always utilize these features because they not only generate a citation to the source [e.g., a journal article], but include information about where you accessed the source [e.g., the database].

• << Previous: Writing Concisely
• Next: Avoiding Plagiarism >>
• Last Updated: Sep 27, 2024 1:09 PM
• URL: https://libguides.usc.edu/writingguide

• Directories
• What are citations and why should I use them?
• When should I use a citation?
• Why are there so many citation styles?

Which citation style should I use?

• Chicago Notes Style
• Chicago Author-Date Style
• AMA Style (medicine)
• Bluebook (law)
• Additional Citation Styles
• Built-in Citation Tools
• Quick Citation Generators
• Citation Management Software
• Start Your Research
• Research Guides
• University of Washington Libraries
• Library Guides
• UW Libraries
• Citing Sources

Citing Sources: Which citation style should I use?

The citation style you choose will largely be dictated by the discipline in which you're writing. For many assignments your instructor will suggest or require a certain style. If you're not sure which one to use, it's always best to check with your instructor or, if you are submitting a manuscript, the publisher to see if they require a certain style. In many cases, you may not be required to use any particular style as long as you pick one and use it consistently. If you have some flexibility, use the guide below to help you decide.

Disciplinary Citation Styles

• Social Sciences
• Sciences & Medicine
• Engineering

When in doubt, try: Chicago Notes

• Architecture & Landscape Architecture → try Chicago Notes or Chicago Author-Date
• Art → try Chicago Notes
• Art History → use  Chicago Notes
• Dance → try Chicago Notes or MLA
• Drama → try Chicago Notes or MLA
• Ethnomusicology → try Chicago Notes
• Music → try Chicago Notes
• Music History → use  Chicago Notes
• Urban Design & Planning → try Chicago Notes or Chicago Author-Date

When in doubt, try: MLA

• Cinema Studies → try MLA
• Classics → try Chicago Notes
• English → use  MLA
• History → use   Chicago Notes
• Linguistics → try MLA
• Languages → try MLA
• Literatures → use  MLA
• Philosophy → try MLA
• Religion → try Chicago Notes

When in doubt, try: APA or Chicago Notes

• Anthropology → try Chicago Author-Date
• Business → try APA (see also Citing Business Information from Foster Library)
• Communication → try APA
• Criminology & Criminal Justice → try Chicago Author-Date
• Economics → try APA
• Education → try APA
• Geography → try APA
• Government & Law (for non-law students) → try Chicago Notes
• History → try Chicago Notes
• Informatics → try APA
• Law (for law students) → use Bluebook
• Library & Information Science → try APA
• Museology → try Chicago Notes
• Political Science → try Chicago Notes
• Psychology → use  APA
• Social Work → try APA
• Sociology → use  ASA or Chicago Author-Date

When in doubt, try: CSE Name-Year or CSE Citation-Sequence

• Aquatic & Fisheries Sciences → try CSE Name-Year or APA
• Astronomy → try AIP or CSE Citation-Sequence
• Biology & Life Sciences → try CSE Name-Year or APA
• Chemistry → try ACS
• Earth & Space Sciences → try CSE Name-Year or APA
• Environmental Sciences → try CSE Name-Year or APA
• Forest Sciences → try CSE Name-Year or APA
• Health Sciences: Public Health, Medicine, & Nursing → use AMA or NLM
• Marine Sciences → try CSE Name-Year or APA
• Mathematics → try AMS or CSE Citation-Sequence
• Oceanography → try CSE Name-Year or APA
• Physics → try AIP or CSE Citation-Sequence
• Psychology  → use  APA

When in doubt, try: CSE Name-Year or IEEE

• Aeronautics and Astronautics → try CSE Citation-Sequence
• Bioengineering → try AMA or NLM
• Chemical Engineering → try ACS
• Civil and Environmental Engineering → try CSE Name-Year
• Computational Linguistics → try CSE Citation-Sequence
• Computer Science & Engineering → try IEEE
• Electrical and Computer Engineering → try IEEE
• Engineering (general) → try IEEE or CSE Name-Year
• Human Centered Design & Engineering → try IEEE
• Human-Computer Interaction + Design → try IEEE
• Industrial and Systems Engineering → try CSE Name-Yea r
• Mechanical Engineering → try Chicago Notes or Chicago Author-Date

See also: Additional Citation Styles , for styles used by specific engineering associations.

Pro Tip: Citation Tools Save Time & Stress!

If you’re enrolled in classes that each require a different citation style, it can get confusing really fast! The tools on the Quick Citation Generators section can help you format citations quickly in many different styles.

• << Previous: Why are there so many citation styles?
• Next: Citation Style Guides >>
• Last Updated: May 1, 2024 12:48 PM
• URL: https://guides.lib.uw.edu/research/citations

APA 7th Edition Citation Examples

• Volume and Issue Numbers
• Page Numbers
• Undated Sources
• Citing a Source Within a Source
• In-Text Citations
• Academic Journals
• Encyclopedia Articles
• Book, Film, and Product Reviews
• Online Classroom Materials
• Conference Papers

Format for technical and research reports

• Court Decisions
• Treaties and Other International Agreements
• Federal Regulations: I. The Code of Federal Regulations
• Federal Regulations: II. The Federal Register
• Executive Orders
• Charter of the United Nations
• Federal Statutes
• Dissertations and Theses
• Interviews, E-mail Messages + Other Personal Communications
• Social Media
• Business Sources
• PowerPoints
• AI: ChatGPT, etc.

Author last name, first initial. (Date).  Title of report  (Publication No.). Publisher. DOI or URL

• Author:  List the last name, followed by the first initial (and second initial). See  Authors  for more information.
• Date:  List the date between parentheses, followed by a period
• Title of report:  In italics. Capitalize the first word of the title, subtitle, and proper nouns.
• Publication number: Omit if unavailable for the source that you're citing
• Publisher:  List the report's publisher. If the publisher is the same as the author, do not list the name a second time.
• DOI or URL:  List DOI or URL if available

See specific examples below.

U.S. Government Accountability Office. (2010). Information security: Concerted effort needed to consolidate and secure Internet connections at federal agencies (Publication No. GAO-10-237). http://www.gao.gov/assets/310/301876.pdf

U.S. Government Accountability Office. (2010). Information security: Concerted effort needed to consolidate and secure Internet connections at federal agencies (Publication No. GAO-10-237).

See  Publication Manual , 10.4.

• << Previous: Conference Papers
• Next: Legal Materials >>
• Last Updated: Mar 18, 2024 12:55 PM
• URL: https://libguides.umgc.edu/apa-examples

How to Cite a Research Paper in Each Research Paper Format

Dissertations, thesis, and all kinds of academic papers will need to be cited using citation styles, such as APA, MLA, or Chicago. Citing academic papers properly are done to counteract plagiarism. These citing formats are used to recognize related literary pieces and to mention references used. You should study various citing styles and research paper well before producing essays or any other pieces of academic writing. In this article, our term paper writers have prepared information on how to format research papers as well as how to properly reference academic papers.

APA Research Paper Format

APA (American Psychological Association) research paper format is often used in papers related to psychology and social sciences. In this citation, there is a general format in referencing through endnotes/footnotes, in-text, and reference pages. Academic papers in APA citation has general writing guidelines.

Papers should be typed, double-spaced on standard-sized paper (8.5" x 11") with 1" margins on all sides. You should use a clear font that is highly readable. APA recommends using 12 pt. Times New Roman font. Include a page header at the top of every page. To create a page header, insert page numbers flush right. Then type the title of your paper in the header flush left using all capital letters. The page header is a shortened version of your paper's title and cannot exceed 50 characters including spacing and punctuation.

Talking about how to write a research paper in APA format, your APA paper should have four major sections :

Be sure to read about how to write an essay format . In article, we talked about the differences between formats.

Not Sure How to FORMAT ACADEMIC PAPERS on Your Own?

Simply provide us with requirements, pick a research paper writer and get a plagiarism-free paper in no time.

How to Cite a Research Paper in APA

There are specific rules to follow when citing a research paper in APA. The following are the specific formats to follow:

These citing formats are used to recognize related literary pieces and to mention references used. You don't need to cite information about yourself or your own thoughts. For example, when listing education on resume you don't need any citations. However, you should study various citing styles and research well before producing any other piece of academic writing.

Do you need to buy a research paper ? They are always here and ready to help with essay .

MLA Research Paper Format

MLA (Modern Language Association) format format is commonly used in liberal arts and humanities. Let’s talk a bit about how to write a research paper in MLA format. This format has principles rather than a set of specific rules to be followed. Papers in MLA format provides a process of documentation.

MLA recommends using Times New Roman font in size 12. The entire paper should be double spaced with 1-inch margins on all sides. Tab once to indent paragraphs (½ inch). Your last name and a page number should be inserted on the upper right-hand corner of the first page.

How to Cite a Research Paper in MLA Format

The following are formats to follow in citing research paper in MLA format:

Read more about HOW TO CITE A RESEARCH PAPER USING MLA FORMAT

Research Paper in Chicago Style

The Chicago style of citing is commonly used in humanities. It requires writers to cite sources in endnotes or footnotes. This citation provides the author with an avenue to express accountability and credibility to related literature or references used in written material. It helps an academic writer provide quotations in a research paper, as well as being commonly used for book bibliographies.

Look at our movie review example at our cheap research paper writing service and try to determine what format it is written in.

How to Cite a Research Paper in Chicago Style

The following are Chicago style formats to follow:

ASA Research Paper Format

The leading American method of referencing and quotation created by Sociological Association. Sociological students and scholars use the ASA citation format primarily for writing university research papers in sociology or for submitting articles to ASA journals.

For the detailed information about ASA elements of style, visit the American Sociological Association official website or read our Guide to ASA Citation and Writing Style.

How to Cite a Research Paper in ASA Format

If you need, you can ask help from EssayPro's custom dissertation writing service .

Get Help with Your Paper!

If you are having trouble referencing your gathered information, head on over to our paper writing service and you will get research proposal writing services .

How To Format A Research Paper?

How to write a research paper in apa format, how to write a research paper mla format.

is an expert in nursing and healthcare, with a strong background in history, law, and literature. Holding advanced degrees in nursing and public health, his analytical approach and comprehensive knowledge help students navigate complex topics. On EssayPro blog, Adam provides insightful articles on everything from historical analysis to the intricacies of healthcare policies. In his downtime, he enjoys historical documentaries and volunteering at local clinics.

Purdue Online Writing Lab Purdue OWL® College of Liberal Arts

Research and Citation Resources

Welcome to the Purdue OWL

This page is brought to you by the OWL at Purdue University. When printing this page, you must include the entire legal notice.

Copyright ©1995-2018 by The Writing Lab & The OWL at Purdue and Purdue University. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, reproduced, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our terms and conditions of fair use.

If you are having trouble locating a specific resource please visit the  search page  or the  Site Map . The Citation Chart  provides a detailed overview of MLA Style, APA Style, and Chicago Manual of Style source documentation by category.

Conducting Research

These OWL resources will help you conduct research using primary source methods, such as interviews and observations, and secondary source methods, such as books, journals, and the Internet. This area also includes materials on evaluating research sources.

Using Research

These OWL resources will help you use the research you have conducted in your documents. This area includes material on quoting and paraphrasing your research sources, as well as material on how to avoid plagiarism.

APA Style (7th Edition)

These OWL resources will help you learn how to use the American Psychological Association (APA) citation and format style. This section contains resources on in-text citation and the References page, as well as APA sample papers, slide presentations, and the APA classroom poster.

These OWL resources will help you learn how to use the Modern Language Association (MLA) citation and format style. This section contains resources on in-text citation and the Works Cited page, as well as MLA sample papers, slide presentations, and the MLA classroom poster

Chicago Manual of Style

This section contains information on the Chicago Manual of Style method of document formatting and citation. These resources follow the 17th edition of the Chicago Manual of Style, which was issued in 2017.

Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Style

These resources describe how to structure papers, cite sources, format references, and handle the complexities of tables and figures according to the latest Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) guidelines.

American Medical Association (AMA) Style

These resources provide guidance on how to cite sources using American Medical Association (AMA) Style, 10th Ed., including examples for print and electronic sources.

Research Overview

We live in an age overflowing with sources of information. With so many information sources at our fingertips, knowing where to start, sorting through it all and finding what we want can be overwhelming! This handout provides answers to the following research-related questions: Where do I begin? Where should I look for information? What types of sources are available?

Conducting Primary Research

Primary research involves collecting data about a given subject directly from the real world. This section includes information on what primary research is, how to get started, ethics involved with primary research and different types of research you can do. It includes details about interviews, surveys, observations, and analysis.

Evaluating Sources of Information

Evaluating sources of information is an important step in any research activity. This section provides information on evaluating bibliographic citations, aspects of evaluation, reading evaluation, print vs. online sources, and evaluating Internet sources.

Searching Online

This section covers finding information online. It includes information about search engines, Boolean operators, Web directories, and the invisible Web. It also includes an extensive, annotated links section.

Internet References

This page contains links and short descriptions of writing resources including dictionaries, style manuals, grammar handbooks, and editing resources. It also contains a list of online reference sites, indexes for writers, online libraries, books and e-texts, as well as links to newspapers, news services, journals, and online magazines.

Archival Research

This resource discusses conducting research in a variety of archives. It also discusses a number of considerations and best practices for conducting archival research.

This resources was developed in consultation with Purdue University Virginia Kelly Karnes Archives and Special Collections staff.

PANDORA PAPERS

Former portuguese government official-turned-ceo antonio mexia secretly held $5.9m in the british virgin islands.

A new leak sheds light on the ownership of an offshore account found in the Pandora Papers, an ICIJ partner revealed.

Antonio Mexia, a former government official in Portugal and once CEO of the country’s largest energy company, kept $5.9 million in assets in a previously unknown offshore company, according to new reporting by Expresso , an ICIJ partner. The revelations come as Mexia faces criminal cases on suspicion of corruption and other financial crimes related to his role as CEO of Energias de Portugal.

Among the millions of documents published as part of the 2021 Pandora Papers investigation, a bank account statement dated in 2017 revealed the existence of an offshore company, Miamex Ventures Ltd., registered in the British Virgin Islands. At the time, the beneficiary of the funds invested in the company was unknown. But recently, ICIJ and Expresso obtained a leaked client portfolio presentation made in 2019 to Boreal Capital Management, a wealth management and fiduciary services company in Zurich, that identified Mexia as a beneficiary of Miamex Ventures.

Account statements found by Expresso in the Pandora Papers reveal that in mid-2017 Miamex Ventures had $1.4 million in investment funds, $2.7 million in corporate bonds and $1.7 million in bank deposits, for a total market value of $5.9 million The documents analyzed by Expresso show that the funds were in an account managed by a Portuguese financial manager, Bernardo d’Orey, of EFG Capital. He did not respond to Expresso’s request for comment.

• Contact ICIJ

Do you have a story about corruption, fraud, or abuse of power?

That year, Mexia became a defendant in an investigation by the Portuguese public prosecutor’s office, which was later divided into three criminal cases, all on suspicion of corruption and other financial crimes related to his time as CEO of the energy company EDP between 2006 and 2020, according to Expresso.

Miamex was dissolved voluntarily on May 28, 2020, according to an announcement published by a British Virgin Islands newspaper, Expresso reported. Four days later, the public prosecutor’s office questioned Mexia as part of the case against him.

Expresso reported Friday that the prosecutor did not know the offshore company existed and the information was not included in their case so far. Two of the three criminal investigations are expected to conclude soon. If convicted of corruption, Mexia could face time in prison. Through his lawyer, he declined to respond to Expresso’s request for comment.

• Recommended reading

Investigators worldwide continue to open ‘Pandora’s Box’ to pursue criminals identified in Pandora Papers two years after ICIJ’s landmark investigation

Oct 03, 2023.

Former Czech leader’s secret French estate, revealed in Pandora Papers, listed for sale

Aug 13, 2024.

New ethical guidelines for tax professionals announced following global scandals

Apr 22, 2024.

Mexia “is very well known, very important, very powerful in the energy sector,” Expresso reporter and ICIJ member Micael Pereira said. “He was behind many of the decisions made in the last 15 or 20 years in Portugal in connection to one of the biggest sectors in the economy, the energy sector.”

“Because at this point we don’t know the origin of the money, the ongoing legal cases might be delayed until prosecutors get more information on this company,” Pereira added.

The Pandora Papers was a 2021 ICIJ investigation of a trove of more than 11.9 million confidential files. The documents were leaked from 14 offshore services firms around the world that set up shell companies and other offshore nooks for their clients, including royals, billionaires and hundreds of heads of state, politicians and public officials. ICIJ led a team of more than 600 journalists from 150 news outlets that spent two years sifting through the documents.

GIVE TO HELP US INVESTIGATE!

• Latest from Pandora Papers

US alleges sanctioned Russian oligarch’s niece made payments for his $300M yacht

Sep 16, 2024, press freedom.

Hong Kong court convicts journalists and past ICIJ partners of sedition in landmark case

Aug 29, 2024.

Digital journalism

Why are Russian disinformation campaigns citing ICIJ?

Jul 24, 2024.