Source: wikiHow
- 1 Determine what citation style you need to use. There are several different citation styles used in different research fields. Ask your instructor or supervisor which style to use for your project. The most common styles used in academic writing are the Modern Language Association (MLA), American Psychological Association (APA), and Chicago styles. You can access the guide for each style online, or check it out of your local library.
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- Generally, you’ll have full citations listed at the end of your paper. The citation list may be called a reference list, bibliography, or Works Cited, depending on the type of citation style you’re using.
- Within the body of your paper, use in-text citations to signal that the material preceding the citation is not your original work. The in-text citation allows your reader to find the full citation at the end of your paper. In-text citations may use the in-line parenthetical, footnote, or endnote style.
- 2 Identify the author and title for each source. For every source you plan to use in your research paper, write down the author and title. If there are multiple authors, write them down in the same order as they appear on the title page of a book, or in the byline of an article.[3]
- Save time and reduce the risk of error by making a photo or screenshot of the title page or top of the article that clearly shows the author and title.
- 3 Write down publication information for each source. Look for the date the source was published, as well as the name and location of the publisher. For academic journals and reference volumes, you may also need information about the edition, volume, or issue.
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- For a print source, find the publication information on the back of the title page. Look for the copyright information. In print magazines and journals, this information typically appears on the same page as the table of contents, or on the page that lists the periodical’s staff.
- For articles online, use the date that appears on the article itself – not the copyright date for the website. To identify the publisher of the website, look for an “about” page. You may also be able to find this information at the bottom of the homepage.
- If you’re citing an article that appears in a magazine or journal, write down the pages on which the article appears.
- 4 Copy direct URLs for online sources and record the date of access. All citation styles require a direct URL, or permalink, for any source that you found online. Since information on the internet can be changed or updated, most citation styles also want you to provide the date you last accessed the page.[5]
- If you accessed a scholarly article from an online database, it may have a digital object identifier (DOI). Use this number instead of a URL.
- Double-check your online sources the day before you turn your paper in. That way if anything has moved or changed, you can make sure you have the most up-to-date information. Use that date as your date of access in your citations.
- 1 Cite immediately after you paraphrase or quote source material. For most citation styles, your in-text citation goes at the end of the sentence where the paraphrased or quoted material is used. Parenthetical citations typically come before the sentence’s closing punctuation, while footnote superscript numbers come after.[6]
- For some citation styles that use footnotes or endnotes, the superscript number appears immediately after the paraphrased or quoted material, rather than at the end of the sentence. Consult the guide for the citation style you’re using to make sure.
- 2 Use author-date parenthetical citations in APA. To cite paraphrased material in the text of your paper, put the author’s last name in parentheses at the end of the sentence where the paraphrase appears. Place a comma after the author’s name, then type the year the source was published. Place the period ending the sentence after the closing parentheses mark.[7]
- Example: Leaving the ground in sod increases the organic matter of the soil…
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