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How to Write a Research Paper
Writing a research paper is a bit more difficult that a standard high school essay. You need to site sources, use academic data and show scientific examples. Before beginning, you’ll need guidelines for how to write a research paper.
Start the Research Process
Before you begin writing the research paper, you must do your research. It is important that you understand the subject matter, formulate the ideas of your paper, create your thesis statement and learn how to speak about your given topic in an authoritative manner. You’ll be looking through online databases, encyclopedias, almanacs, periodicals, books, newspapers, government publications, reports, guides and scholarly resources. Take notes as you discover new information about your given topic. Also keep track of the references you use so you can build your bibliography later and cite your resources.
Develop Your Thesis Statement
When organizing your research paper, the thesis statement is where you explain to your readers what they can expect, present your claims, answer any questions that you were asked or explain your interpretation of the subject matter you’re researching. Therefore, the thesis statement must be strong and easy to understand. Your thesis statement must also be precise. It should answer the question you were assigned, and there should be an opportunity for your position to be opposed or disputed. The body of your manuscript should support your thesis, and it should be more than a generic fact.
Create an Outline
Many professors require outlines during the research paper writing process. You’ll find that they want outlines set up with a title page, abstract, introduction, research paper body and reference section. The title page is typically made up of the student’s name, the name of the college, the name of the class and the date of the paper. The abstract is a summary of the paper. An introduction typically consists of one or two pages and comments on the subject matter of the research paper. In the body of the research paper, you’ll be breaking it down into materials and methods, results and discussions. Your references are in your bibliography. Use a research paper example to help you with your outline if necessary.
Organize Your Notes
When writing your first draft, you’re going to have to work on organizing your notes first. During this process, you’ll be deciding which references you’ll be putting in your bibliography and which will work best as in-text citations. You’ll be working on this more as you develop your working drafts and look at more white paper examples to help guide you through the process.
Write Your Final Draft
After you’ve written a first and second draft and received corrections from your professor, it’s time to write your final copy. By now, you should have seen an example of a research paper layout and know how to put your paper together. You’ll have your title page, abstract, introduction, thesis statement, in-text citations, footnotes and bibliography complete. Be sure to check with your professor to ensure if you’re writing in APA style, or if you’re using another style guide.
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- 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
- Zotero Basics
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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 .
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In-Text Citations: The Basics
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APA (American Psychological Association) style is most commonly used to cite sources within the social sciences. This resource, revised according to the 6 th edition, second printing of the APA manual, offers examples for the general format of APA research papers, in-text citations, endnotes/footnotes, and the reference page. For more information, please consult the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association , (6 th ed., 2 nd printing).
Note: This page reflects APA 6, which is now out of date. It will remain online until 2021, but will not be updated. The equivalent APA 7 page can be found here .
Reference citations in text are covered on pages 169-179 of the Publication Manual. What follows are some general guidelines for referring to the works of others in your essay.
Note: On pages 65-66, the Publication Manual suggests that authors of research papers should use the past tense or present perfect tense for signal phrases that occur in the literature review and procedure descriptions (for example, Jones (1998) found or Jones (1998) has found ...). Contexts other than traditionally-structured research writing may permit the simple present tense (for example, Jones (1998) finds ).
APA citation basics
When using APA format, follow the author-date method of in-text citation. This means that the author's last name and the year of publication for the source should appear in the text, for example, (Jones, 1998), and a complete reference should appear in the reference list at the end of the paper.
If you are referring to an idea from another work but NOT directly quoting the material, or making reference to an entire book, article or other work, you only have to make reference to the author and year of publication and not the page number in your in-text reference. All sources that are cited in the text must appear in the reference list at the end of the paper.
In-text citation capitalization, quotes, and italics/underlining
- Always capitalize proper nouns, including author names and initials: D. Jones.
( Note: in your References list, only the first word of a title will be capitalized: Writing new media .)
- When capitalizing titles, capitalize both words in a hyphenated compound word: Natural-Born Cyborgs .
- Capitalize the first word after a dash or colon: "Defining Film Rhetoric: The Case of Hitchcock's Vertigo ."
- Italicize the titles of longer works such as books, edited collections, movies, television series, documentaries, or albums: The Closing of the American Mind ; The Wizard of Oz ; Friends .
- Put quotation marks around the titles of shorter works such as journal articles, articles from edited collections, television series episodes, and song titles: "Multimedia Narration: Constructing Possible Worlds;" "The One Where Chandler Can't Cry."
Short quotations
If you are directly quoting from a work, you will need to include the author, year of publication, and page number for the reference (preceded by "p."). Introduce the quotation with a signal phrase that includes the author's last name followed by the date of publication in parentheses.
According to Jones (1998), "Students often had difficulty using APA style, especially when it was their first time" (p. 199).
Jones (1998) found "students often had difficulty using APA style" (p. 199); what implications does this have for teachers?
If the author is not named in a signal phrase, place the author's last name, the year of publication, and the page number in parentheses after the quotation.
She stated, "Students often had difficulty using APA style" (Jones, 1998, p. 199), but she did not offer an explanation as to why.
Long quotations
Place direct quotations that are 40 words or longer in a free-standing block of typewritten lines and omit quotation marks. Start the quotation on a new line, indented 1/2 inch from the left margin, i.e., in the same place you would begin a new paragraph. Type the entire quotation on the new margin, and indent the first line of any subsequent paragraph within the quotation 1/2 inch from the new margin. Maintain double-spacing throughout. The parenthetical citation should come after the closing punctuation mark.
Students often had difficulty using APA style, especially when it was their first time citing sources. This difficulty could be attributed to the fact that many students failed to purchase a style manual or to ask their teacher for help. (p. 199)
Summary or paraphrase
If you are paraphrasing an idea from another work, you only have to make reference to the author and year of publication in your in-text reference, but APA guidelines encourage you to also provide the page number (although it is not required).
According to Jones (1998), APA style is a difficult citation format for first-time learners.
APA style is a difficult citation format for first-time learners (Jones, 1998, p. 199).
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- Knowledge Base
- Citing sources
How to Cite Sources | Citation Generator & Quick Guide
Citing your sources is essential in academic writing . Whenever you quote or paraphrase a source (such as a book, article, or webpage), you have to include a citation crediting the original author.
Failing to properly cite your sources counts as plagiarism , since you’re presenting someone else’s ideas as if they were your own.
The most commonly used citation styles are APA and MLA. The free Scribbr Citation Generator is the quickest way to cite sources in these styles. Simply enter the URL, DOI, or title, and we’ll generate an accurate, correctly formatted citation.
Generate accurate citations with Scribbr
The Scribbr Citation Generator will automatically create a flawless APA citation
The Scribbr Citation Generator will automatically create a flawless MLA citation
Table of contents
When do you need to cite sources, which citation style should you use, in-text citations, reference lists and bibliographies.
Scribbr Citation Generator
Other useful citation tools
Citation examples and full guides, frequently asked questions about citing sources.
Citations are required in all types of academic texts. They are needed for several reasons:
- To avoid plagiarism by indicating when you’re taking information from another source
- To give proper credit to the author of that source
- To allow the reader to consult your sources for themselves
A citation is needed whenever you integrate a source into your writing. This usually means quoting or paraphrasing:
- To quote a source , copy a short piece of text word for word and put it inside quotation marks .
- To paraphrase a source , put the text into your own words. It’s important that the paraphrase is not too close to the original wording.
Citations are needed whether you quote or paraphrase, and whatever type of source you use. As well as citing scholarly sources like books and journal articles, don’t forget to include citations for any other sources you use for ideas, examples, or evidence. That includes websites, YouTube videos , and lectures .
Usually, your institution (or the journal you’re submitting to) will require you to follow a specific citation style, so check your guidelines or ask your instructor.
In some cases, you may have to choose a citation style for yourself. Make sure to pick one style and use it consistently:
- APA Style is widely used in the social sciences and beyond.
- MLA style is common in the humanities.
- Chicago notes and bibliography , common in the humanities
- Chicago author-date , used in the (social) sciences
- There are many other citation styles for different disciplines.
If in doubt, check with your instructor or read other papers from your field of study to see what style they follow.
In most styles, your citations consist of:
- Brief in-text citations at the relevant points in the text
- A reference list or bibliography containing full information on all the sources you’ve cited
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In-text citations most commonly take the form of parenthetical citations featuring the last name of the source’s author and its year of publication (aka author-date citations).
An alternative to this type of in-text citation is the system used in numerical citation styles , where a number is inserted into the text, corresponding to an entry in a numbered reference list.
There are also note citation styles , where you place your citations in either footnotes or endnotes . Since they’re not embedded in the text itself, these citations can provide more detail and sometimes aren’t accompanied by a full reference list or bibliography.
A reference list (aka “Bibliography” or “Works Cited,” depending on the style) is where you provide full information on each of the sources you’ve cited in the text. It appears at the end of your paper, usually with a hanging indent applied to each entry.
The information included in reference entries is broadly similar, whatever citation style you’re using. For each source, you’ll typically include the:
- Author name
- Publication date
- Container (e.g., the book an essay was published in, the journal an article appeared in)
- Location (e.g., a URL or DOI , or sometimes a physical location)
The exact information included varies depending on the source type and the citation style. The order in which the information appears, and how you format it (e.g., capitalization, use of italics) also varies.
Most commonly, the entries in your reference list are alphabetized by author name. This allows the reader to easily find the relevant entry based on the author name in your in-text citation.
In numerical citation styles, the entries in your reference list are numbered, usually based on the order in which you cite them. The reader finds the right entry based on the number that appears in the text.
Because each style has many small differences regarding things like italicization, capitalization , and punctuation , it can be difficult to get every detail right. Using a citation generator can save you a lot of time and effort.
Scribbr offers citation generators for both APA and MLA style. Both are quick, easy to use, and 100% free, with no ads and no registration required.
Just input a URL or DOI or add the source details manually, and the generator will automatically produce an in-text citation and reference entry in the correct format. You can save your reference list as you go and download it when you’re done, and even add annotations for an annotated bibliography .
Once you’ve prepared your citations, you might still be unsure if they’re correct and if you’ve used them appropriately in your text. This is where Scribbr’s other citation tools and services may come in handy:
Plagiarism Checker
Citation Checker
Citation Editing
Plagiarism means passing off someone else’s words or ideas as your own. It’s a serious offense in academia. Universities use plagiarism checking software to scan your paper and identify any similarities to other texts.
When you’re dealing with a lot of sources, it’s easy to make mistakes that could constitute accidental plagiarism. For example, you might forget to add a citation after a quote, or paraphrase a source in a way that’s too close to the original text.
Using a plagiarism checker yourself before you submit your work can help you spot these mistakes before they get you in trouble. Based on the results, you can add any missing citations and rephrase your text where necessary.
Try out the Scribbr Plagiarism Checker for free, or check out our detailed comparison of the best plagiarism checkers available online.
Scribbr Plagiarism Checker
Scribbr’s Citation Checker is a unique AI-powered tool that automatically detects stylistic errors and inconsistencies in your in-text citations. It also suggests a correction for every mistake.
Currently available for APA Style, this is the fastest and easiest way to make sure you’ve formatted your citations correctly. You can try out the tool for free below.
If you need extra help with your reference list, we also offer a more in-depth Citation Editing Service.
Our experts cross-check your in-text citations and reference entries, make sure you’ve included the correct information for each source, and improve the formatting of your reference page.
If you want to handle your citations yourself, Scribbr’s free Knowledge Base provides clear, accurate guidance on every aspect of citation. You can see citation examples for a variety of common source types below:
And you can check out our comprehensive guides to the most popular citation styles:
At college level, you must properly cite your sources in all essays , research papers , and other academic texts (except exams and in-class exercises).
Add a citation whenever you quote , paraphrase , or summarize information or ideas from a source. You should also give full source details in a bibliography or reference list at the end of your text.
The exact format of your citations depends on which citation style you are instructed to use. The most common styles are APA , MLA , and Chicago .
The abbreviation “ et al. ” (Latin for “and others”) is used to shorten citations of sources with multiple authors.
“Et al.” is used in APA in-text citations of sources with 3+ authors, e.g. (Smith et al., 2019). It is not used in APA reference entries .
Use “et al.” for 3+ authors in MLA in-text citations and Works Cited entries.
Use “et al.” for 4+ authors in a Chicago in-text citation , and for 10+ authors in a Chicago bibliography entry.
The Scribbr Citation Generator is developed using the open-source Citation Style Language (CSL) project and Frank Bennett’s citeproc-js . It’s the same technology used by dozens of other popular citation tools, including Mendeley and Zotero.
You can find all the citation styles and locales used in the Scribbr Citation Generator in our publicly accessible repository on Github .
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.
MLA Style is the second most used citation style (after APA ). It is mainly used by students and researchers in humanities fields such as literature, languages, and philosophy.
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How To Write a Research Paper
- 1. Understand the Assignment
- 2. Choose Topic & Write Thesis Statement
- 3. Create Concept Map & Keyword List
- 4. Research Your Topic
- 5. Create an Outline
- 6. Write the Paper
- Assignment Calculator
Why are citations important?
Apa citations.
Good research projects combine data from a variety of sources and carefully document the sources of information and ideas. Research documentation usually appears in two parts: short in-text citations occurring within the actual paper and a longer, complete list of works at the end of the paper called a bibliography, reference list, or works cited page.
Besides giving credit to the source of information or ideas, there are other great reasons to cite in your research project:
- Persuasiveness - Your writing will be more persuasive if you cite the research on which you based your own conclusions and arguments.
- Sharing - Citations make it possible for your professor and other readers to examine interesting sources that you found.
- Communication - Correct citations helps you communicate effectively with potential peers within a discipline.
- Skills - Correct citation demonstrates your research and documentation abilities to your professor.
- Avoid Plagiarism - Correct citation use helps protect you from plagiarizing.
Note: a hyperlink or URL included in the text is not the same as a citation. Ex: "Higher gas prices are on the way (cnn.com/specialreport)." URLs in the text, while common on the internet, are not considered a correct form of scholarly citation.
- Purdue University OWL - Online Writing Lab (APA)
- APA Citations, 6th Edition -- Seminole State College
- APA Citations -- Valencia College
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Citation Guide (MLA and APA)
- APA (American Psychological Association)
- MLA (Modern Language Association)
- Annotating Guidelines
- Library Information
Excelsior OWL
Based on the Purdue OWL, the Excelsior OWL is a great source for APA style guidelines, References structure, and Citations.
Find APA video tutorials, sample citations and much more .
APA is the most commonly used to cite sources for health sciences and social sciences fields. This guide, revised according to the 7th edition of the APA manual, offers examples for in-text citations, endnotes/footnotes, and your reference list or bibliography page.
Why should I cite my sources?
- To demonstrate you have considered others' research.
- To direct readers to additional information.
- To establish credibility as a careful researcher.
- To show professional honesty and courtesy.
To see examples of citation examples for multiple source types , see the handout APA Quick Sheet .
APA Paper Format — the Basics
Papers constructed according to APA guidelines generally include the following elements:
- Subsections within the body, with headings
- Tables and Figures
In most cases, each of these elements will begin on a separate page, and it is important to note that not all academic papers will include all of these elements . Watch this short video from Excelsior OWL for set-by-step instructions on formatting an APA paper.
In-text references
How you cite a working within your document varies depending on your writing style, whether you are quoting your source directly, and the type of source you are quoting.
In APA format, follow the author, date method of in-text citation. This means that the author's last name and the year of publication for the source should appear in the text, e.g., (Jones, 1998), and a complete reference should appear in the reference list at the end of the paper.
If you are referring to an idea from another work but not directly quoting the material, or making reference to an entire book, article or other work, you only have to make reference to the author and year of publication in your in-text reference.
Here are some examples of in-text citations:
Short quotations
If you are directly quoting from a work, include the author, year of publication, and the page number for the reference (preceded by "p."). Introduce the quotation with a signal phrase that includes the author's last name followed by the date of publication in parentheses.
According to Jones (1998), "Students often had difficulty using APA style, especially when it was their first time" (p. 199). Jones (1998) found "students often had difficulty using APA style" (p. 199); what implications does this have for teachers? If the author is not named in a signal phrase, place the author's last name, the year of publication, and the page number in parentheses after the quotation. She stated, "Students often had difficulty using APA style," (Jones, 1998, p. 199), but she did not offer an explanation as to why.
Long quotations
Direct quotations longer than 40 words should be in a free-standing block of typewritten lines, and omit quotation marks. Start the quotation on a new line, indented five spaces from the left margin. Type the entire quotation on the new margin, and indent the first line of any subsequent paragraph within the quotation five spaces from the new margin. Maintain double-spacing throughout. The parenthetical citation should come after the closing punctuation mark.
Jones's (1998) study found the following:
Students often had difficulty using APA style, especially when it was their first time citing sources. (p. 199)
Summary or Paraphrase
When paraphrasing, make reference to the author and year of publication in your in-text reference, but APA guidelines encourage you to also provide the page number (not required.)
According to Jones (1998), APA style is a difficult citation format for first-time learners. APA style is a difficult citation format for first-time learners (Jones, 1998, p. 199).
Citing an Author or Authors
Two Authors: Name both authors in the signal phrase or in the parentheses each time you cite the work. Use the word "and" between the authors' names within the text and use the ampersand in the parentheses.
Three to Five Authors: List all the authors in the signal phrase or in parentheses the first time you cite the source.
In subsequent citations, only use the first author's last name followed by "et al." in the signal phrase or in parentheses.
Six or More Authors: Use the first author's name followed by et al. in the signal phrase or in parentheses.
Unknown Author: If the work does not have an author, cite the source by its title in the signal phrase or use the first word or two in the parentheses. Titles of books and reports are italicized or underlined; titles of articles and chapters are in quotation marks.
Organization as an Author: If the author is an organization or a government agency, mention the organization in the signal phrase or in the parenthetical citation the first time you cite the source.
If the organization has a well-known abbreviation, include the abbreviation in brackets the first time the source is cited and then use only the abbreviation in later citations.
Two or More Works in the Same Parentheses: When your parenthetical citation includes two or more works, order them the same way they appear in the reference list, separated by a semi-colon.
Personal Communication: For interviews, letters, e-mails, and other person-to-person communication, cite the communicator's name, the fact that it was personal communication, and the date of the communication. Do not include personal communication in the reference list.
Citing Indirect Sources
If you use a source that was cited in another source, name the original source in your signal phrase. List the secondary source in your reference list and include the secondary source in the parentheses.
Note: When citing material in parentheses, set off the citation with a comma, as above.
Sources Without Page Numbers
When an electronic source lacks page numbers, you should try to include information that will help readers find the passage being cited. When an electronic document has numbered paragraphs, use the ¶ symbol, or the abbreviation "para." followed by the paragraph number (Hall, 2001, ¶ 5) or (Hall, 2001, para. 5). If the paragraphs are not numbered and the document includes headings, provide the appropriate heading and specify the paragraph under that heading. Note that in some electronic sources, like Web pages, people can use the Find function in their browser to locate any passages you cite.
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Organizing Academic Research Papers: 11. Citing Sources
- Purpose of Guide
- Design Flaws to Avoid
- Glossary of Research Terms
- Narrowing a Topic Idea
- Broadening a Topic Idea
- Extending the Timeliness of a Topic Idea
- Academic Writing Style
- Choosing a Title
- Making an Outline
- Paragraph Development
- Executive Summary
- Background Information
- The Research Problem/Question
- Theoretical Framework
- Citation Tracking
- Content Alert Services
- Evaluating Sources
- Primary Sources
- Secondary Sources
- Tertiary Sources
- What Is Scholarly vs. Popular?
- Qualitative Methods
- Quantitative Methods
- Using Non-Textual Elements
- Limitations of the Study
- Common Grammar Mistakes
- Avoiding Plagiarism
- Footnotes or Endnotes?
- Further Readings
- Annotated Bibliography
- Dealing with Nervousness
- Using Visual Aids
- Grading Someone Else's Paper
- How to Manage Group Projects
- Multiple Book Review Essay
- Reviewing Collected Essays
- About Informed Consent
- Writing Field Notes
- Writing a Policy Memo
- Writing a Research Proposal
- Acknowledgements
A citation is a reference to a published or unpublished source that you consulted and obtained information from while writing your research paper. The way in which you document your sources 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 method [e.g., law].
Importance of a Citing your Sources
Citations show your readers where you obtained your material, provides a means of critiquing your study, and offers the opportunity to obtain additional information about the research problem under investigation.
Properly citing the works of others is important because:
- Proper citation allows others to locate the materials you used . Citations to other sources helps readers expand their knowledge on a topic. In some disciplines, one of the most effective strategies for locating authoritative, relevant sources is to follow footnotes or references from known sources ["citation tracking"].
- Citing other people's words and ideas indicates that you have conducted thorough review of the literature on your topic and, therefore, you are operating from an informed perspective. This increases your credibility as the author of the work.
- Other researcher's ideas can be used to reinforce your arguments , or, if you disagree with them, can act as positions from which to argue an alternative viewpoint. In many cases, another researcher's arguments can act as the primary context from which you can emphasize a different viewpoint or to clarify the importance of what you are proposing.
- Ju st as other researcher's ideas can bolster your arguments and act as evidence for your ideas, they can also detract from your credibility if they are found to be mistaken or fabricated . Properly citing information not unique to you prevents your reputation from being tarnished if the facts or ideas of others are proven to be inaccurate or off-base.
- Outside academe, ideas are considered intellectual property and there can serious repercussions if you fail to cite where you got an idea from . In the professional world, failure to cite other people's intellectual property ruins careers and reputations and can result in legal action. Given this, it is important to get into the habit of citing sources.
In any academic writing, you are required to identify for your reader which ideas, facts, theories, concepts, etc., are yours and which are derived from the research and thoughts of others. Whether you summarize, paraphrase, or use direct quotes, if it's not your original idea, the source needs to be acknowledged. The only exception to this rule is information that is considered to be common knowledge [e.g., George Washington was the first president of the United States]. If in doubt regarding whether something is common knowledge, take the safe route and cite it, or ask your professor for clarification.
Citing Information . The Writing Center. University of North Carolina; Referencing More Effectively. Academic Skills Centre. University of Canberra.
Structure and Writing Style
Referencing your sources means systematically showing what information or ideas you are quoting or paraphrasing from another author’s work, and where they come from . You must cite research in order to do research, but at the same time, you must indicate what are your original thoughts and ideas and what are the thoughts and ideas of others. Systems used to reference the sources you've used vary among different fields of study. However, 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 style to be used in your paper, and to apply it consistently.
GENERAL GUIDELINES
- Should I avoid referencing other people's work? No! Referencing other people's work is never an indication that your work is poor or lacks originality if placed in the proper context. In fact, the opposite is true. If you write your paper with no references to previous research, you are indicating to the reader that you are not familiar with the research that has already been done, thereby undermining your credibility as an author and the validity of your research. Including references in academic writing is a way of demonstrating your knowledge of pertinent literature about the research problem.
- What should I do if I find that my idea has already been published by another researcher? Acknowledge the other researcher's work by writing in your reference something like this: [see also Smith, 2002]. Do not ignore another author's work because doing so will lead your readers to believe that you have either taken the idea or information without properly referencing it [this is plagiarism] or that you have failed to conduct a thorough review of the literature in your field.
- 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, maybe you are using 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 as: [adapted from Smith, 1996]. You can also use other terms in order to specify the exact relationship between the source and the version you have presented, such as, based on Smith [1996], summarized from Smith [1996], etc.
- What should I do if several authors have published very similar information or ideas? You can indicate that the idea or information can be found in the work of more than one author, by stating something like: "Though in fact many authors have applied this theory to understanding economic relations among nations [for example, Smith, 1989; Jones, 19991; Johnson, 1994], little work has been done on applying it to understand the actions of non-governmental organizations." If you only reference one author, then your readers may assume that only one author has published on this topic, or, conclude that you have not read the literature thoroughly knowing that others have published research in this area. Referencing multiple authors indicates to your readers a clear idea of the breadth of analysis you conducted about the research problem, not a distorted or incomplete one.
- What if I find exactly what I want to say in the writing of another researcher? It depends on what it is; if someone else has investigated precisely the same research problem as you, then you likely will have to change your topic, or at the very least, find something new to say about what you're researching. 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 directly, citing the page reference as well as the author and year of publication. Finding someone else who has stated or made the same point that you have is an opportunity to reinforce your own interpretation of the research problem.
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; Research and Citation Resources . The Writing Lab and The OWL. Purdue University; Using Evidence. Writing Tutorial Services, Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning. Indiana University.
Citation Research Guides
SHU Library has a collection of Quick Guides to help you cite your sources. They are all available on our Citation Style Guides page.
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
- University of Wisconsin Writing Center
Automatic Citation Generators
Type in your information and have a citation compiled for you. Note that these are not foolproof systems so it is important that you verify that your 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 -- MLA style
- KnightCite -- APA, MLA, and Chicago styles
- Son of Citation Machine -- APA, MLA, Chicago, and Turabian styles
Most databases provide some kind of automatically generated citations for the major citation styles. Here is a video explaining how to find the citation feature in an EBSCO database.
- Research 911: Citations (printable tutorial)
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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
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- Background Information
- The Research Problem/Question
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- Evaluating Sources
- Primary Sources
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- Tiertiary Sources
- Scholarly vs. Popular Publications
- Qualitative Methods
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- Insiderness
- Using Non-Textual Elements
- Limitations of the Study
- Common Grammar Mistakes
- Writing Concisely
- Avoiding Plagiarism
- Footnotes or Endnotes?
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A citation is a formal reference to a published or unpublished source that you consulted and obtained information from while writing your research paper. The way in which you document your sources 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 method [e.g., law].
Importance of a Citing your Sources
Citations document for your readers where you obtained your material, provide a means of critiquing your study based on the sources you used, and create an opportunity to obtain information about prior studies of the research problem under investigation. The act of citing sources is also your best defense against allegations of plagiarism.
Citing the works of others is important because:
- Proper citation allows readers to locate the materials you used . Citations to sources helps readers expand their knowledge on a topic. One of the most effective strategies for locating authoritative, relevant sources about a topic is to review footnotes or references from known sources ["citation tracking"].
- Citing other people's words and ideas demonstrates that you have conducted a thorough review of the literature on your topic and, therefore, you are reporting your research from an informed and critically engaged perspective. The list of sources used increases your credibility as the author of the work.
- Other researcher's ideas can be used to reinforce your arguments . In many cases, another researcher's arguments can act as the primary context from which you can emphasize the significance of your study and to provide supporting evidence about how you addressed the "So What?" question.
- The ideas of other researchers can be used to explain reasons for alternative approaches . If you disagree with a researcher's ideas or you believe there is a gap in understanding the research problem, your citations can serve as sources from which to argue an alternative viewpoint or the need to pursue a different course of action.
- Just as the ideas of other researchers can bolster your arguments, they can also detract from your credibility if their research is challenged . Properly citing sources prevents your reputation from being tarnished if the facts or ideas of those cited are proven to be inaccurate or off-base. It prevents readers from concluding that you ignored or dismissed the findings of others, even if they are disputed.
- Ideas are considered intellectual property and there can be serious repercussions if you fail to cite where you got an idea from . In academe, failure to cite other people's intellectual property could lead to receiving a failing grade for the assignment or the course. In the professional world, failure to cite other people's intellectual property ruins careers and reputations and can result in legal action. Citing sources as a student in college will help you get in the habit of acknowledging and properly citing the work of others.
NOTE: In any academic writing, you are required to identify which ideas, facts, thoughts, and concepts are yours and which are derived from the research and work of others. Whether you summarize, paraphrase, or use direct quotes, if it's not your original idea, the source must be acknowledged. The only possible 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]. Appreciate, however, that any "commonly known fact" is culturally constructed and shaped by social and aesthetical biases . If you are in doubt about whether or not a fact is common knowledge, protect yourself from an allegation of plagiarism and provide a supporting citation, or, ask your professor for clarification about how a factual statement should be cited.
Ballenger, Bruce P. The Curious Researcher: A Guide to Writing Research Papers . 7th edition. Boston, MA: Pearson, 2012; 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.
Structure and Writing Style
Referencing your sources means systematically showing what information or ideas you are quoting or paraphrasing 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 must delineate what are your original thoughts and ideas and what are the thoughts and ideas of others. Procedures used to cite sources vary among different fields of study. 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 style to be used in your paper, and to apply it 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 its a history class; use APA if its an education course; use MLA if it is literature or a general writing course].
GENERAL GUIDELINES
1. Should I 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 about the topic, thereby, undermining the validity of your study and your credibility as a researcher. Including references in academic writing not only defends you against allegations of plagiarism, but it is one of the most important ways to demonstrate your knowledge and understanding of previous investigations about the research problem. It is the intellectual packaging around which you present your study to the reader.
2. What should I do if I find that my idea has already been examined by another researcher? Do not ignore another author's work because doing so will lead your readers to believe that you have either borrowed the idea or information without properly referencing it [this is plagiarism] or that you have failed to conduct a thorough review of the literature. You can acknowledge the other research by writing in the text of your paper something like this: [see also Smith, 2002], then citing the complete source in your list of references. Use the discovery of prior research 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]. Reacting to prior research can include: stating how your study updates previous studies on the topic, offering a new or different perspective, using a different method of data gathering, and/or describing a new set of 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, maybe you are using 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 complete 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 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 applied 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 idea or information can be found in the work of others by stating something similar to the following example: "Though in fact many scholars have applied this theory to understanding economic relations among nations [for example, see Smith, 1989; Jones, 1991; Johnson, 1994; Anderson, 2003], little attention has been given to applying the theory to examining the actions 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, conclude that you have not conducted a thorough literature review. 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 significant number of prior studies on the topic, describe the most comprehensive and recent works because they will presumably discuss and reference the older studies. However, note that there has been significant scholarship devoted to the topic so the reader knows that you are aware of this.
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 introduction of new variables that necessitate a new investigation . If someone else has recently conducted a thorough investigation of precisely the same research problem as you, 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 it directly, referencing the source. Do not see this as a setback or become discouraged if you discover that your brilliant idea or important insight has already been identified by someone else. Identifying an author who has made the same point as you can be an opportunity to add legitimacy to, 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 resource used in writing your paper should be cited, regardless of when the study 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 publications. This is particularly true of new or revised editions of books, unless an older edition has unique information not carried over into newer editions. 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 research problem, it probably should be examined and considered in your list of references because the research may have been foundational or groundbreaking 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 .
Ballenger, Bruce P. The Curious Researcher: A Guide to Writing Research Papers . 7th edition. Boston, MA: Pearson, 2012; 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.
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 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].
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The Student’s Guide To Citation Styles: Here’s When (And How) To Cite
Citing resources will also avoid plagiarism, by crediting to those who provided the research used to create a paper.
- 1.1 When Not to Cite a Source
- 2 The Main Types of Sources
- 3 How to Cite
- 4 Programs for Creating Citations
When to Cite a Source
Include a citation whenever you can. If you are not sure whether or not to cite a source, cite it. You should reference and cite whenever you:
- Quote directly from a source.
- Summarize or paraphrase another writer’s ideas, concepts or opinions.
- Anywhere you find data, facts and information used in your paper.
- Images, visuals, graphs and charts you use in your work.
When Not to Cite a Source
You do not have to cite your source if the information you use is common knowledge. For example, the first African American President of the U.S. is Barack Obama; however, if you aren’t sure if it is common knowledge or not, go ahead and cite it, just to be safe.
The Main Types of Sources
There are three main types of sources: primary, secondary and peer-reviewed.
Primary sources may be in their original form or digitized, or reprinted or reproduced in some form. They are first-hand accounts of an event or period in history, or original documents. Primary sources include:
- Texts – Novels, letters, diaries, government reports, newspaper articles and autobiographies. Images – Paintings, photographs and advertisements.
- Artifacts – Sculptures, buildings and clothing.
- Audio-Visual – Oral history like interviews, songs, films and photos.
Secondary sources are written about primary sources and are one or more steps away from the original source. They include discussions, comments and interpretations regarding the primary source or original material. Examples of secondary source materials are as follows:
- Articles from magazines, journals and newspapers.
- Textbooks, histories and encyclopedias.
- Book, play, concert and movie reviews, criticisms and commentaries.
- Articles from scholarly journals that assess or discuss the original research of others.
- Peer Reviewed
Usually published as an article in a medical or professional publication, such as a journal, a peer-reviewed source undergoes multiple critiques by top scholars in a particular field. Peer-reviewed articles offer authoritative information of the highest quality that scholarly disciplines can provide. Peer-reviewed and scholarly articles have these characteristics:
- List the journal of publication and author credentials.
- Are an abstract from a larger publication.
- Include a large amount of in-text citations, references, endnotes, footnotes and cited works, as well as a bibliography and appendix.
- Contain sections like methodology, conclusion and results.
- Have numerous in-text tables, charts and graphs.
- Use complex wording specific to the field.
How to Cite
When you cite data from another author’s work, explain all related aspects of the work clearly and concisely using your own words. Always provide a reference to the work directly following the information you have provided.
Most colleges and organizations use a variety of citation styles. The citation style often depends on the professor, so always check before beginning a paper. No matter what the style you use for citing your paper, the process is always the same:
- Consult the appropriate style guide for examples of how to produce in-text citations, reference lists and bibliographies.
- Some style guides are available via citation software that helps track sources for the use in creating bibliographies, in-text citations and reference lists.
- Use one standard style in a consistent manner throughout the entire paper.
Researchers and writers should understand some of the following styles:
The American Psychology Association – Use this style for education, psychology, sociology and other social sciences.
- Example of APA style for a book with one author:
Doe, J. (1999). Causes of the Civil War . Ohio: Smith Books.
Resources :
- Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association
- APA Formatting and Style Guide : Available online from The Owl at Purdue, this contains examples of reference list entries and in-text citations.
- Basics of APA Style Tutorial : Available online from the APA, this outlines citing and writing guidelines.
Modern Language Association – Use this style for arts, literature and the humanities.
- Example of MLA style for a book with one author:
Doe, John: “Causes of the Civil War.” Smith.
- MLA 2009 Formatting and Style Guide : Available online from The Owl at Purdue, with many examples for producing works cited entries and in-text footnotes.
- MLA Style Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing : Available online from The Owl at Purdue, contains examples.
American Medical Association or the National Library of Medicine for health, medicine and biological sciences.
- Example of AMA for a book with one author:
Doe JD. Causes of the Civil War . Columbus, OH: Smith Books; 1999.
- Example of NLM for a book with one author:
Doe, JD. Causes of the Civil War. Columbus (OH): Smith Books; 1999.
- AMA Manual of Style: A Guide for Authors and Editors
- Citing Medicine: The NLM Style Guide for authors, editors and publishers ; available online from the National Library of Medicine.
- A Comparison of AMA and NLM styles
Students and researchers commonly use the Chicago Manual of Style guide, or Turabian, for most real-world subjects in magazines, books, newspapers and many other non-scholarly publications.
- Example of Chicago style for a book with one author:
Doe, John. 1999. Causes of the Civil War . Columbus, Ohio:
Smith Books.
- CMS: Provide by the Perdue Owl Online Writing Laboratory.
There are a variety of scientific style guides depending on the particular field, whether it be biology, chemistry, engineering.
- Example of Scientific Style for a book with one author:
John D. Doe. Causes of the Civil War. Columbus (OH): Smith Press: 1999.
- ACS : American Chemical Society
- ACS Style Guidelines : Available online from UW-Madison Libraries, providing examples for citing references in the text and the bibliography of a research paper.
- IEEE : Institute of Electronics and Electrical Engineers
- IEEE Editorial Style Manual : An online PDF that provides editorial guidelines for IEEE letters, journals and transactions, with citation examples.
- The Writer’s Handbook – CSE Citation
More Citation Examples
The following resources provide more examples for formatting citations:
- Citing References Wiki – Maintained by LexisNexis, this guide includes examples from APA, MLA, Chicago and Turabian.
- Research and Documentation Online – Compiled by Diana Hacker, this guide includes APA, CMS, CSE and MLA styles
Programs for Creating Citations
The following resources provide programs to help researchers create citations:
- Landmark Citation Machine
- Citation Builder
When using a citation program, always check for errors before inserting them into your reference or works cited page.
The Annotated Bibliography or Reference Section
The reference page is also called the annotated bibliography , and it should go at the end of the research paper. The purpose of annotated bibliographies is to link each source to one another in an orderly fashion.
Here are six key factors for writing an annotation:
- Clearly state the qualifications and authority of the author early in the annotation. Example:
- Explain the main purpose and scope of the text in a few brief sentences.This is not like an abstract, which is a synopsis of the entire piece; rather, it is the main theme or concept. Example:
- Note the relation of the paper to other works in the field. Example:
- Clarify the author’s main opinion or conclusion in relation to the overall theme. Example:
- Indicate your target audience and the level of reading difficulty. Example:
- End with a summary comment. Example:
Completed example:
For more guidelines on creating an annotated bibliography, see the Purdue OWL: Annotated Bibliographies site, which includes additional sample annotations .
Adding citations may seem difficult at first; however, the more you practice, the easier it will become for you. By using a style guide and checking examples, citing all your sources is simple and complete.
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PhD Assistance
How to correctly cite sources in research paper.
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Introduction
Academic writing necessitates the use of citations. You should include a citation that gives attribution to the respective author if you utilize ideas and knowledge from a source such as a book, article, or web page. To avoid plagiarism, a citation is essential. There are many different referencing styles , each with its own set of formatting criteria. In scholarly work, a citation style is a set of standards for citing sources. Official guidebooks with descriptions, illustrations, and directions are frequently produced with citation style requirements. The following are the most prevalent citation styles:
- In the humanities, MLA style is used (literature or languages)
- In the social sciences, the APA style is used (psychology or education)
- In history, Chicago notes and bibliographies are used.
- In the sciences, the author-date format is used.
When to cite sources
In all kinds of scholarly texts , references are mandatory. You must cite a reference every whenever you use it to expand on ideas, summarize facts, argue the case, or offer evidence. You have to cite sources when you do the following:
- Quote or rephrase the actual document to link to a source:
- Take a brief piece of text verbatim and place it within quotation marks to quote a resource.
- Put the material around your own terms to summarize a source.
To avoid plagiarism, whether you cite or rephrase, you should always add a citation. Referencing also helps your audience to locate the primary author for themselves, enhancing the credibility of your article. You can trust us for PhD Dissertation Writing Help .
Remember to reference any other materials you utilize for concepts, illustrations, or proofs, in addition to scholarly articles like books and journals. Webpages, YouTube clips, reference books, seminars, and online media comments all fall under this category.
Which citation style to use
Check the requirements first because many university departments and scholarly articles need a citation style. You must choose a citation style and utilize it uniformly through your paper if no reference style is mentioned.
Your best option is determined by your subject and specialty. In the social sciences, APA is the most widely used style, whereas in the humanities, MLA is the most widely used style. Other fields, such as medicine or engineering, have their own distinct styles.
You can find out what style your professor uses by asking them or reading previous papers in your field. PhD Assistance experts has experience in handling to Publish the journal papers in all research subjects with assured 2:1 distinction. Talk to Experts Now
In-text citations and full references
There are two fundamental components to every source citation:
- Next to the necessary material, include a brief in-text citation.
- A complete reference that includes all of the information needed to locate the original source.
Citations in the text: In-text citations are usually written in parenthesis and include the author’s last name as well as a year or page number (depending on the citation style). You can trust us for Future PhD Research Services . Footnotes, endnotes, or bracketed numerals that match reference data are used in some styles. Each citation style has its own set of criteria for citing:
- sources with numerous authors
- sources without a name for the author
- sources with an unclear publication date
- sources that don’t have page numbers
- a single author’s many sources
References, also known as Works Cited or Bibliography, are frequently listed at the end of a document.
The author, title, and publication date of the source are always included in full references. They also contain additional information that aids in the identification of the source. Contact PhD Assistance for reference collection and Future Research work.
A reference’s specific format is determined by the type of source. A book reference, for example, includes the publisher and, on occasion, the edition, whereas a journal article reference includes the volume and issue numbers as well as the page range where the article occurs.
Using a citation generator
It might be tough to get every detail exactly because each style has so many little variances. Using a citation generator is the simplest method. The generator will automatically generate an in-text reference and reference entry in the correct format if you use a URL or DOI, or if you manually enter the resource details. You can save your list of references as you go along and then download it after you’re through.
Checking your citations
A plagiarism checker ensures that you’ve included citations where they’re required, whereas a citation checker ensures that your citations are properly formatted.
It is critical to correctly cite sources in order to avoid plagiarism in your content. Plagiarism is more than merely copying and pasting the words of another author.
- VanScoy, A., Julien, H., & Harding, A. (2022). “Like Putting Broccoli in a Quiche”: Instructors Talk about Incorporating Theory into Reference Courses. Journal of Education for Library and Information Science, e20210022.
- Reed, M., Kinder, D., & Farnum, C. (2022). Collaboration between librarians and teaching faculty to teach information literacy at one Ontario university: Experiences and outcomes. Journal of information literacy, 1(3), 29-46.
- Dwivedi, Y. K., Hughes, L., Cheung, C. M., Conboy, K., Duan, Y., Dubey, R., … & Viglia, G. (2022). How to develop a quality research article and avoid a journal desk rejection. International Journal of Information Management, 62, 102426.
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Cite Sources
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You’ve probably heard your teacher or professor talk about the importance of including citations in your research papers. But what exactly are citations? Why are they so important, and what are the different types? Read on for citation basics.
Here’s a table of contents for this guide:
What is a Citation?
Citation examples, why do we have citations.
- Where Do We Have Citations?
- When Do I Make Citations?
Common Mistakes
5 tips for making the perfect citation, troubleshooting.
To begin, let’s examine what a citation actually is. A citation is how you let your readers know that you used information from outside sources in your work. It also describes those sources, and provides information that allows the reader to track them down. This information could be the author’s name, the publication date, or page numbers. The exact information included in the citation depends on the citation style you are using. Please see the citation manual for your chosen style for more specifics on how to make your citations in that style. Popular styles include MLA formatting , Chicago style, and APA style.
- How to Cite Google Images
- How to Cite Netflix
- How to Cite a PDF
- How to Cite Statistics
- How to Cite a Song
- How to Cite a Poem
- How to Cite a YouTube Video
- How to Cite a Podcast
- How to Cite a Book
- How to Cite an Inscription
- How to Cite a Quote
Having to write citations may seem like another boring step in the paper writing process. However, correctly citing sources in your research projects will ensure that you receive a better grade and create something that uniquely contributes to the subject area you are studying.
It doesn’t matter if you use MLA formatting , APA formatting, or any other citation style. Citing sources is something you should always do.
Here are just a few reasons why it is important for you to cite sources in your work:
Citations Provide Hard Evidence of Your Thesis/Ideas
Citing sources that back up your claim, otherwise known as your thesis statement, creates credibility for you as a researcher. It also opens up room for fact-checking and further research.
- Bonus points : If you can, find a way to cite a few sources that have the converse opinion or idea, and then demonstrate to the reader why you believe that viewpoint is wrong while backing up your claim up with sources. If you can do this, you are well on their way to winning over the reader to your side.
- Pro tip: Having many citations from a wide variety of sources related to your thesis indicates to your professor that you are working on a well-researched and respected subject.
Citations Give Credit to the Right People
Citing sources ensures that your reader or teacher can differentiate your original thoughts from the ideas in your sources and of other researchers in your subject area. This ensures that the sources you use receive proper credit for the author’s work, and that as the student, you receive deserved recognition for your unique contributions to the topic. Citations serve as a natural way to place your work within in the broader context of a subject area, and are an easy way for your teacher or professor to gauge your commitment to the project at hand. Going above and beyond in your work is always a good idea!
Citations 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 your project should aim to do is promote an original idea or put a spin on an existing idea, and use credible sources to promote that idea. Copying or directly referencing a source without proper citations can lead to not only a poor grade, but accusations of academic dishonesty. By backing up your ideas with credible sources, you can easily avoid the trap of plagiarism, and promote further research on their topic. To help people find your unique perspective on your topic and create consistency throughout your work, it is always a good idea to use a specific, standardized citation style, such as APA format or MLA format.
Where Do We Have Citations, and What are the Types of Citations?
Citations typically can be found in two places: at the end of a paper in a bibliography or reference list, and within the text. The latter, sometimes called “in-text” citations, usually consist of a few details about the source, and are generally written in parenthesis at the end of the sentence where you referenced the source.
When Scout meets Boo Radley in To Kill a Mockingbird, she realizes that his reputation does not match his true character (Lee 85).
The citation in the reference list or bibliography corresponds with the in-text citation, and provides more holistic information about the source that you are citing. Publication information is included, as well as a list of all contributors to the source.
Lee, Harper. To Kill a Mockingbird. Perennial Modern Classics, 2006.
Note that each citation style has its own formatting rules regarding in-text and bibliographic citations. An APA citation will have similar information but look different from an MLA citation . Consult the style manual of your chosen citation style for more information.
When Should I Make Citations?
You should make a citation for a source whenever you:
● Directly quote a source ● Paraphrase information from a source ● Use an idea that is expressed in another source ● Make a specific reference to the work of another person
Let’s have a moment of silence for anyone out there who just received a graded paper filled with those dreaded red marks. Ugh. Nothing is worse than spending hours and hours pouring your heart and soul into a research paper, only to receive a failing grade or an accusation of plagiarism (gasp!) due to incorrect citations. It’s tough enough finding quality resources, analyzing them, and writing a high quality paper, but to receive marks off for incorrect citing totally crushes the soul.
We know there are so many rules to follow when it comes to citing sources. We’re here to highlight some of the most common citation mistakes students and scholars make when developing their research projects. Check out our top 5 below. Perhaps you’ll recognize a mistake or two you’ve been making in your own work.
If you’re looking for some extra help or guidance, check out the Citation Machine plagiarism and grammar checker. Write your paper, pop it into our “smart proofreader” and watch the magic happen. We’ll provide suggestions for citations and grammar edits so you can worry less about those dreaded red marks and more on your learning. Try it out now!
1. Forgetting to include in-text and parenthetical citations
You’ve found the perfect piece of information to include in your paper. Cool! As you’ve learned throughout school, you need to include a citation for that source in your bibliography or works cited list. Don’t forget to also include an in-text or parenthetical citation in the body of your project.
>Remember, every time outside information is added into a paper, you need to provide the reader with a glimpse as to where that information came from. You can do this with an in-text or parenthetical citation, which includes the author’s name in the sentence or directly after it, in parentheses. Depending on the citation style, you may also need to include the page number or year the source was published.
Here’s an example of how an MLA in-text citation could look in an assignment:
Stockett describes Celia as, “probably ten or fifteen years younger than me, twenty-two, twenty-three, and she’s real pretty” (37).
This excerpt is taken from page 37 in Kathryn Stockett’s book, The Help . In the works cited page at the end of the paper, the reader is provided with a full citation that shares the title of the book, the publisher, the year it was published, and possibly some other key pieces of information, depending on the citation style.
Every piece of information added into a paper needs two citations: a brief one in the body of the project and the full citation on the final page. Bam!
2. Period placement gone wrong
Inside? Outside? Outside and inside? It can be tricky to determine where to place those pesky little periods when including parenthetical citations.
For the majority of citation styles, the period is placed on the outside of the parentheses. Here’s a visual to help you out:
“It’s just that sometimes, our future is dictated by what we are, as opposed to what we want” (Sparks 59).
3. In-text and parenthetical citation overload
If you’re using the same reference over and over in one paragraph, it isn’t necessary to include an in-text or parenthetical citation after each sentence. Instead, save it for the end. The reader will be able to ascertain that all of the information from that single paragraph pertains to the individual in-text or parenthetical citation you’ve included.
4. Using the incorrect citation style or switching between two
Even though there are thousands (yes, thousands!) of citation styles available on Citation Machine, make sure to choose just one style for your project. Not sure whether to choose MLA formatting , APA , Chicago style format or another? Check to see if it’s included in the the assignment’s guidelines. Still not sure? Ask your teacher or school librarian. Whichever style you choose to roll with, make sure it’s consistent throughout the entire project. Remember, citations are included to help readers understand where information originated. If you choose to use various citation styles, it could cause some major confusion.
5. Problems with paraphrasing
A proper paraphrase involves taking someone else’s idea and rewriting it using your own words, in your own writing style. What it’s not is taking someone else’s idea and replacing the words with synonyms. Don’t be a synonym swapper. That’s plagiarism!
If you’re having a tough time trying to paraphrase another author’s words, try this out: Carefully read the text again. When you’re through, put it to the side, and think about what you just read. What was the author’s message? Now, rewrite it, using your own words and writing style. Remember to add an in-text or parenthetical citation at the end of the paraphrase and include the full citation in the works cited or reference page.
When you’re in a rush to meet a deadline and hand in your paper ASAP, it can be all too easy to make a mistake that can cost you big time. Citations are an often-overlooked component of a research paper that, when done correctly, can help you get your best grade yet. So how can you be sure that your citations are helping you achieve success? Here are some tips to take your research paper to the next level.
1. Include In-text or Parenthetical Citations When Paraphrasing
It can be tempting to just re-write a sentence from a source to include in your paper. But neglecting inclusion of a parenthetical, or in-text citation can lead to accusations of plagiarism. Being accused of committing plagiarism can not only impact your grade, but can put your enrollment in jeopardy as well. To avoid making this error, be sure to paraphrase carefully, and include a parenthetical or in-text citation in your paper each time you reference an outside source.
2. Periods (Almost) Always Go After the Parenthesis
Something as minor as an incorrectly placed period after a reference can lead to losing major points on your paper. In nearly every citation style with parenthetical citations, the period comes after the parenthesis, not before. Here is an example of a correctly placed period after a reference in APA format :
(Smith, 2005).
3. Be Consistent with Your Citation Style
Some classes require you use MLA format , while others require APA, while still others require Chicago Manual of Style . These specifications can be difficult to keep track of, but being consistent with your style is perhaps the easiest thing you can do to make sure you have well written citations. Double-checking your citations at the end of your paper before handing it in can lead to good last minute improvements.
4. All In-text and Parenthetical Citations Should Correspond with a Reference List Entry
In-text and parenthetical citations can be done while you are writing your paper, and are included each time you include information from an outside source. It is important to remember, however, that each time you do this, you should bear in mind that at the end of your paper in the works cited, bibliography, reference list, etc., there should be a corresponding longer reference to that same source that matches the in-text or parenthetical reference. When you are finished making your in-text and parenthetical references, use them to make a list of full citations you will need to include at the end of your paper.
5. Cite Properly, Not in Excess
While it is important to include citations in your paper, you shouldn’t be including them after each and every sentence you write. The important thing to remember is to cite only if you are including information from an outside source. This information should only be included if you feel that it backs up your claim effectively enough to the point where another researcher could potentially find that source and identify it as being related to your argument. If all the information in one paragraph you write refers to the same source, you only need to include one in-text or parenthetical citation in that paragraph, not after each individual sentence.
Solution #1: Identifying where to place a period in an in-text citation
1. If the in-text citation is at the end of the sentence or quotation, place a period after the citation (outside the parenthesis).
APA examples:
The results of Singh’s (2021) experiment were inconclusive (p. 42).
“The origin of the two variables could not be determined” (Singh, 2021, p. 42).
MLA examples:
The results of Singh’s experiment were inconclusive (42).
“The origin of the two variables could not be determined” (Singh 42).
2. Always use periods after the phrase “et al.”.
As Gregory Cheffsworth, et al. (2021) suggest, “sour cream can be used as a milk substitute whenever one is low on ingredients and willingness to go to the store” (p. 12).
“Sour cream can be used as a milk substitute whenever one is low on ingredients and willingness to go to the store” (Cheffsworth et al., 2021, p. 12).
As Gregory Cheffsworth, et al. suggest, “sour cream can be used as a milk substitute whenever one is low on ingredients and willingness to go to the store” (p. 12).
“Sour cream can be used as a milk substitute whenever one is low on ingredients and willingness to go to the store” (Cheffsworth et al. 12).
3. Block quotations in APA and MLA place the citation after the period.
A block quotation in APA is a quotation that is longer than forty words. The entire block quotations are indented by 0.5-inches.
I wanted to make a casserole, but I soon realized that I did not have milk. However, as Gregory Cheffsworth, et al. (2021) suggest,
“Sour cream can be used as a milk substitute whenever one is low on ingredients and willingness to go to the store but, when one encounters this situation, they must be prepared to adapt to the differences in flavor profiles by incorporating new spices.” (p. 12)
In MLA, if the quotation is longer than four lines, use a block quotation by indenting the entire paragraph 0.5-inches.
MLA example:
I wanted to make a casserole, but I soon realized that I did not have milk. However, as Gregory Cheffsworth, et al. suggest,
Sour cream can be used as a milk substitute whenever one is low on ingredients and willingness to go to the store but, when one encounters this situation, they must be prepared to adapt to the differences in flavor profiles by incorporating new spices. Depending on the selections, the sour cream’s natural taste can be emphasized or completely neutralized. As a result, one should not be afraid of the “sour” in sour cream. (12)
Solution #2: How to choose which citation style to use
- First, consult your syllabus, rubric, or writing guidelines. Most often, the expected citation style will be listed. If it is not, ask your teacher or the publication if they have a style preference.
- Use MLA style if you are writing within the humanities. This includes English literature, language, history, religion, and the arts.
- Use APA style if you are writing on the sciences, which includes subjects such as geology, education, or psychology.
- Use Chicago style if you are writing for business, history, or the fine arts.
- Note that some scientific genres require their own specific citation guide outside of these three widely used guides. For example, computer science frequently uses the IEEE citation guide.
- Look at sample papers or journal articles to see what is typically used.
- If all else fails, go to a library or your school’s writing center and ask for help.
Solution #3 When and how to create a direct quote versus a paraphrased citation
- For example, if you chose to directly quote information because the wittiness of an original excerpt is meaningful to your paper and is altered as a paraphrase.
- For example, when the quoted material is short compared to the rest of the sentence and does not add a significant amount of information. Use a paraphrase instead.
- Be aware that writing a direct quote without explaining it or further relating it to your topic can give the impression that you do not understand the information and are simply regurgitating the information.
- Avoid overusing direct quotes. Ideally, a paper is mostly written using your own words and thoughts.
- Use a paraphrase if you truly understand the idea/information and you can effectively relay the message in your own words.
- A paraphrase is also useful if you’re trying to synthesize a long quote or passage into a shorter passage.
- Before or after the paraphrase, you will need to discuss the information’s significance to your argument or paper.
- If you find that your paragraph is following the same word structure as the original statement, consider using a direct quote or consider rephrasing the sentence.
- One more reminder: Include an in-text citation to indicate that the original idea comes from another source.
Example of a direct quote:
I wanted to make a casserole, but I soon realized that I did not have milk. However, as Gregory Cheffsworth (2021) suggests, “sour cream can be used as a milk substitute whenever one is low on ingredients and willingness to go to the store” (p. 47).
Example of a paraphrased citation:
I wanted to make a casserole, but I soon realized that I did not have milk. However, I may be able to use sour cream instead of milk (Cheffsworth, 2021).
Finished with your citations and paper? Check out Citation Machine’s handy paper checker ! It can help you spot errors and polish your paper. There’s also a free grammar guides library where you can learn what is a verb , an adjective definition , relative pronoun examples , and other grammar-related topics.
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