How to Cite in Research Paper

This article will be a good starting point for those who want to learn how to cite in research paper. The first step would be deciding what type of citation you need. There are many types of citations; hence knowing which works best for your sources is essential.

The basic format for citing in a research paper

When learning how to cite in research paper, you should use the following format:
Author. (year). Title of article. Retrieved from URL

For example:
Bates, K. (2010). The basic format for citing in research paper. Retrieved from https://blog.apastyle.org/apastyle/2010/08/the-basic-format-for.html

In a research paper, you will cite work you found online or in a book. Using the Basic Format for Citing Online Sources:
Example: (Month Year). Title of article. Retrieved from URL

For example: (May 2010). How to cite an online journal article in MLA 7. Retrieved from http://www.csusm.edu/~jbush/mla7online.html

Using the Basic Format for Citing a Book:
Example: Author, A. A. (Year). Title of book. Location: Publisher.
For example, Author J. Smith (2002). How to cite a book in MLA 7. Retrieved from http://www.csusm.edu/~jbush/mla7book.

Harvard citation style

Format: Author. (Date). Title of article in italics. Magazine Name in italics, volume, and issue number if given; page range.

Examples: Zhou, Y. (2016). Thesis or dissertation? ACES Newsletter, 10(1), 12-14.

For a book, the author’s last name and the date of publication is followed by the title in italics and an abbreviated version of the book’s title in italics.

Examples: Gladwell, M. (2000). The tipping point: How little things can make a big difference. New York: Little, Brown & Company.

Examples: Smith, G. (2008). Graduate students and child care. ACES Newsletter,12(1), 22. Gardner, A. (2011). The yellow wallpaper: An analysis. ACES Newsletter, 16(2), 17 -19.

For a chapter in a book, the author’s last name and publication year are followed by the chapter title in italics.

Example: Smith, G. (2007). Child care: A reflection of graduate education. In R. Smith (Ed.), Graduate studies in early childhood education (pp. 49 -58). New York: Routledge.

Figures and tables (In-text citations)

(If there is more than one figure or table, use figure and table captions to describe the material. Example: “Fig. 1 shows…”) (if appropriate). Do not use figures and tables to supply information already given in the text. (If it is a must to refer to a table for clarity of the text, format it as a table and label it). End all tables on a separate page.

When using captions, check with the editor of your edition to ensure that you are using a format that is correct for the outlet you are publishing in. Figures are numbered consecutively throughout the manuscript (i.e., figures 1, 2, etc.). The main text should cite illustrations (photographs, drawings, and paintings). Footnotes are not used.

Italicize the titles of books, articles, long poems, and other works not published by a commercial publishing house. For journal and newspaper titles, as well as the titles of scholarly articles and books, all italics should be in plain font, with “work title in italics” and the name of the work’s publisher in a simple font. Do not underline web pages or italicize e-book titles because they are italicized by default.

The first time a source is cited, give the author’s last name and an abbreviated title of the work, followed by a colon. The second time you cite a source in the paper, provide the author’s last name and a shortened title of the work, followed by a comma. The third time you cite a source in the paper, use the author’s last name only and begin with the shortened title of the work.

If the source is a periodical article, follow the author’s name with a comma and the year of publication. If a page number is provided, use “p.” instead of the page number. Follow this step to learn how to cite in research paper.

How to cite a letter in research paper using MLA style

When citing a book or article, include the author’s name and the year of publication in parentheses at the end of the sentence. If you mention more than one work by an author, list all authors, their years of publication, and the general information for each task.

MLA format is used in various writing situations, including research papers, essays, and articles. It is designed to allow the user to create a document that is easy to read through online text, electronic, or print.

The Modern Language Association (MLA) is a standard format for writing essays and other works. The style is most commonly used to write papers and cite sources within the liberal arts and humanities.

How to cite in research paper: APA citation style

Many social science publications use APA (American Psychological Association) citation style. The critical components of this style are in-text citations and the reference list.

The author’s name is placed in the same line as the last name, followed by a comma. The first word of the title is capitalized, and each subtitle is also capitalized. The journal title is italicized. If from an online source, it should be italicized and placed in quotation marks.

The APA or American Psychological Association is a commonly used citation style for academic resources. When referencing an APA Online Journal, the format is slightly different.

APA Citation Style – Quick Facts: The author’s name is placed before the date. Place the year after the author’s name. Title only is not used. After “Online,” this is a colon, and after “Journal,” it is a period. Use the author’s last name and the issue number if known. Examples: Journal of English Language Learners, Vol. 14, No. 3 (Statistics and the Education of English Language Learners), 2014, p. 42-63.

Include publication date and page numbers. Place the author’s last name and “in” after “Online.” Please include a short description of what it is that you are referencing. You should follow this to learn how to cite in research paper.

To cite a book, use the author’s last name, “in” and “(title)” with the title in quotes. Example: ( Hagedorn, John. Advancing the Study of English Language Learners. Boston: Pearson Education, Inc., 2012.)

To cite a chapter in a book, use the author’s last name and “in” with “Chapter in” and the chapter title. Example: ( Hagedorn, John. Page 42-43 in Advancing the Study of English Language Learners.)

To cite an article, use the author’s last name and “in” followed by “article in” and the article’s title. Example: (Hagedorn, John. “The Importance of Identity in Classroom Discourse.” In Advancing the Study of English Language Learners. Page 43-47. Boston: Pearson Education, Inc., 2012.)

How to cite in research paper: Chicago citation style

This style of citation is often used in the humanities and social sciences. The author’s last name and the year of publication are placed at the end of a sentence or paragraph with a comma separating them. The complete citation usually begins with the author’s last name and the year of publication in parentheses, the title, the first author’s last name, and the year of publication with a comma separating them. For example: (Smith, W. Earl 2006).

When learning how to cite in research paper, the Chicago Manual of Style mentions the last name first with a comma separating it from the year of publication: Smith, W. Earl (2006). For example, Lippmann, Philip (1923). “Public Opinion.” The Public Opinion Quarterly. Vol. 5. pp 1–8.

The author’s last name is usually the first part of the citation. For example, Warren, Paul (1977), “The Muralist’s Return.” In A Catalog of Modern Creative Writing. Ed. by G. St. Clair. New York: Rinehart.

Conclusion

It is necessary to use a citation to have your work recognized. It’s also important to cite the author’s original work and not plagiarize their ideas or words. Citations will verify that you are using credible sources. If you need help learning how to cite in a research paper, contact us for instant help. Proficientwriter.com is simply the best when one needs help on how to cite in research paper.