18 min read
Published on: Jul 18, 2021
Last updated on: Jul 21, 2023
On This Page On This Page
Properly citing research papers is a vital aspect of academic writing. However, it can be a daunting task for many students and researchers, leading to confusion and potential plagiarism issues.
Inaccurate citations can result in serious consequences, including loss of academic credibility, rejection of research papers, and even legal action.
Therefore, it is crucial to understand the fundamentals of research paper citations and master the art of citing them accurately.
In this blog, we provide you with a comprehensive guide on how to cite research papers effectively.
From understanding different citation styles to citing various types of sources, our expert tips and tricks will equip you with the necessary skills to excel in academic writing.
By the end of this blog, you will have a clear understanding of the importance of proper research paper citations and the tools to create accurate citations with ease.
Whether you are a student or a seasoned researcher, our guide will help you to cite your research papers correctly and confidently.
So, let’s get started.
A citation style refers to a specific set of rules and guidelines used to format and organize references or citations in academic writing.
It provides a standardized format for citing various sources such as books, journals, websites, and other scholarly materials.
Citation styles define how information is presented within citations, including elements such as author names, publication dates, titles, page numbers, and more.
Commonly used citation styles include APA (American Psychological Association), MLA (Modern Language Association), Chicago, Harvard, and IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers).
When citing a research paper, there are several basic elements that you need to include in your citation. The specific format and order of these elements may vary depending on the citation style you are using.
Here are the essential components of a citation:
The main purpose behind citations is to acknowledge and give credit to the original authors or creators of the information and ideas that are used in academic writing. Citations serve several important purposes:
Citations provide a way to attribute the work of others and acknowledge their contributions to the field. By citing references, researchers demonstrate intellectual honesty and integrity.
Citations help to avoid plagiarism, which is the act of presenting someone else's work or ideas as your own. By citing the original sources, researchers show that they have properly referenced and relied on existing knowledge.
Citations allow readers to locate and verify the sources used in a research paper. They provide the necessary information to access the cited materials, replication of experiments, and fact-checking.
Citations create a network of interconnected ideas, enabling researchers to build on previous research and contribute to the advancement of knowledge in their field. By referencing earlier works, researchers can demonstrate how their own work fits within the broader scholarly conversation.
Proper citations enhance the credibility and reliability of research papers. By citing reputable and authoritative sources, researchers strengthen their arguments and support their claims with evidence.
The citation style you will select will depend on the discipline in which you are writing. However, in most cases, the professor assigns a citation style to students. Therefore, consult them first and then start writing the research paper.
When you write a research paper, you must cite the sources you use in your paper. The main citation styles used in academic writing are:
The basic information is the same in all citation styles. However, only the format to present information depends on APA, MLA, Chicago, and any other citation style. Let us discuss these referencing styles in detail.
APA is the most common research paper format, and it is generally used in psychology and social sciences papers. However, it is not limited to such disciplines.
Also, it is not a complex citation style, and students normally use this style to format their research papers.
For your help, we gathered some formatting rules that you should follow when writing the research paper in APA format.
Also, in APA format style paper, the research paper should include:
Here are some specific APA formats for different kinds of sources:
Source | Format |
Website | Author, (Year, Month Date of Publication). Article title. Retrieved from URL |
Book | Author, (Year of Publication). The Title of work. Publisher City, State: Publisher |
Magazine | Author, (Year, a month of Publication). Article title. Magazine Title, Volume(Issue), pp.-pp |
News P | Author, (Year, Month Date of Publication). Article title. Magazine Title, pp. xx-xx |
In-text citations direct the readers to reference entries at the end of the paper. It is usually used when you describe another authorâs work or ideas.
The APA in-text citation has two major elements:
Also, when you cite the source, you must add the timestamp and page number.
For Example: (Alexa, 1993, p. 45)
The APA in-text citation comes in two different forms:
Both types have different styles of citation. In parenthetical citation, you write like this (Alexa, 2010), but in a narrative, write the citation in this format Alexa (2010).
Take a look at this sample and get a better idea of the APA format style research paper
MLA citation is another common research paper format, and it is mainly used in the humanities and liberal arts subjects. Scholars, researchers, or students mainly use this style to format their writing assignments.
However, when you write the paper in MLA format, use the title âWorks-Cited Listâ for your reference list.
Here are some formatting rules that you should know when drafting the research paper in MLA format.
Therefore, keep these rules in mind and format the MLA-style research paper effectively.
Given below is the MLA formats for different kinds of sources:
Source | Format |
Website | Last Name, First Name. âPage Title.â Website Title. Sponsoring Institution/Publisher. Publication Date: Page Numbers. Medium. |
Book | Last Name, First Name. Book Title. Publisher City: Publisher Name, Year Published. Medium. |
Magazine | Last Name, First Name. âArticle Title.â Magazine Name Publication Date: Page Numbers. Medium |
News Paper | Last Name, First Name. âArticle Title.â Newspaper Name Publication Date: Page Numbers. Medium. |
Blog Posts | ast name, Middle name, Surname. âTitle of the blog post.â Blog Title, Publisher, date posted, URL. |
@twitterhandel. âDescription.â Twitter, date, time. URL. | |
Last name, first name. âDescriptionâ Website Title, date, URL. |
Check this sample and write a research paper in MLA format without any difficulty.
Several researchers also use the Chicago style, and it is also normally used in humanities and book bibliographies. In this citation style, the writers cite sources in endnotes and footnotes. Also, this style allows the writers to demonstrate acceptability to the related references used in the content.
The following are the Chicago-style formatting rules that every student or researcher should follow.
For your help, we also gathered the Chicago-style citation to cite sources of different kinds.
Source | Format |
Website | Last Name, First Name. âPage Title.â Website Title. Web Address (retrieved Date Accessed). |
Article | Last Name, First Name. âArticle Title.â Journal Name Volume Number (Year Published): Page Numbers |
Magazine | Last Name, First Name. Article title. Magazine Title, Month Date, Year of publication. |
News Paper | Last Name, First Name. âArticle Title.â Newspaper Name, Publication Date. |
Youtube Video | Last name, First name, âTitle of Video.â YouTube video, length. Date published. URL. |
Last name, First name. Twitter Post. Month Day, Year, Time. Tweet URL. | |
Author(s) of the post (@handle). "Text of the Instagram post." Instagram, Date of posting. URL. | |
Blog Posts | First name Last Name, âTitle of Blog Post,â Blog Title (blog), Month Date, Year of Post, URL. |
Book | Last Name, First Name. Title of Book. Publisher City: Publisher Name, Year Published. |
Also, look at this sample and get help from them for your research paper.
The Sociological Association creates this citation style, and scholars use it for writing sociology research papers.
The main elements of the ASA paper are:
Here are some formatting tips that will help you in writing the research paper in ASA forma
Below are the ASA citation style guidelines for citing different kinds of sources.
Source | Source |
Website | Authorâs Last, First Name. Date of Publishing. Title. Publisher. Retrieved Month Day, Year (link). |
Magazine Article | Authorâs Last, First Name. Year of Pub. "Title." Magazine Name, Month Year, pp. Inclusive page numbers. |
Book | Authorâs Last, First Name. Year of Publication. Title. Country of publisher: Publisher. |
Newspaper Article | Author Last name, First name. Year of publication. "Title of Article." Title of Newspaper (italicized), Month date, pp. Numbers. |
Here is an ASA sample paper for your ease.
The IEEE citation style is used in electronics, computer science, engineering, and IT. This citation style is an official style of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.
Also, the IEEE citation style has three main parts:
Like all other citation styles, the format, page numbers, and other information will differ depending on the types of cited sources.
The following table shows how you cite different kinds of sources in your research paper.
Source | Format |
Handbooks | Name of Manual/Handbook, x ed., Abbrev. Name of Co., City of Co., Abbrev. State, year, pp. xxx-xxx. |
Conference Paper | J. K. Author, âTitle of paper,â presented at the Abbreviated Name of Conf., City of Conf., Abbrev. State, Country, Month and day(s), year, Paper number. |
Lectures | J. K. Author. (Year). Title of lecture [Type of Medium]. Available: URL |
Periodicals | J. K. Author, âName of paper,â Abbrev. Title of Periodical, vol. x, no. x, pp. xxx-xxx, Abbrev. Month, year. |
Reports | J. K. Author, âTitle of report,â Abbrev. Name of Co., City of Co., Abbrev. State, Country, Rep. xxx, year. |
Thesis and Dissertation | J. K. Author, âTitle of thesis,â M.S. thesis, Abbrev. Dept., Abbrev. Univ., City of Univ., Abbrev. State, year. |
Website | First Name Initial(s) Last Name. âPage Title.â Website Title. Web Address (retrieved Date Accessed). |
Books | J. K. Author, âTitle of chapter in the book,â in Title of His Published Book, xth ed. City of Publisher, (only U.S. State), Country: Abbrev. of Publisher, year, ch. x, sec. x, pp. xxxâxxx. |
We collected an example that helps in your IEEE citation-style research paper.
The Harvard citation style is used in economics, and it is based on an author-date system. Also, in the Harvard style, the body of your paper contains in-text citations.
Here are some tips that you should follow in writing the research paper in Harvard style.
However, some institutes have their own rules for the Harvard style, so check them first and then start writing.
The below table shows different kinds of sources and their Harvard-style format for your research paper.
Source | Format |
Book | Author A and Author B (year) Book Title. Place: Publisher name. |
Journal Articles | Author Surname, Initial. (Year) Title of article. Title of journal, Vol. no. (Part no./Issue/Month), Pages, use p. or pp. |
Thesis or Dissertation | Author Surname, Initial. (Year). Title. Designation (Level, e.g., MSc, PhD.), Institution. |
Report | Author Surname, Initial(s) or Corporate Author., (Year of publication). Title of report. Paper number [if applicable]. Place of Publication: Publisher. |
Here is an example for you to understand this citation style even better.
Looking for more information? Check out this video below.
Citing a research paper accurately is crucial for maintaining academic integrity and providing proper attribution to the original authors. Here are some essential tips to help you master the art of research paper citations:
Familiarize yourself with the specific citation style required by your discipline or institution, such as APA, MLA, or Chicago. Each style has its own rules for formatting citations, so make sure to consult the appropriate style guide.
Collect all the necessary information about the source you are citing. Be meticulous in recording this information to ensure accurate citations.
Consider using citation management tools such as Zotero, Mendeley, or EndNote to organize and generate citations. These tools can streamline the citation process and help you manage your references effectively.
Pay attention to formatting details such as italics, capitalization, quotation marks, and indentation specified by the citation style. Consistency and adherence to the style guidelines are essential.
Whenever you directly quote or paraphrase someone else's work, provide an in-text citation or a footnote to acknowledge the source. This applies to both written text and visual materials like charts or images.
When citing specific passages or ideas from a source, include the corresponding page numbers in your citation. This allows readers to locate the exact information you are referencing.
Double-check your citations to ensure they are correct and complete. Cross-reference the information with the original source to avoid any inaccuracies.
Whenever possible, cite scholarly sources such as peer-reviewed journals, academic books, and reputable conference proceedings. These sources carry more credibility and strengthen the validity of your research.
Maintain consistency throughout your citations. Follow the same citation format for all sources within your research paper. This includes in-text citations, footnotes, and the reference list or bibliography.
If you have any doubts or question about citing a research paper, consult your professor, mentor, or a reliable style guide. Getting expert guidance can help ensure accurate and proper citation practices.
By following these tips, you can effectively cite research papers and demonstrate your commitment to academic integrity while showcasing the valuable contributions of others to your work.
In conclusion, proper citation is a crucial component of academic writing and serves multiple purposes. Utilize an essay writer to master the art of citing research papers and ensure the accuracy and integrity of your work.
If you are looking for further assistance with your academic writing, consider checking out CollegeEssay.org.
We offer a range of services, including essay writing, editing, and proofreading, as well as expert guidance on various aspects of academic writing.
Whether you need help with citations, grammar, or formatting, CollegeEssay.org has the resources and expertise to help you succeed.
Hire our paper writing service today and take the first step towards achieving your academic goals.
References - Citation Style Manuals
APA: https://apastyle.apa.org/products/publication-manual-7th-edition
MLA: https://guides.library.unr.edu/mlacitation
IEEE:
https://ieeeauthorcenter.ieee.org/wp-content/uploads/IEEE-Reference-Guide.pdf
ASA:
https://www.wpunj.edu/library/pdf/citationguides/asa-6_2020.pdf
WRITTEN BY
Nova A. (Literature, Marketing)
As a Digital Content Strategist, Nova Allison has eight years of experience in writing both technical and scientific content. With a focus on developing online content plans that engage audiences, Nova strives to write pieces that are not only informative but captivating as well.
As a Digital Content Strategist, Nova Allison has eight years of experience in writing both technical and scientific content. With a focus on developing online content plans that engage audiences, Nova strives to write pieces that are not only informative but captivating as well.
Share this article
The Ultimate Guide On How To Write A Research Paper
Learn How to Write a Research Proposal
A Comprehensive Guide to Creating a Research Paper Outline
Types of Research - Methodologies and Characteristics
300+ Engaging Research Paper Topics to Get You Started
Interesting Psychology Research Topics & Ideas
Qualitative Research - Types, Methods & Examples
Understanding Quantitative Research - Definition, Types, Examples, And More
Research Paper Example - Examples for Different Formats
How to Start a Research Paper - An Easy Guide
How to Write an Abstract That Captivates Your Readers
Learn How to Write a Literature Review for a Research Paper
Types of Qualitative Research Methods - An Overview
Understanding Qualitative vs. Quantitative Research - A Complete Guide
Easy Sociology Research Topics for Your Next Project
200+ Outstanding History Research Paper Topics With Expert Tips
How to Write a Hypothesis for a Research Paper