Research Paper Citations Explained
Why Your Research Paper Citation Needs to be Perfect
When writing research papers, you are essentially taking most of the information from another source — which is why research paper citations are so important. Even more importantly, they need to be formatted correctly. This is where a lot of students run into trouble. After all, there are so many different formats: MLA, APA, and Chicago style are just a few of the formats commonly used. So, in addition to discussing why correct citations are so important, we are also going to see a few examples for each separate style.
When writing research papers, you are essentially taking most of the information from another source — which is why research paper citations are so important. Even more importantly, they need to be formatted correctly. This is where a lot of students run into trouble. After all, there are so many different formats: MLA, APA, and Chicago style are just a few of the formats commonly used. So, in addition to discussing why correct citations are so important, we are also going to see a few examples for each separate style.
As mentioned, there are several different types of research paper citations. The MLA format research paper is one of the most common, especially in English and literature courses. There, it is the preferred format. It is arguably one of the easiest styles to master. It is also generally the first style that we learn, as it is used both in high school and in lower level college courses. Once you get higher up, however, it is most common in literature courses.
In MLA format, in text citations are relatively simple. When quoting directly or indirectly from the text, you cite using author-page format. So, if you were quoting from “She Walks in Beauty,” written by Lord Byron, and it appeared on the twentieth page of the book you used, the in text citation would appear as follows: According to the poet, talking about the lady in question, “she walks in beauty like the night” (Byron 20). The quotations do not include the citation, and the proper punctuation follows the citation rather than the quote itself.
Another common paper is the APA style research paper. This paper is significantly different than one which uses the MLA format. With short quotations, you need to include the author of the work, the year it was published, and the page number where the quote takes place. In the in text citation, the page number is preceded by a “p.” The quote should be introduced by a short statement which includes the last name of the author; the publication date should follow, in parentheses. Longer quotations in this style should be placed in a block style quote, without any quotation marks. Again, it should be introduced with the author’s last name and the date of publications. It should end with the page number.
Research paper citations for a Chicago style research paper are somewhat less complicated, but a bit more difficult to master if you are not used to this style. As mentioned in a recent post here, these papers rely on footnotes and endnotes rather than in text citations. Remembering to insert a footnote is probably the most difficult thing to remember, but once you get the hang of it, you may find that a Chicago style research paper is actually the easiest of all the different styles. Certainly, there is plenty of information out there to help you learn how to cite an essay in all different formats.
There are so many different research paper styles that mastering all the different research paper citations can be somewhat difficult. However, with a little practice you will surely discover that in text citations become second nature. Just remember, MLA, APA, and Chicago style are the most common, so familiarizing yourself with these styles can save you a lot of time and trouble.
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