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.

The odds that you will have to write at least one APA style research paper during your academic career are quite high.  The APA format is one of most commonly used citation styles, right up there with MLA.  The APA acronym stands for the American Psychological Association.  As you might therefore imagine, the style is especially popular in psychology classes, along with sociology courses and anthropology courses, among a number of others.  A lot of it really depends on your professors’ individual preferences, but in general, you will find that the aforementioned classes rely on APA, while English and literature classes rely on MLA.

Usually, the separate research paper styles are divided by the category of classes.  So, the APA style research paper is most common in any classes – or with any papers – which involve research, especially of the scientific type.  This is because this particular format is very clean, concise, and understandable, which is vital when presenting any type of research.

For that reason, this type of research paper format is also very common in undergraduate classes.  Generally, the essays and research papers you write in high school are done in a basic MLA style.  So, once you get to college, you are not precisely accustomed to really intensive writing.  Writing an APA style research paper is a good place to start when you do get there, because it is so easy to understand. You should check some good research paper examples before starting to write.

For example, the format for APA essays and research papers, technically speaking, involves using double spacing and a 12 point font which is easy to read, such as Arial or Times New Roman.  The paper margins need to be one inch on all four sides.  You need to stay away from any first person speech – i.e., you really should not use “I,” “me,” “mine,” et cetera.  Abbreviations should be spelled out the first time you use them and you should not use contractions.  When writing numbers, you need to spell out numbers zero (0) to nine (9); when writing numbers 10 or more, you can use the numerals.  In APA research paper format, the title should be somewhere between ten to twelve words, and is used to summarize the primary idea of the paper.  The first two or three words of the title are used when numbering the pages as well; they go right before the page number in the upper right hand corner of all the pages.  To get a better idea, feel free to check out a research paper template or two which exhibits this particular format.

These are just a few rules used in an APA style research paper, but have no fear.  You will not be expected to know how to cite a research paper in this format with no foreknowledge.  Generally, your first year English professor will either require you to purchase a reference book containing information on all the main research paper styles, or else he or she will tell you where to get one.  If your professor does simply suggest that you buy such a book, definitely take him or her up on it.  You will be able to use it well into graduate school, and it will make it much easier for you to write any type of paper. Want to find some good sample papers? Just follow the link!