How to cite research paper is a question that researchers face and find difficult to answer when they begin the task of writing their submissions. There are a number of standard methods that are used. Each has its unique advantage and is best suited for a particular type of thesis submission. We provide here a broad outline of the principle methods used along with the type of work for which they are useful.
The most frequently used and most popular citation methods are the MLA and the APA styles. While the first is a form that is preferred in the humanities submissions, the second is the choice in the fields of social sciences, psychology and education. There is a third style of citing references that is known as the AMA style and is in use in the fields of medicine and the biological sciences.
The MLA style paper is easy to weave into a text and appears as an end note form of citation. Within the text the cited reference is marked with numerical and a parenthetical mention of author and page number. Complete reference details appear at the end of the submission according to set rules.
The author or editor’s name comes first, followed by title, place of publication, publisher’s name and year of publication. In the case of periodicals and articles, the name is followed by the name of magazine where it appears, the volume and the page number. All references are arranged alphabetically and double spacing is used. The second line is indented five spaces and titles are in bold.
In the APA style paper the author’s name is followed by date of publication. This is in keeping with the needs of the investigative study that it helps to represent. The title comes next and then the place of publication and the name of the publisher. In the AMA style the author, titles, place of publication and publisher’s name come in that order. Titles are listed numerically as they appear in the text. The title is either italicized or underlined.
In addition to these methods, the Turabian and Chicago styles are also used in some submissions. Both of them follow the author, date, and title, place of publication and name of publisher sequence for citing. The difference lies in the line spacing, which is double spacing in the Chicago style and single in the Turabian style. The Chicago style also indents the second line in the reference.
The purpose of using the various styles is to present the information regarding source material in the most logical and clear way for the reader to understand the reference. So the choice of style depends on the individual needs of researcher and subject matter. It is only necessary to adhere to the style that has been selected throughout the citation section.
How to cite research papers needs to be decided before the writing process is commenced. It is also necessary to master the style or to keep a ready reference handy so that errors in citing are avoided.