Research Citations: A Practical Guide to Citing Your Sources Correctly

Types of Citation Styles

1. MLA

MLA style is the most commonly used in the humanities, particularly in English literature, languages, and folklore. This style uses in-text citations, and a Works Cited page at the end of the document to provide information about sources. MLA style is also used in other disciplines, such as philosophy, history, and religious studies.

2. APA

APA style is incorporated in the social sciences, such as psychology, sociology, and anthropology. This style uses in-text citations and a Reference list at the end of the document to provide information about sources.

3. Chicago/Turabian

Chicago/Turabian style is used in history and the humanities. This style uses footnotes or endnotes and a bibliography at the end of the document to provide information about sources.

4. Harvard

Harvard style is most commonly used in the natural sciences and engineering. In-text citation system and a reference list at the end of the document provide information about sources.

5. Vancouver

Vancouver style is utilized in medicine and the sciences. This style uses a numbered citation system within the text and a reference list at the end of the document to provide information about sources. Disciplines like nursing and dentistry also use Vancouver to cite their sources.

6. IEEE

IEEE style is generally used in engineering, computer science, and electronics. It uses a numbered citation system within the text and a reference list at the end of the document to provide information about sources. IEEE style is also used in many other disciplines, such as mathematics and physics.

Elements to Include

Writing a citation follows different norms for different publications. How to write citation for a journal will be different from books and websites. 

For Journals:

• Authors
• Year of publication (in round brackets)
• Article title (in single quotation marks)
• Journal title (in italics, capitalize the first letter of each word except linking words)
• Volume number
• Issue number (if present, in round brackets)
• Page numbers or article reference numbers (When creating your full citation, provide the page numbers for the entire article and the pages you have cited.)
• For online-only articles, use a DOI or website URL.

For Books:

• Authors or Editors
• Year of publication (in round brackets)
• Title (in italics)
• Edition (if applicable)
• Place Published
• Publisher
• Series and volume number (if applicable)

Websites:

• Author (individual or company that developed the webpage)
• Year of publication or most recent update (in round brackets). If there is no date at the bottom of the page, write (no date)
• Page Title (In italics)
• Accessible at: URL (Accessed: date)

Organization's Databases:

• Publishing organization
• Year of publication/last updated (in round brackets)
• Title of report (in italics)
• Available at: URL or DOI (Accessed: date)

Newspapers:

• Author(s) surname and initials
• Year of publication (in round brackets)
• Title of article (in single quotation marks)
• Title of newspaper (in italics - capitalize the first word of each word in the title except for linking words like and, of, the, and for)
• Edition if required (in round brackets)
• Day and month
• Section and Page reference, if available

Difference Between MLA and APA Formats

The major difference between MLA and APA formats are as follows

MLA Formatting

MLA (Modern Language Association) is typically used for papers written in the humanities, such as English or History. MLA uses parenthetical citations in the paper's main body, which means that for each source you use, you will include a piece of information in parentheses at the end of the sentence where that source is used. That information will include the author's last name and the page number where you found the information. For example:

• According to Smith (42), "MLA formatting is not as difficult as it seems."

In this sentence, "Smith" is the author's last name, and "42" is the page number where you found the quote. At the end of your paper, you will also include a Works Cited page that lists all the sources you used in your article. The format for each entry on this page will vary depending on the source type, but every listing should include at least the author's last name and the working title.

Here's an example of what an MLA Works Cited page might look like:

• Works Cited
• "Article Title." Website Title. Date Published. URL. Accessed Date Accessed.
• "Another Article Title." Another Website Title. Date Published. URL. Accessed Date Accessed.
• Smith, John. Book Title. City Published: Publisher, Date Published. Print.

APA Formatting

APA (American Psychological Association) is typically used for papers written in social sciences such as Psychology or Sociology. APA also uses parenthetical citations in the body of your paper, which means that for each source you use, you will include a piece of information in parentheses at the end of the sentence where that source is used.

The main difference between APA and MLA formatting is what goes into that piece of information at the end of each sentence. In APA format, that piece of information includes not only the author's last name and page number but also the date when that work was published like this:

• According to Smith (2020), "APA formatting is not as difficult as it seems."

Notice how we included both the author's last name and publication date in our parenthetical citation? That's what distinguishes APA from MLA formatting! Just like MLA formatting, every source used in an APA paper should be listed on a reference page at the end of your paper; however, unlike MLA format, this reference page is titled "References" instead of "Works Cited."

The entries on this reference page will look different depending on the source type, just like MLA formatting. But every listing should include at least the author's last name and year published like this:

• References
• Smith, J.(2020). The article title goes here [Type of Medium]. retrieved from http://www......com/article-title-goes-here/

Conclusion

Learning how to write citations and properly acknowledge your sources can seem daunting at first, but once you get familiar with either MLA or APA formatting--or both!--it'll become second nature! And remember, anytime you use someone else's words or ideas without giving them credit, you're committing plagiarism! So, always cite appropriately to avoid any issues with your teachers or professors.