Were you just told to write a dissertation? Writing a dissertation, thesis, or any other academic paper not only requires you to learn the format and structure of those papers. It also requires you to understand the citation styles.
When you are given an academic writing assignment, you should thoroughly investigate various citation formats and research papers. This helps you employ the proper format in your writing.
In case you never used any citations in your writing, just follow this article as we discuss how to structure research papers correctly and how to cite academic publications properly.
What Is Research Citation?
A citation is nothing but a reference to the information source that you have used in your research. You must use in-text citations whenever you explicitly paraphrase a quote or summarize the important aspects of someone else’s/other’s notion in your work. It is crucial to include citations in order to avoid plagiarism issues.
Citation style requirements are sometimes provided in a handbook that includes explanations, examples, and directions. The following are the most widespread citation styles:
- MLA format in the humanities
- Use APA format in the social sciences
- Use Chicago in history
Although these are some popular styles, you can, however, find other styles too.
APA Research Paper Format
American Psychological Association, also known as the APA research paper format is usually used in social sciences and psychology-related papers. One can use this format’s guidelines in referencing in-text, reference pages, endnotes/footnotes, etc. The APA format has four significant sections:
- Title page
- Abstract
- Main Body
- References
APA format:
- Spacing: Double-space on standard paper (8.5″ x 11″)
- Font: 12-point Times New Roman
- Margin: 1-inch margin on all four sides
- Page header: Insert page number and flush right. It must not exceed 50 characters (including spacing and punctuation)
- Title: Include in the header and flush left. Use capital letters
How Does One Cite A Research Paper In APA Format?
You can follow the below format to cite your research paper in APA format. Usually, one has to follow specific guidelines when citing a research paper in APA. The specific format to follow is as given below:
Book: Author, A.A.. (Publication year). The Title of the book. Publisher City, State: Publisher (Name)
Example: Olivia, W., & In Inge, T. T. (1975). Swan Song. Columbus, Ohio: Merrill.
Newspaper: Author, A.A.. (Year, Month, and Date of Publication). Title of the article. Name of the newspaper, pp. XX-XX.
Example: Edenbury, G. (1995, March 30). The new electronic discovery proves an effective legal weapon. The North Carolina Times, p. D3.
Magazine: Author, A.A.. (Year and month of the Publication). Title of the Article. Title of the Magazine, Volume(Issue), pp.-pp.
Example: Noah, K. (2002, May). Star world is on the rise. Times New Magazine, 165(15), 2-40.
Website: Author, A.A.. (Year, Month Date of Publication). Article title. Retrieved from URL
Example: Simon, C. (2012, January 9). The story of two Flaccos. Retrieved from {link}
These citation forms are used to identify similar literary works and to list sources that were utilized. Thus, there is no need to include information about yourself or your own ideas.
MLA Research Paper Format
Modern Language Association, also known as MLA format is used in humanities and liberal arts. The MLA format offers a process for the documentation, and this format has principles to be followed rather than rules. Also, it’s important to know the basic difference between an APA and an MLA format
MLA format:
- Spacing: Double-space with indentation at the beginning of each paragraph
- Font: 12-point Times New Roman
- Margin: 1-inch margin on all four sides
- Page number: Insert page header on the top left along with last name and page number
- Heading: Include your name, professor’s name, course, and due date on the first page, top right corner
How Does One Cite A Research Paper In MLA Format?
The following formats are followed while citing a research paper in MLA format:
“Book: Last Name, First Name of the Author. Book Title. Publisher City: Publisher Name, Year Published. Medium”.
“Example: Smith, Will. This is a Sample Book. Moorpark: BibMe, 2008. Print”.
Newspaper: Last Name, First Name. “Article Title.” Newspaper Name Publication Date: Page Numbers. Medium.
Example: Amelia, Elijah. “Rangers win Super Bowl XLII.” Oklahoma Pre-Gazette 1 Feb. 2010: 3-6. Print.
Magazine: Last Name, First Name. “Article Title.” Magazine Name Publication Date: Page Numbers. Medium.
Example: Smith, Robert. “Trump inaugurated as President.” Time 21 Mar. 2019: 20-23. Print.
Website: Last Name, First Name. “Page Title.” Website Title. Sponsoring Institution/Publisher. Publication Date: Page Numbers. Medium.
Example: Smith, Robert. “Trump inaugurated as President.” BNN.com. Business News Network, 21 Jan. 2019. Web. 1 Mar. 2019.
Research Paper In Chicago Style
The Chicago style citation is standard in humanities papers in order to provide credibility to the references used in the paper. The writer must include sources in the footnotes/endnotes.
Chicago style format:
- Spacing: Double-space except in case of table titles, blockquotes, due dates, and figure captions
- Font: 12-point Times New Roman
- Margin: 1-inch margin on all four sides
- Page number: Insert the page number in the header starting from the 1st page. Continue numbering till the end of the bibliography
How Does One Cite A Research Paper In Chicago Style?
Book: Last Name, First Name. Title of Book. Publisher City: Publisher Name, Year Published.
Example: Stel, Dan. The Rangers Code. North Carolina: Bloomsberry, 2000.
Newspaper: Last Name, First Name. “Article Title.” Newspaper Name, Publication Date.
Example: Steele, John. “Chargers win Super Bowl XLII.” Yorkville Pre-Gazette, February 1, 2019.
Magazine: Last Name, First Name. Article title. Magazine Title, Month Date, Year of publication.
Example: Robert, Dan. The magical land of koalas. Koala Magazine, Nov 3, 1983.
Website: Last Name, First Name. “Page Title.” Website Title. Web Address (retrieved Date Accessed).
Example: Smith, Emma. “Trump inaugurated as President.” {link} (accessed February 1, 2010).
ASA Research Paper format
The Sociological Association developed this supreme American system of referring and quoting typically used by sociological students and academics. This format is used when writing university research papers in sociology or submitting publications to ASA periodicals.
ASA format:
- Spacing: Double-space throughout the paper, including footnotes
- Font: 12-point Times New Roman
- Margin: At least 1 ¼ inch margin on all sides or as directed by the professor
- Page number: Insert the page number in the top right corner of each page
- Abstract: Included on a separate page
- Keywords: Include 3 – 5 keywords
How Do You Cite A Research Paper In ASA Format?
Book: Author’s Last and First Name. Year of Publication. Title. Country of the Publisher: Publisher.
Example: Cooke, Henry. 2003. The Change of the Tide. North Carolina: Sea & Salt Books.
Journal Article: Author’s Last and First Name. Year of Publication. “Title.” Journal Name issue #: inclusive page numbers.
Example: Baskins, Bo. 2007. “Chasing The Super Tree Frogs.” National Geographic #181. 4-10
Magazine Article: Author’s Last and First Name. Year of Pub. “Title.” Magazine Name, Month Year, pp. Inclusive page numbers.
Example: Bill, Rachel. 2011. “The Issue with Master Cooking.” The California Times, May 2004. Pp. 10-23.
E-Books: Last and First Name of the Author. Year of Publication. Title. Country of Publisher: Publisher. Retrieved Month Day, Year {link}.
Example: Smith, Henry. 2001. The Turn of the Tide. North Carolina: Flamingo Books Kindle Version. Retrieved March 16, 2016. {link}
Website: Author’s Last and First Name. Date of Publishing. Title. Publisher. Retrieved Month Day, Year {link}.
Example: Ali, Ali. 02.09.2006. Birth of a Government. Retrieved 17.01.2015. {link}
Conclusion
Citing references and related literature is a crucial element of a dissertation, thesis, and other similar papers. As a student, you must be capable to demonstrate written pieces that assist you in synthesizing concepts and formulating conclusions. Doing so will help you avoid plagiarism and display your professionalism toward the task. You can follow the examples given in this article to cite your sources correctly.
