MLA article for a comparison of two of the most popular styles.

If in doubt, check with your instructor or read other papers from your field of study to see what style they follow. There are many other citation styles for different disciplines.Chicago author-date, used in the (social) sciences.Chicago notes and bibliography, common in the humanities.APA Styleis widely used in the social sciences and beyond.Make sure to pick one style and use it consistently: In some cases, you may have to choose a citation style for yourself. Usually, your institution (or the journal you’re submitting to) will require you to follow a specific citation style, so check your guidelines or ask your instructor. This is information that you can assume most people know, such as the fact that Tokyo is the capital city of Japan. NoteYou usually don’t need to cite common knowledge.

That includes websites, YouTube videos, and lectures. As well as citing scholarly sources like books and journal articles, don’t forget to include citations for any other sources you use for ideas, examples, or evidence. It’s important that the paraphrase is not too close to the original wording.Ĭitations are needed whether you quote or paraphrase, and whatever type of source you use. To paraphrase a source, put the text into your own words.To quote a source, copy a short piece of text word for word and put it inside quotation marks.This usually means quoting or paraphrasing: To allow the reader to consult your sources for themselvesĪ citation is needed whenever you integrate a source into your writing.To give proper credit to the author of that source.To avoid plagiarism by indicating when you’re taking information from another source.Frequently asked questions about citing sourcesĬitations are required in all types of academic texts.

How to insert a citation in an essay