Note that when you do this with an online source, you should still include an access date, as in the example.
When a source lacks a clearly identified author, there’s often an appropriate corporate source – the organisation responsible for the source – whom you can credit as author instead, as in the Google and Wikipedia examples above.
When that’s not the case, you can just replace it with the title of the source in both the in-text citation and the reference list:
In-text citation | (‘Divest’, no date) |
Reference list entry | ‘Divest’ (no date) Available at: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/divest (Accessed: 27 January 2020). |
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Harvard referencing uses an author–date system. Sources are cited by the author’s last name and the publication year in brackets. Each Harvard in-text citation corresponds to an entry in the alphabetised reference list at the end of the paper.
Vancouver referencing uses a numerical system. Sources are cited by a number in parentheses or superscript. Each number corresponds to a full reference at the end of the paper.
Harvard style | Vancouver style | |
---|---|---|
In-text citation | Each referencing style has different rules (Pears and Shields, 2019). | Each referencing style has different rules (1). |
Reference list | Pears, R. and Shields, G. (2019). . 11th edn. London: MacMillan. | 1. Pears R, Shields G. Cite them right: The essential referencing guide. 11th ed. London: MacMillan; 2019. |
A Harvard in-text citation should appear in brackets every time you quote, paraphrase, or refer to information from a source.
The citation can appear immediately after the quotation or paraphrase, or at the end of the sentence. If you’re quoting, place the citation outside of the quotation marks but before any other punctuation like a comma or full stop.
In Harvard referencing, up to three author names are included in an in-text citation or reference list entry. When there are four or more authors, include only the first, followed by ‘ et al. ’
In-text citation | Reference list | |
---|---|---|
1 author | (Smith, 2014) | Smith, T. (2014) … |
2 authors | (Smith and Jones, 2014) | Smith, T. and Jones, F. (2014) … |
3 authors | (Smith, Jones and Davies, 2014) | Smith, T., Jones, F. and Davies, S. (2014) … |
4+ authors | (Smith , 2014) | Smith, T. (2014) … |
Though the terms are sometimes used interchangeably, there is a difference in meaning:
If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the ‘Cite this Scribbr article’ button to automatically add the citation to our free Reference Generator.
Caulfield, J. (2023, September 15). A Quick Guide to Harvard Referencing | Citation Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved 24 June 2024, from https://www.scribbr.co.uk/referencing/harvard-style/
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Home » References in Research – Types, Examples and Writing Guide
Table of Contents
Definition:
References in research are a list of sources that a researcher has consulted or cited while conducting their study. They are an essential component of any academic work, including research papers, theses, dissertations, and other scholarly publications.
There are several types of references used in research, and the type of reference depends on the source of information being cited. The most common types of references include:
References to books typically include the author’s name, title of the book, publisher, publication date, and place of publication.
Example: Smith, J. (2018). The Art of Writing. Penguin Books.
References to journal articles usually include the author’s name, title of the article, name of the journal, volume and issue number, page numbers, and publication date.
Example: Johnson, T. (2021). The Impact of Social Media on Mental Health. Journal of Psychology, 32(4), 87-94.
References to web sources should include the author or organization responsible for the content, the title of the page, the URL, and the date accessed.
Example: World Health Organization. (2020). Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) advice for the public. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/emergencies/disease/novel-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public
Conference Proceedings
References to conference proceedings should include the author’s name, title of the paper, name of the conference, location of the conference, date of the conference, and page numbers.
Example: Chen, S., & Li, J. (2019). The Future of AI in Education. Proceedings of the International Conference on Educational Technology, Beijing, China, July 15-17, pp. 67-78.
References to reports typically include the author or organization responsible for the report, title of the report, publication date, and publisher.
Example: United Nations. (2020). The Sustainable Development Goals Report. United Nations.
Some common Formates of References with their examples are as follows:
The APA (American Psychological Association) Style has specific guidelines for formatting references used in academic papers, articles, and books. Here are the different reference formats in APA style with examples:
Author, A. A. (Year of publication). Title of book. Publisher.
Example : Smith, J. K. (2005). The psychology of social interaction. Wiley-Blackwell.
Journal Article
Author, A. A., Author, B. B., & Author, C. C. (Year of publication). Title of article. Title of Journal, volume number(issue number), page numbers.
Example : Brown, L. M., Keating, J. G., & Jones, S. M. (2012). The role of social support in coping with stress among African American adolescents. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 22(1), 218-233.
Author, A. A. (Year of publication or last update). Title of page. Website name. URL.
Example : Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2020, December 11). COVID-19: How to protect yourself and others. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/prevention.html
Magazine article
Author, A. A. (Year, Month Day of publication). Title of article. Title of Magazine, volume number(issue number), page numbers.
Example : Smith, M. (2019, March 11). The power of positive thinking. Psychology Today, 52(3), 60-65.
Newspaper article:
Author, A. A. (Year, Month Day of publication). Title of article. Title of Newspaper, page numbers.
Example: Johnson, B. (2021, February 15). New study shows benefits of exercise on mental health. The New York Times, A8.
Edited book
Editor, E. E. (Ed.). (Year of publication). Title of book. Publisher.
Example : Thompson, J. P. (Ed.). (2014). Social work in the 21st century. Sage Publications.
Chapter in an edited book:
Author, A. A. (Year of publication). Title of chapter. In E. E. Editor (Ed.), Title of book (pp. page numbers). Publisher.
Example : Johnson, K. S. (2018). The future of social work: Challenges and opportunities. In J. P. Thompson (Ed.), Social work in the 21st century (pp. 105-118). Sage Publications.
The MLA (Modern Language Association) Style is a widely used style for writing academic papers and essays in the humanities. Here are the different reference formats in MLA style:
Author’s Last name, First name. Title of Book. Publisher, Publication year.
Example : Smith, John. The Psychology of Social Interaction. Wiley-Blackwell, 2005.
Journal article
Author’s Last name, First name. “Title of Article.” Title of Journal, volume number, issue number, Publication year, page numbers.
Example : Brown, Laura M., et al. “The Role of Social Support in Coping with Stress among African American Adolescents.” Journal of Research on Adolescence, vol. 22, no. 1, 2012, pp. 218-233.
Author’s Last name, First name. “Title of Webpage.” Website Name, Publication date, URL.
Example : Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “COVID-19: How to Protect Yourself and Others.” CDC, 11 Dec. 2020, https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/prevention.html.
Author’s Last name, First name. “Title of Article.” Title of Magazine, Publication date, page numbers.
Example : Smith, Mary. “The Power of Positive Thinking.” Psychology Today, Mar. 2019, pp. 60-65.
Newspaper article
Author’s Last name, First name. “Title of Article.” Title of Newspaper, Publication date, page numbers.
Example : Johnson, Bob. “New Study Shows Benefits of Exercise on Mental Health.” The New York Times, 15 Feb. 2021, p. A8.
Editor’s Last name, First name, editor. Title of Book. Publisher, Publication year.
Example : Thompson, John P., editor. Social Work in the 21st Century. Sage Publications, 2014.
Chapter in an edited book
Author’s Last name, First name. “Title of Chapter.” Title of Book, edited by Editor’s First Name Last name, Publisher, Publication year, page numbers.
Example : Johnson, Karen S. “The Future of Social Work: Challenges and Opportunities.” Social Work in the 21st Century, edited by John P. Thompson, Sage Publications, 2014, pp. 105-118.
The Chicago Manual of Style is a widely used style for writing academic papers, dissertations, and books in the humanities and social sciences. Here are the different reference formats in Chicago style:
Example : Smith, John K. The Psychology of Social Interaction. Wiley-Blackwell, 2005.
Author’s Last name, First name. “Title of Article.” Title of Journal volume number, no. issue number (Publication year): page numbers.
Example : Brown, Laura M., John G. Keating, and Sarah M. Jones. “The Role of Social Support in Coping with Stress among African American Adolescents.” Journal of Research on Adolescence 22, no. 1 (2012): 218-233.
Author’s Last name, First name. “Title of Webpage.” Website Name. Publication date. URL.
Example : Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “COVID-19: How to Protect Yourself and Others.” CDC. December 11, 2020. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/prevention.html.
Author’s Last name, First name. “Title of Article.” Title of Magazine, Publication date.
Example : Smith, Mary. “The Power of Positive Thinking.” Psychology Today, March 2019.
Author’s Last name, First name. “Title of Article.” Title of Newspaper, Publication date.
Example : Johnson, Bob. “New Study Shows Benefits of Exercise on Mental Health.” The New York Times, February 15, 2021.
Example : Thompson, John P., ed. Social Work in the 21st Century. Sage Publications, 2014.
Author’s Last name, First name. “Title of Chapter.” In Title of Book, edited by Editor’s First Name Last Name, page numbers. Publisher, Publication year.
Example : Johnson, Karen S. “The Future of Social Work: Challenges and Opportunities.” In Social Work in the 21st Century, edited by John P. Thompson, 105-118. Sage Publications, 2014.
The Harvard Style, also known as the Author-Date System, is a widely used style for writing academic papers and essays in the social sciences. Here are the different reference formats in Harvard Style:
Author’s Last name, First name. Year of publication. Title of Book. Place of publication: Publisher.
Example : Smith, John. 2005. The Psychology of Social Interaction. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell.
Author’s Last name, First name. Year of publication. “Title of Article.” Title of Journal volume number (issue number): page numbers.
Example: Brown, Laura M., John G. Keating, and Sarah M. Jones. 2012. “The Role of Social Support in Coping with Stress among African American Adolescents.” Journal of Research on Adolescence 22 (1): 218-233.
Author’s Last name, First name. Year of publication. “Title of Webpage.” Website Name. URL. Accessed date.
Example : Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2020. “COVID-19: How to Protect Yourself and Others.” CDC. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/prevention.html. Accessed April 1, 2023.
Author’s Last name, First name. Year of publication. “Title of Article.” Title of Magazine, month and date of publication.
Example : Smith, Mary. 2019. “The Power of Positive Thinking.” Psychology Today, March 2019.
Author’s Last name, First name. Year of publication. “Title of Article.” Title of Newspaper, month and date of publication.
Example : Johnson, Bob. 2021. “New Study Shows Benefits of Exercise on Mental Health.” The New York Times, February 15, 2021.
Editor’s Last name, First name, ed. Year of publication. Title of Book. Place of publication: Publisher.
Example : Thompson, John P., ed. 2014. Social Work in the 21st Century. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Author’s Last name, First name. Year of publication. “Title of Chapter.” In Title of Book, edited by Editor’s First Name Last Name, page numbers. Place of publication: Publisher.
Example : Johnson, Karen S. 2014. “The Future of Social Work: Challenges and Opportunities.” In Social Work in the 21st Century, edited by John P. Thompson, 105-118. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
The Vancouver Style, also known as the Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals, is a widely used style for writing academic papers in the biomedical sciences. Here are the different reference formats in Vancouver Style:
Author’s Last name, First name. Title of Book. Edition number. Place of publication: Publisher; Year of publication.
Example : Smith, John K. The Psychology of Social Interaction. 2nd ed. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell; 2005.
Author’s Last name, First name. Title of Article. Abbreviated Journal Title. Year of publication; volume number(issue number):page numbers.
Example : Brown LM, Keating JG, Jones SM. The Role of Social Support in Coping with Stress among African American Adolescents. J Res Adolesc. 2012;22(1):218-233.
Author’s Last name, First name. Title of Webpage. Website Name [Internet]. Publication date. [cited date]. Available from: URL.
Example : Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. COVID-19: How to Protect Yourself and Others [Internet]. 2020 Dec 11. [cited 2023 Apr 1]. Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/prevention.html.
Author’s Last name, First name. Title of Article. Title of Magazine. Year of publication; month and day of publication:page numbers.
Example : Smith M. The Power of Positive Thinking. Psychology Today. 2019 Mar 1:32-35.
Author’s Last name, First name. Title of Article. Title of Newspaper. Year of publication; month and day of publication:page numbers.
Example : Johnson B. New Study Shows Benefits of Exercise on Mental Health. The New York Times. 2021 Feb 15:A4.
Editor’s Last name, First name, editor. Title of Book. Edition number. Place of publication: Publisher; Year of publication.
Example: Thompson JP, editor. Social Work in the 21st Century. 1st ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications; 2014.
Author’s Last name, First name. Title of Chapter. In: Editor’s Last name, First name, editor. Title of Book. Edition number. Place of publication: Publisher; Year of publication. page numbers.
Example : Johnson KS. The Future of Social Work: Challenges and Opportunities. In: Thompson JP, editor. Social Work in the 21st Century. 1st ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications; 2014. p. 105-118.
Turabian style is a variation of the Chicago style used in academic writing, particularly in the fields of history and humanities. Here are the different reference formats in Turabian style:
Author’s Last name, First name. Title of Book. Place of publication: Publisher, Year of publication.
Example : Smith, John K. The Psychology of Social Interaction. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell, 2005.
Author’s Last name, First name. “Title of Article.” Title of Journal volume number, no. issue number (Year of publication): page numbers.
Example : Brown, LM, Keating, JG, Jones, SM. “The Role of Social Support in Coping with Stress among African American Adolescents.” J Res Adolesc 22, no. 1 (2012): 218-233.
Author’s Last name, First name. “Title of Webpage.” Name of Website. Publication date. Accessed date. URL.
Example : Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “COVID-19: How to Protect Yourself and Others.” CDC. December 11, 2020. Accessed April 1, 2023. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/prevention.html.
Author’s Last name, First name. “Title of Article.” Title of Magazine, Month Day, Year of publication, page numbers.
Example : Smith, M. “The Power of Positive Thinking.” Psychology Today, March 1, 2019, 32-35.
Author’s Last name, First name. “Title of Article.” Title of Newspaper, Month Day, Year of publication.
Example : Johnson, B. “New Study Shows Benefits of Exercise on Mental Health.” The New York Times, February 15, 2021.
Editor’s Last name, First name, ed. Title of Book. Place of publication: Publisher, Year of publication.
Example : Thompson, JP, ed. Social Work in the 21st Century. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, 2014.
Author’s Last name, First name. “Title of Chapter.” In Title of Book, edited by Editor’s Last name, First name, page numbers. Place of publication: Publisher, Year of publication.
Example : Johnson, KS. “The Future of Social Work: Challenges and Opportunities.” In Social Work in the 21st Century, edited by Thompson, JP, 105-118. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, 2014.
IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) style is commonly used in engineering, computer science, and other technical fields. Here are the different reference formats in IEEE style:
Author’s Last name, First name. Book Title. Place of Publication: Publisher, Year of publication.
Example : Oppenheim, A. V., & Schafer, R. W. Discrete-Time Signal Processing. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2010.
Author’s Last name, First name. “Title of Article.” Abbreviated Journal Title, vol. number, no. issue number, pp. page numbers, Month year of publication.
Example: Shannon, C. E. “A Mathematical Theory of Communication.” Bell System Technical Journal, vol. 27, no. 3, pp. 379-423, July 1948.
Conference paper
Author’s Last name, First name. “Title of Paper.” In Title of Conference Proceedings, Place of Conference, Date of Conference, pp. page numbers, Year of publication.
Example: Gupta, S., & Kumar, P. “An Improved System of Linear Discriminant Analysis for Face Recognition.” In Proceedings of the 2011 International Conference on Computer Science and Network Technology, Harbin, China, Dec. 2011, pp. 144-147.
Author’s Last name, First name. “Title of Webpage.” Name of Website. Date of publication or last update. Accessed date. URL.
Example : National Aeronautics and Space Administration. “Apollo 11.” NASA. July 20, 1969. Accessed April 1, 2023. https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/apollo/apollo11.html.
Technical report
Author’s Last name, First name. “Title of Report.” Name of Institution or Organization, Report number, Year of publication.
Example : Smith, J. R. “Development of a New Solar Panel Technology.” National Renewable Energy Laboratory, NREL/TP-6A20-51645, 2011.
Author’s Last name, First name. “Title of Patent.” Patent number, Issue date.
Example : Suzuki, H. “Method of Producing Carbon Nanotubes.” US Patent 7,151,019, December 19, 2006.
Standard Title. Standard number, Publication date.
Example : IEEE Standard for Floating-Point Arithmetic. IEEE Std 754-2008, August 29, 2008
ACS (American Chemical Society) style is commonly used in chemistry and related fields. Here are the different reference formats in ACS style:
Author’s Last name, First name; Author’s Last name, First name. Title of Article. Abbreviated Journal Title Year, Volume, Page Numbers.
Example : Wang, Y.; Zhao, X.; Cui, Y.; Ma, Y. Facile Preparation of Fe3O4/graphene Composites Using a Hydrothermal Method for High-Performance Lithium Ion Batteries. ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces 2012, 4, 2715-2721.
Author’s Last name, First name. Book Title; Publisher: Place of Publication, Year of Publication.
Example : Carey, F. A. Organic Chemistry; McGraw-Hill: New York, 2008.
Author’s Last name, First name. Chapter Title. In Book Title; Editor’s Last name, First name, Ed.; Publisher: Place of Publication, Year of Publication; Volume number, Chapter number, Page Numbers.
Example : Grossman, R. B. Analytical Chemistry of Aerosols. In Aerosol Measurement: Principles, Techniques, and Applications; Baron, P. A.; Willeke, K., Eds.; Wiley-Interscience: New York, 2001; Chapter 10, pp 395-424.
Author’s Last name, First name. Title of Webpage. Website Name, URL (accessed date).
Example : National Institute of Standards and Technology. Atomic Spectra Database. https://www.nist.gov/pml/atomic-spectra-database (accessed April 1, 2023).
Author’s Last name, First name. Patent Number. Patent Date.
Example : Liu, Y.; Huang, H.; Chen, H.; Zhang, W. US Patent 9,999,999, December 31, 2022.
Author’s Last name, First name; Author’s Last name, First name. Title of Article. In Title of Conference Proceedings, Publisher: Place of Publication, Year of Publication; Volume Number, Page Numbers.
Example : Jia, H.; Xu, S.; Wu, Y.; Wu, Z.; Tang, Y.; Huang, X. Fast Adsorption of Organic Pollutants by Graphene Oxide. In Proceedings of the 15th International Conference on Environmental Science and Technology, American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 2017; Volume 1, pp 223-228.
AMA (American Medical Association) style is commonly used in medical and scientific fields. Here are the different reference formats in AMA style:
Author’s Last name, First name. Article Title. Journal Abbreviation. Year; Volume(Issue):Page Numbers.
Example : Jones, R. A.; Smith, B. C. The Role of Vitamin D in Maintaining Bone Health. JAMA. 2019;321(17):1765-1773.
Author’s Last name, First name. Book Title. Edition number. Place of Publication: Publisher; Year.
Example : Guyton, A. C.; Hall, J. E. Textbook of Medical Physiology. 13th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Saunders; 2015.
Author’s Last name, First name. Chapter Title. In: Editor’s Last name, First name, ed. Book Title. Edition number. Place of Publication: Publisher; Year: Page Numbers.
Example: Rajakumar, K. Vitamin D and Bone Health. In: Holick, M. F., ed. Vitamin D: Physiology, Molecular Biology, and Clinical Applications. 2nd ed. New York, NY: Springer; 2010:211-222.
Author’s Last name, First name. Webpage Title. Website Name. URL. Published date. Updated date. Accessed date.
Example : National Cancer Institute. Breast Cancer Prevention (PDQ®)–Patient Version. National Cancer Institute. https://www.cancer.gov/types/breast/patient/breast-prevention-pdq. Published October 11, 2022. Accessed April 1, 2023.
Author’s Last name, First name. Conference presentation title. In: Conference Title; Conference Date; Place of Conference.
Example : Smith, J. R. Vitamin D and Bone Health: A Meta-Analysis. In: Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research; September 20-23, 2022; San Diego, CA.
Thesis or dissertation
Author’s Last name, First name. Title of Thesis or Dissertation. Degree level [Doctoral dissertation or Master’s thesis]. University Name; Year.
Example : Wilson, S. A. The Effects of Vitamin D Supplementation on Bone Health in Postmenopausal Women [Doctoral dissertation]. University of California, Los Angeles; 2018.
The ASCE (American Society of Civil Engineers) style is commonly used in civil engineering fields. Here are the different reference formats in ASCE style:
Author’s Last name, First name. “Article Title.” Journal Title, volume number, issue number (year): page numbers. DOI or URL (if available).
Example : Smith, J. R. “Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Sustainable Drainage Systems in Urban Areas.” Journal of Environmental Engineering, vol. 146, no. 3 (2020): 04020010. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)EE.1943-7870.0001668.
Example : McCuen, R. H. Hydrologic Analysis and Design. 4th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education; 2013.
Author’s Last name, First name. “Chapter Title.” In: Editor’s Last name, First name, ed. Book Title. Edition number. Place of Publication: Publisher; Year: page numbers.
Example : Maidment, D. R. “Floodplain Management in the United States.” In: Shroder, J. F., ed. Treatise on Geomorphology. San Diego, CA: Academic Press; 2013: 447-460.
Author’s Last name, First name. “Paper Title.” In: Conference Title; Conference Date; Location. Place of Publication: Publisher; Year: page numbers.
Example: Smith, J. R. “Sustainable Drainage Systems for Urban Areas.” In: Proceedings of the ASCE International Conference on Sustainable Infrastructure; November 6-9, 2019; Los Angeles, CA. Reston, VA: American Society of Civil Engineers; 2019: 156-163.
Author’s Last name, First name. “Report Title.” Report number. Place of Publication: Publisher; Year.
Example : U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. “Hurricane Sandy Coastal Risk Reduction Program, New York and New Jersey.” Report No. P-15-001. Washington, DC: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; 2015.
The CSE (Council of Science Editors) style is commonly used in the scientific and medical fields. Here are the different reference formats in CSE style:
Author’s Last name, First Initial. Middle Initial. “Article Title.” Journal Title. Year;Volume(Issue):Page numbers.
Example : Smith, J.R. “Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Sustainable Drainage Systems in Urban Areas.” Journal of Environmental Engineering. 2020;146(3):04020010.
Author’s Last name, First Initial. Middle Initial. Book Title. Edition number. Place of Publication: Publisher; Year.
Author’s Last name, First Initial. Middle Initial. “Chapter Title.” In: Editor’s Last name, First Initial. Middle Initial., ed. Book Title. Edition number. Place of Publication: Publisher; Year:Page numbers.
Author’s Last name, First Initial. Middle Initial. “Paper Title.” In: Conference Title; Conference Date; Location. Place of Publication: Publisher; Year.
Example : Smith, J.R. “Sustainable Drainage Systems for Urban Areas.” In: Proceedings of the ASCE International Conference on Sustainable Infrastructure; November 6-9, 2019; Los Angeles, CA. Reston, VA: American Society of Civil Engineers; 2019.
Author’s Last name, First Initial. Middle Initial. “Report Title.” Report number. Place of Publication: Publisher; Year.
The Bluebook style is commonly used in the legal field for citing legal documents and sources. Here are the different reference formats in Bluebook style:
Case citation
Case name, volume source page (Court year).
Example : Brown v. Board of Education, 347 U.S. 483 (1954).
Statute citation
Name of Act, volume source § section number (year).
Example : Clean Air Act, 42 U.S.C. § 7401 (1963).
Regulation citation
Name of regulation, volume source § section number (year).
Example: Clean Air Act, 40 C.F.R. § 52.01 (2019).
Book citation
Author’s Last name, First Initial. Middle Initial. Book Title. Edition number (if applicable). Place of Publication: Publisher; Year.
Example: Smith, J.R. Legal Writing and Analysis. 3rd ed. New York, NY: Aspen Publishers; 2015.
Journal article citation
Author’s Last name, First Initial. Middle Initial. “Article Title.” Journal Title. Volume number (year): first page-last page.
Example: Garcia, C. “The Right to Counsel: An International Comparison.” International Journal of Legal Information. 43 (2015): 63-94.
Website citation
Author’s Last name, First Initial. Middle Initial. “Page Title.” Website Title. URL (accessed month day, year).
Example : United Nations. “Universal Declaration of Human Rights.” United Nations. https://www.un.org/en/universal-declaration-human-rights/ (accessed January 3, 2023).
The Oxford style, also known as the Oxford referencing system or the documentary-note citation system, is commonly used in the humanities, including literature, history, and philosophy. Here are the different reference formats in Oxford style:
Author’s Last name, First name. Book Title. Place of Publication: Publisher, Year of Publication.
Example : Smith, John. The Art of Writing. New York: Penguin, 2020.
Author’s Last name, First name. “Article Title.” Journal Title volume, no. issue (year): page range.
Example: Garcia, Carlos. “The Role of Ethics in Philosophy.” Philosophy Today 67, no. 3 (2019): 53-68.
Chapter in an edited book citation
Author’s Last name, First name. “Chapter Title.” In Book Title, edited by Editor’s Name, page range. Place of Publication: Publisher, Year of Publication.
Example : Lee, Mary. “Feminism in the 21st Century.” In The Oxford Handbook of Feminism, edited by Jane Smith, 51-69. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2018.
Author’s Last name, First name. “Page Title.” Website Title. URL (accessed day month year).
Example : Jones, David. “The Importance of Learning Languages.” Oxford Language Center. https://www.oxfordlanguagecenter.com/importance-of-learning-languages/ (accessed 3 January 2023).
Dissertation or thesis citation
Author’s Last name, First name. “Title of Dissertation/Thesis.” PhD diss., University Name, Year of Publication.
Example : Brown, Susan. “The Art of Storytelling in American Literature.” PhD diss., University of Oxford, 2020.
Newspaper article citation
Author’s Last name, First name. “Article Title.” Newspaper Title, Month Day, Year.
Example : Robinson, Andrew. “New Developments in Climate Change Research.” The Guardian, September 15, 2022.
The American Anthropological Association (AAA) style is commonly used in anthropology research papers and journals. Here are the different reference formats in AAA style:
Author’s Last name, First name. Year of Publication. Book Title. Place of Publication: Publisher.
Example : Smith, John. 2019. The Anthropology of Food. New York: Routledge.
Author’s Last name, First name. Year of Publication. “Article Title.” Journal Title volume, no. issue: page range.
Example : Garcia, Carlos. 2021. “The Role of Ethics in Anthropology.” American Anthropologist 123, no. 2: 237-251.
Author’s Last name, First name. Year of Publication. “Chapter Title.” In Book Title, edited by Editor’s Name, page range. Place of Publication: Publisher.
Example: Lee, Mary. 2018. “Feminism in Anthropology.” In The Oxford Handbook of Feminism, edited by Jane Smith, 51-69. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Author’s Last name, First name. Year of Publication. “Page Title.” Website Title. URL (accessed day month year).
Example : Jones, David. 2020. “The Importance of Learning Languages.” Oxford Language Center. https://www.oxfordlanguagecenter.com/importance-of-learning-languages/ (accessed January 3, 2023).
Author’s Last name, First name. Year of Publication. “Title of Dissertation/Thesis.” PhD diss., University Name.
Example : Brown, Susan. 2022. “The Art of Storytelling in Anthropology.” PhD diss., University of California, Berkeley.
Author’s Last name, First name. Year of Publication. “Article Title.” Newspaper Title, Month Day.
Example : Robinson, Andrew. 2021. “New Developments in Anthropology Research.” The Guardian, September 15.
The American Institute of Physics (AIP) style is commonly used in physics research papers and journals. Here are the different reference formats in AIP style:
Example : Johnson, S. D. 2021. “Quantum Computing and Information.” Journal of Applied Physics 129, no. 4: 043102.
Example : Feynman, Richard. 2018. The Feynman Lectures on Physics. New York: Basic Books.
Example : Jones, David. 2020. “The Future of Quantum Computing.” In The Handbook of Physics, edited by John Smith, 125-136. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Conference proceedings citation
Author’s Last name, First name. Year of Publication. “Title of Paper.” Proceedings of Conference Name, date and location: page range. Place of Publication: Publisher.
Example : Chen, Wei. 2019. “The Applications of Nanotechnology in Solar Cells.” Proceedings of the 8th International Conference on Nanotechnology, July 15-17, Tokyo, Japan: 224-229. New York: AIP Publishing.
Example : American Institute of Physics. 2022. “About AIP Publishing.” AIP Publishing. https://publishing.aip.org/about-aip-publishing/ (accessed January 3, 2023).
Patent citation
Author’s Last name, First name. Year of Publication. Patent Number.
Example : Smith, John. 2018. US Patent 9,873,644.
Here are some general guidelines for writing references:
References in research serve several purposes:
References play an important role in research for several reasons:
There are several advantages of including references in research:
Researcher, Academic Writer, Web developer
Start your research.
A citation identifies for the reader the original source for an idea, information, or image that is referred to in a work.
From: Lemieux Library, University of Seattle
Quoting Are you quoting two or more consecutive words from a source? Then the original source should be cited and the words or phrase placed in quotes.
Paraphrasing If an idea or information comes from another source, even if you put it in your own words , you still need to credit the source. General vs. Unfamiliar Knowledge You do not need to cite material which is accepted common knowledge. If in doubt whether your information is common knowledge or not, cite it. Formats We usually think of books and articles. However, if you use material from web sites, films, music, graphs, tables, etc. you'll also need to cite these as well.
Plagiarism is presenting the words or ideas of someone else as your own without proper acknowledgment of the source. When you work on a research paper and use supporting material from works by others, it's okay to quote people and use their ideas, but you do need to correctly credit them. Even when you summarize or paraphrase information found in books, articles, or Web pages, you must acknowledge the original author.
Helpful links:
For additional writing resources specific to styles listed here visit the Purdue OWL Writing Lab
Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License except where otherwise noted.
The land on which we gather is the unceded territory of the Awaswas-speaking Uypi Tribe. The Amah Mutsun Tribal Band, comprised of the descendants of indigenous people taken to missions Santa Cruz and San Juan Bautista during Spanish colonization of the Central Coast, is today working hard to restore traditional stewardship practices on these lands and heal from historical trauma.
The land acknowledgement used at UC Santa Cruz was developed in partnership with the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band Chairman and the Amah Mutsun Relearning Program at the UCSC Arboretum .
The number of sources you cite in your paper depends on the purpose of your work. For most papers, cite one or two of the most representative sources for each key point. Literature review papers, however, typically include a more exhaustive list of references.
Provide appropriate credit to the source (e.g., by using an in-text citation) whenever you do the following:
Avoid both undercitation and overcitation. Undercitation can lead to plagiarism and/or self-plagiarism . Overcitation can be distracting and is unnecessary.
For example, it is considered overcitation to repeat the same citation in every sentence when the source and topic have not changed. Instead, when paraphrasing a key point in more than one sentence within a paragraph, cite the source in the first sentence in which it is relevant and do not repeat the citation in subsequent sentences as long as the source remains clear and unchanged.
Figure 8.1 in Chapter 8 of the Publication Manual provides an example of an appropriate level of citation.
Determining the appropriate level of citation is covered in the seventh edition APA Style manuals in the Publication Manual Section 8.1 and the Concise Guide Section 8.1
How to cite your own translations
If you translate a passage from one language into another on your own in your paper, your translation is considered a paraphrase, not a direct quotation.
Key takeaways from the Psi Chi webinar So You Need to Write a Literature Review
This blog post describes key tasks in writing an effective literature review and provides strategies for approaching those tasks.
How to cite a work with a nonrecoverable source
In most cases, nonrecoverable sources such as personal emails, nonarchived social media livestreams (or deleted and unarchived social media posts), classroom lectures, unrecorded webinars or presentations, and intranet sources should be cited only in the text as personal communications.
The “outdated sources” myth
The “outdated sources” myth is that sources must have been published recently, such as the last 5 to 10 years. There is no timeliness requirement in APA Style.
From COVID-19 to demands for social justice: Citing contemporary sources for current events
The guidance in the seventh edition of the Publication Manual makes the process of citing contemporary sources found online easier than ever before.
Citing classical and religious works
A classical or religious work is cited as either a book or a webpage, depending on what version of the source you are using. This post includes details and examples.
Academic Writer—APA’s essential teaching resource for higher education instructors
Academic Writer’s advanced authoring technology and digital learning tools allow students to take a hands-on approach to learning the scholarly research and writing process.
APA Style webinar on citing works in text
Attend the webinar, “Citing Works in Text Using Seventh Edition APA Style,” on July 14, 2020, to learn the keys to accurately and consistently citing sources in APA Style.
A citation is a formal reference to a published or unpublished source that you consulted and obtained information from while writing your research paper. It refers to a source of information that supports a factual statement, proposition, argument, or assertion or any quoted text obtained from a book, article, web site, or any other type of material . In-text citations are embedded within the body of your paper and use a shorthand notation style that refers to a complete description of the item at the end of the paper. Materials cited at the end of a paper may be listed under the heading References, Sources, Works Cited, or Bibliography. Rules on how to properly cite a source depends on the writing style manual your professor wants you to use for the class [e.g., APA, MLA, Chicago, Turabian, etc.]. Note that some disciplines have their own citation rules [e.g., law].
Citations: Overview. OASIS Writing Center, Walden University; Research and Citation. The Writing Lab and The OWL. Purdue University; Citing Sources. University Writing Center, Texas A&M University.
Reasons for Citing Sources in Your Research Paper
English scientist, Sir Isaac Newton, once wrote, "If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.”* Citations support learning how to "see further" through processes of intellectual discovery, critical thinking, and applying a deliberate method of navigating through the scholarly landscape by tracking how cited works are propagated by scholars over time and the subsequent ways this leads to the devarication of new knowledge.
Listed below are specific reasons why citing sources is an important part of doing good research.
*Vernon. Jamie L. "On the Shoulder of Giants." American Scientist 105 (July-August 2017): 194.
**Blum, Susan D. "In Defense of the Morality of Citation.” Inside Higher Ed , January 29, 2024.
Aksnes, Dag W., Liv Langfeldt, and Paul Wouters. "Citations, Citation Indicators, and Research Quality: An Overview of Basic Concepts and Theories." Sage Open 9 (January-March 2019): https://doi.org/10.1177/2158244019829575; Blum, Susan Debra. My Word!: Plagiarism and College Culture . Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 2009; Bretag, Tracey., editor. Handbook of Academic Integrity . Singapore: Springer Singapore, 2020; Ballenger, Bruce P. The Curious Researcher: A Guide to Writing Research Papers . 7th edition. Boston, MA: Pearson, 2012; D'Angelo, Barbara J. "Using Source Analysis to Promote Critical Thinking." Research Strategies 18 (Winter 2001): 303-309; Donthu, Naveen et al. “How to Conduct a Bibliometric Analysis: An Overview and Guidelines.” Journal of Business Research 133 (2021): 285-296; Mauer, Barry and John Venecek. “Scholarship as Conversation.” Strategies for Conducting Literary Research, University of Central Florida, 2021; Öztürk, Oguzhan, Ridvan Kocaman, and Dominik K. Kanbach. "How to Design Bibliometric Research: An Overview and a Framework Proposal." Review of Managerial Science (2024): 1-29; Why Cite? Poorvu Center for Teaching and Learning, Yale University; Citing Information. The Writing Center. University of North Carolina; Harvard Guide to Using Sources. Harvard College Writing Program. Harvard University; Newton, Philip. "Academic Integrity: A Quantitative Study of Confidence and Understanding in Students at the Start of Their Higher Education." Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education 41 (2016): 482-497; Referencing More Effectively. Academic Skills Centre. University of Canberra; Using Sources. Yale College Writing Center. Yale University; Vosburgh, Richard M. "Closing the Academic-practitioner Gap: Research Must Answer the “SO WHAT” Question." H uman Resource Management Review 32 (March 2022): 100633; When and Why to Cite Sources. Information Literacy Playlists, SUNY, Albany Libraries.
Referencing your sources means systematically showing what information or ideas you acquired from another author’s work, and identifying where that information come from . You must cite research in order to do research, but at the same time, you must delineate what are your original thoughts and ideas and what are the thoughts and ideas of others. Citations help achieve this. Procedures used to cite sources vary among different fields of study. If not outlined in your course syllabus or writing assignment, always speak with your professor about what writing style for citing sources should be used for the class because it is important to fully understand the citation style to be used in your paper, and to apply it consistently. If your professor defers and tells you to "choose whatever you want, just be consistent," then choose the citation style you are most familiar with or that is appropriate to your major [e.g., use Chicago style if you are majoring in history; use APA if its an education course; use MLA if it is literature or a general writing course].
GENERAL GUIDELINES
1. Are there any reasons I should avoid referencing other people's work? No. If placed in the proper context, r eferencing other people's research is never an indication that your work is substandard or lacks originality. In fact, the opposite is true. If you write your paper without adequate references to previous studies, you are signaling to the reader that you are not familiar with the literature on the topic, thereby, undermining the validity of your study and your credibility as a researcher. Including references in academic writing is one of the most important ways to demonstrate your knowledge and understanding of how the research problem has been addressed. It is the intellectual packaging around which you present your thoughts, ideas, and arguments to the reader.
2. What should I do if I find out that my great idea has already been studied by another researcher? It can be frustrating to come up with what you believe is a great topic only to find that it's already been thoroughly studied. However, do not become frustrated by this. You can acknowledge the prior research by writing in the text of your paper [see also Smith, 2002], then citing the complete source in your list of references. Use the discovery of prior studies as an opportunity to demonstrate the significance of the problem being investigated and, if applicable, as a means of delineating your analysis from those of others [e.g., the prior study is ten years old and doesn't take into account new variables]. Strategies for responding to prior research can include: stating how your study updates previous understandings about the topic, offering a new or different perspective, applying a different or innovative method of gathering and interpreting data, and/or describing a new set of insights, guidelines, recommendations, best practices, or working solutions.
3. What should I do if I want to use an adapted version of someone else's work? You still must cite the original work. For example, you use a table of statistics from a journal article published in 1996 by author Smith, but you have altered or added new data to it. Reference the revised chart, such as, [adapted from Smith, 1996], then cite the original source in your list of references. You can also use other terms in order to specify the exact relationship between the original source and the version you have presented, such as, "based on data from Smith [1996]...," or "summarized from Smith [1996]...." Citing the original source helps the reader locate where the information was first presented and under what context it was used as well as to evaluate how effectively you applied it to your own research.
4. What should I do if several authors have published very similar information or ideas? You can indicate that the topic, idea, concept, or information can be found in the works of others by stating something similar to the following example: "Though many scholars have applied rational choice theory to understanding economic relations among nations [Smith, 1989; Jones, 1991; Johnson, 1994; Anderson, 2003; Smith, 2014], little attention has been given to applying the theory to examining the influence of non-governmental organizations in a globalized economy." If you only reference one author or only the most recent study, then your readers may assume that only one author has published on this topic, or more likely, they will conclude that you have not conducted a thorough review of the literature. Referencing all relevant authors of prior studies gives your readers a clear idea of the breadth of analysis you conducted in preparing to study the research problem. If there has been a significant number of prior studies on the topic [i.e., ten or more], describe the most comprehensive and recent works because they will presumably discuss and reference the older studies. However, note in your review of the literature that there has been significant scholarship devoted to the topic so the reader knows that you are aware of the numerous prior studies.
5. What if I find exactly what I want to say in the writing of another researcher? In the social sciences, the rationale in duplicating prior research is generally governed by the passage of time, changing circumstances or conditions, or the emergence of variables that necessitate new investigations . If someone else has recently conducted a thorough investigation of precisely the same research problem that you intend to study, then you likely will have to revise your topic, or at the very least, review this literature to identify something new to say about the problem. However, if it is someone else's particularly succinct expression, but it fits perfectly with what you are trying to say, then you can quote from the author directly, referencing the source. Identifying an author who has made the exact same point that you want to make can be an opportunity to validate, as well as reinforce the significance of, the research problem you are investigating. The key is to build on that idea in new and innovative ways. If you are not sure how to do this, consult with a librarian .
6. Should I cite a source even if it was published long ago? Any source used in writing your paper should be cited, regardless of when it was written. However, in building a case for understanding prior research about your topic, it is generally true that you should focus on citing more recently published studies because they presumably have built upon the research of older studies. When referencing prior studies, use the research problem as your guide when considering what to cite. If a study from forty years ago investigated the same topic, it probably should be examined and considered in your list of references because the research may have been foundational or groundbreaking at the time, even if its findings are no longer relevant to current conditions or reflect current thinking [one way to determine if a study is foundational or groundbreaking is to examine how often it has been cited in recent studies using the "Cited by" feature of Google Scholar ]. However, if an older study only relates to the research problem tangentially or it has not been cited in recent studies, then it may be more appropriate to list it under further readings .
7. Can I cite unusual and non-scholarly sources in my research paper? The majority of the citations in a research paper should be to scholarly [a.k.a., academic; peer-reviewed] studies that rely on an objective and logical analysis of the research problem based on empirical evidence that reliably supports your arguments. However, any type of source can be considered valid if it brings relevant understanding and clarity to the topic. This can include, for example, non-textual elements such as photographs, maps, or illustrations. A source can include materials from special or archival collections, such as, personal papers, manuscripts, business memorandums, the official records of an organization, or digitized collections. Citations can also be to unusual items, such as, an audio recording, a transcript from a television news program, a unique set of data, or a social media post. The challenge is knowing how to cite unusual and non-scholarly sources because they often do not fit within consistent citation rules of books or journal articles. Given this, consult with a librarian if you are unsure how to cite a source.
NOTE: In any academic writing, you are required to identify which ideas, facts, thoughts, concepts, or declarative statements are yours and which are derived from the research of others. The only exception to this rule is information that is considered to be a commonly known fact [e.g., "George Washington was the first president of the United States"] or a statement that is self-evident [e.g., "Australia is a country in the Global South"]. Appreciate, however, that any "commonly known fact" or self-evidencing statement is culturally constructed and shaped by specific social and aesthetical biases . If you have any doubt about whether or not a fact is considered to be widely understood knowledge, provide a supporting citation, or, ask your professor for clarification about whether the statement should be cited.
Ballenger, Bruce P. The Curious Researcher: A Guide to Writing Research Papers . 7th edition. Boston, MA: Pearson, 2012; Blum, Susan Debra. My Word!: Plagiarism and College Culture . Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 2009; Bretag, Tracey., editor. Handbook of Academic Integrity . Singapore: Springer Singapore, 2020; Carlock, Janine. Developing Information Literacy Skills: A Guide to Finding, Evaluating, and Citing Sources . Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan Press, 2020; Harvard Guide to Using Sources. Harvard College Writing Program. Harvard University; How to Cite Other Sources in Your Paper. The Structure, Format, Content, and Style of a Journal-Style Scientific Paper. Department of Biology. Bates College; Lunsford, Andrea A. and Robert Connors; The St. Martin's Handbook . New York: St. Martin's Press, 1989; Mills, Elizabeth Shown. Evidence Explained: Citing History Sources from Artifacts to Cyberspace . 3rd edition. Baltimore, MD: Genealogical Publishing Company, 2015; Research and Citation Resources. The Writing Lab and The OWL. Purdue University; Writing Tutorial Services, Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning. Indiana University; Why Cite? Poorvu Center for Teaching and Learning, Yale Univeraity.
The following USC Libraries research guide can help you properly cite sources in your research paper:
The following USC Libraries research guide offers basic information on using images and media in research:
Listed below are particularly well-done and comprehensive websites that provide specific examples of how to cite sources under different style guidelines.
This is a useful guide concerning how to properly cite images in your research paper.
This guide provides good information on the act of citation analysis, whereby you count the number of times a published work is cited by other works in order to measure the impact of a publication or author.
Measuring Your Impact: Impact Factor, Citation Analysis, and other Metrics: Citation Analysis [Sandy De Groote, University of Illinois, Chicago]
The links below lead to systems where you can type in your information and have a citation compiled for you. Note that these systems are not foolproof so it is important that you verify that the citation is correct and check your spelling, capitalization, etc. However, they can be useful in creating basic types of citations, particularly for online sources.
NOTE: Many companies that create the research databases the USC Libraries subscribe to, such as ProQuest , include built-in citation generators that help take the guesswork out of how to properly cite a work. When available, you should always utilize these features because they not only generate a citation to the source [e.g., a journal article], but include information about where you accessed the source [e.g., the database].
Last Updated: March 29, 2024 Fact Checked
This article was reviewed by Gerald Posner and by wikiHow staff writer, Jennifer Mueller, JD . Gerald Posner is an Author & Journalist based in Miami, Florida. With over 35 years of experience, he specializes in investigative journalism, nonfiction books, and editorials. He holds a law degree from UC College of the Law, San Francisco, and a BA in Political Science from the University of California-Berkeley. He’s the author of thirteen books, including several New York Times bestsellers, the winner of the Florida Book Award for General Nonfiction, and has been a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in History. He was also shortlisted for the Best Business Book of 2020 by the Society for Advancing Business Editing and Writing. There are 8 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 417,343 times.
When writing a paper for a research project, you may need to cite a research paper you used as a reference. The basic information included in your citation will be the same across all styles. However, the format in which that information is presented is somewhat different depending on whether you're using American Psychological Association (APA), Modern Language Association (MLA), Chicago, or American Medical Association (AMA) style.
To cite a paper APA style, start with the author's last name and first initial, and the year of publication. Then, list the title of the paper, where you found it, and the date that you accessed it. In a paper, use a parenthetical reference with the last name of the author and the publication year. For an MLA citation, list the author's last name and then first name and the title of the paper in quotations. Include where you accessed the paper and the date you retrieved it. In your paper, use a parenthetical reference with the author's last name and the page number. Keep reading for tips on Chicago and AMA citations and exceptions to the citation rules! Did this summary help you? Yes No
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When should you add in-text citations in your paper .
There are several rules of thumb you can follow to make sure that you are citing your paper correctly in APA 7 format.
In-text citation styles: .
(Forbes, 2020) | Forbes (2020) stated... | |
(Bennet & Miller, 2019) | Bennet and Miller (2019) concluded that... | |
(Jones et al., 2020) | Jones et al. (2020) shared two different... | |
(East Carolina University, 2020) | East Carolina University (2020) found... |
An example with 1 author:
Parenthetical citation: Following American Psychological Association (APA) style guidelines will help you to cultivate your own unique academic voice as an expert in your field (Forbes, 2020).
Narrative citation : Forbes (2020) shared that by following American Psychological Association (APA) guidelines, students would learn to find their own voice as experts in the field of nursing.
An example with 2 authors:
Parenthetical citation: Research on the use of progressive muscle relaxation for stress reduction has demonstrated the efficacy of the method (Bennett & Miller, 2019).
Narrative citation: As shared by Bennett and Miller (2019), research on the use of progressive muscle relaxation for stress reduction has demonstrated the efficacy of the method.
An example with 3 authors:
Parenthetical citation: Guided imagery has also been shown to reduce stress, length of hospital stay, and symptoms related to medical and psychological conditions (Jones et al., 2020).
Narrative citation: Jones et al. (2020) shared that guided imagery has also been shown to reduce stress, length of hospital stay, and symptoms related to medical and psychological conditions.
An example with a group/corporate author:
Parenthetical citation: Dr. Philip G. Rogers, senior vice president at the American Council on Education, was recently elected as the newest chancellor of the university (East Carolina University, 2020).
Narrative citation: Recently shared on the East Carolina University (2020) website, Dr. Philip G. Rogers, senior vice president at the American Council on Education, was elected as the newest chancellor.
Paraphrasing is recreating someone else's ideas into your own words & thoughts, without changing the original meaning (gahan, 2020). .
Here are some best practices when you are paraphrasing:
References :
Gahan, C. (2020, October 15). How to paraphrase sources . Scribbr.com . https://tinyurl.com/y7ssxc6g
When should i use a direct quote in my paper .
Direct quotes should only be used occasionally:
From: https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/whaddyamean/
, around the quote, are incorporated into the text of the paper. | (Shayden, 2016, p. 202) | |
(by indenting 0.5" or 1 tab) beneath the text of the paragraph. | (Miller et al., 2016, p. 136) | |
, therefore you need a different way to cite the information for a direct quote. There are two ways to do this: | (Jones, 2014, para. 4) (Scotts, 2019, Resources section) |
Chat with a librarian is available during Laupus Library's open hours .
Need to contact a specific librarian? Find your liaison.
Call us: 1-888-820-0522 (toll free)
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What is a citation.
Citations are a way of giving credit when certain material in your work came from another source. It also gives your readers the information necessary to find that source again-- it provides an important roadmap to your research process. Whenever you use sources such as books, journals or websites in your research, you must give credit to the original author by citing the source.
Scholarship is a conversation and scholars use citations not only to give credit to original creators and thinkers, but also to add strength and authority to their own work. By citing their sources, scholars are placing their work in a specific context to show where they “fit” within the larger conversation. Citations are also a great way to leave a trail intended to help others who may want to explore the conversation or use the sources in their own work.
In short, citations
(1) give credit
(2) add strength and authority to your work
(3) place your work in a specific context
(4) leave a trail for other scholars
"Good citations should reveal your sources, not conceal them. They should honeslty reflect the research you conducted." (Lipson 4)
Lipson, Charles. "Why Cite?" Cite Right: A Quick Guide to Citation Styles--MLA, APA, Chicago, the Sciences, Professions, and More . Chicago: U of Chicago, 2006. Print.
Different subject disciplines call for citation information to be written in very specific order, capitalization, and punctuation. There are therefore many different style formats. Three popular citation formats are MLA Style (for humanities articles) and APA or Chicago (for social sciences articles).
MLA style (print journal article):
Whisenant, Warren A. "How Women Have Fared as Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Since the Passage of Title IX." Sex Roles Vol. 49.3 (2003): 179-182.
APA style (print journal article):
Whisenant, W. A. (2003) How Women Have Fared as Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Since the Passage of Title IX. Sex Roles , 49 (3), 179-182.
Chicago style (print journal article):
Whisenant, Warren A. "How Women Have Fared as Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Since the Passage of Title IX." Sex Roles 49, no. 3 (2003): 179-182.
No matter which style you use, all citations require the same basic information:
You are most likely to have easy access to all of your citation information when you find it in the first place. Take note of this information up front, and it will be much easier to cite it effectively later.
Educational resources and simple solutions for your research journey
You truly are navigating a maze when it comes to ci tations and the question of how to write references in research pa per s. In part 1 of this article, we touched upon citations, which are pointers embedded in the text of a research paper, to sources of information or to other research relevant to that being described in the research paper. Those pointers lead to references in research papers , which typically appear at the end of the text. Whereas citations merely point us to sources in research papers, references describe those sources in sufficient detail for readers (1) to know the title of each source, who is responsible for its content, and when it was published; (2) to look up those sources; and (3) to obtain the documents in question if required.
Table of Contents
In writing a research paper, a researcher draws upon many sources of information, knowledge, opinions, and so on. One of the the most common type s of reference s in research papers is other research papers published in journals; other common sources include technical reports, handbooks, presentations at conferences, and books. Increasingly, the sources in research papers are digital and include web pages, databases, blog posts, and even tweets and emails.
Not all sources are considered equally credible , and some may not be accessible to all because they are behind paywalls or available only to members of a network (company intranets, for example) or because they are personal exchanges.
If the citations follow the Harvard system, references in a research paper s are sorted alphabetically by the last name of the first author; if the citations follow the Vancouver system, the references are arranged by numbers: the reference corresponding to the first numbered citation is numbered 1, and so on. If a source is cited again, its allocated number does not change.
Some additional conventions govern the alphabetic sorting of references in research papers . For instance, when authors have some papers in which they are the only author and others in which they have one or more co-authors or when the same author or authors have papers published in different years or even within the same year.
Some publishers make even greater demands of references in research papers : authors are expected to sort the list of references alphabetically, as in the Harvard system; then number the sorted list serially; and then renumber all the citations within the text so that each corresponds to its new number!
For a source of information to be described accurately, some minimum details are required. Here’s one example of w rit ing references in research paper s – ‘ Nature 171 : 737’ is a code that, if you know how to decipher it, tells you that it means an article published in Nature (a weekly journal published from the UK) that begins on page 737 of volume 171 of that journal. However, it does not tell you what the article was about, who wrote it, when it was published, or even how long it is. A complete reference in research paper s (Fig. 1), however, tells you that the title of the article was ‘Molecular structure of nucleic acids: a structure for deoxyribose nucleic acid’, that it was written by J. D. Watson and F. H. C. Crick, that it was published in 1953, and that it ran to no more than two pages.
Watson J D and Crick F H C. 1953. Molecular structure of nucleic acids: a structure for deoxyribose nucleic acid. : 737–738 A typical reference to a paper published in a journal |
When thinking about how to write research references , remember that the elements that make up a reference to an article published in a journal are different from those that make up a reference to a book (edition if not the first, the publisher, and the place of publication, although the last is no longer considered essential in today’s globalized publishing). The elements that make up a reference to a technical report include the name of the organization issuing that report and the report number, if any, and that to a conference presentation gives the title of the conference, the date(s) on which it was held and the place, the name of the organizer(s) of the conference, and so on.
Note that journals or publishers differ in the elements they expect authors to include when they state how to put references in research papers ; for example, some journals give only minimal information and exclude the titles of articles and some use the ‘elided’ form of page numbers (737–38 instead of 737–738, for example).
Then there is the question of abbreviated names of journals: some publishers abbreviate journal titles and some don’t ( Annals of Applied Biology or Ann. Appl. Biol.). And those who do, often disagree on the correct abbreviation—and on whether the abbreviations should end in dots (whether the word ‘Journal’ should be given as J. or J or Jnl or Jnl.).
Publishers and journals also differ in the order or sequence in which they present the elements or components of reference s in research papers : usually, British and European publishers put the year of publication after the names of authors whereas US publishers move the year closer to the volume number of the journal.
Even within an element, the sequence of references in research paper s can have subtle differences. In Harvard system, because the last name of the first author is using for sorting, the name is ‘inverted’, that is the last name is given first, followed by initials (Watson J D instead of J D Watson). However, some journals invert the names of all the authors whereas some invert the name of only the first author. In Vancouver system, the names are seldom inverted because the sequence is not alphabetical.
The many exasperating details that go into formatting references include punctuation marks (or their absence). In giving the initials of authors, some journals use dots, some journals use space, some use both, and some use neither (Watson J.D. or Watson J D or Watson J. D. or Watson JD). Some use a comma between the last name and the initials whereas some reserve the comma only to separate one name from the next (Watson, J D and Crick, F H C or Watson J D, Crick F H C). Some use ‘and’ some don’t, even when there are only two authors, and some use ‘&’ instead which makes it even more confusing for those struggling with how to write references in a research paper.
When the place of publication was a required element in the case of books, some publishers used the colon and some used the comma (and also changed the order, as in New York: Harper & Row or Harper & Row, New York). Some publishers end each reference with a full stop (period) and some don’t.
As if the variations mentioned above were not enough, when figuring out how to add references in a research paper , you also have to contend with the differences in typography as well: journal titles in italics or in normal type, volume numbers in bold or in normal type, hyphens or en dashes between page numbers (737-738 or 737–738), and so on.
All is not lost, however, if you despair of ever getting the references in a research paper right. For example, some publishers now insist on correct formatting only after a paper has been accepted for publication. Also, ICMJE, the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors, recommends a set of uniform requirements for manuscripts (the requirements include the formatting of citations and references), and hundreds of medical journals ( www.icmje.org/journals-following-the-icmje-recommendations/ ) have agreed that as long as authors adhere to those recommendations on how to mention references for research papers , any changes to the formatting any journal wants to make will be made by the journal in question.
Lastly, several software packages help authors to automate this mundane task of consistent formatting of references in research paper s—but that is another article and another day.
The details involved in using citations and references correctly can be overwhelming for some of us. While this article covers the key tips to help you understand how to give reference s in research paper s , be sure to check out article 1 of this two-part series for more on what, when and how to cite in a research paper. One way to check whether these are handled correctly in your manuscript is to use Researcher.Life’s AI powered manuscript optimizer , which can flag any discrepancies, departures from standard style, and mismatches between citations and references in research paper s.
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The example is when you might be reading a certain paper, and the authors refer to another paper. You can't get that other paper as it's unpublished, or it's in a language that you can't read, or maybe something else.
My guess is:
Featherstone et al 1900 (in Thomas and Cullen 2002).
And how is it to be handled in the bibliography?
In APA style, you can write, (e.g., see this APA tutorial )
Featherstone et al 1900 (as cited in Thomas and Cullen 2002)
Of course, in general you should try your best to read the original and cite the original directly.
Someone in the comments asked:
"In such case do I need to list original paper also in reference section or only the recent one I am referring to?"
The reference to the original article is the more important reference to include, but you should include both in your reference list.
The following is with regards to Chicago Style as of 11/25/2018 14.260: Citations taken from secondary sources Chapter Contents / Special Types of References / Citations Taken from Secondary Sources To cite a source from a secondary source (“quoted in . . .”) is generally to be discouraged, since authors are expected to have examined the works they cite. If an original source is unavailable, however, both the original and the secondary source must be listed.
If you are using a quote from author A that author B is citing, you would go ahead and use the quote from author A and cite it like this:
Blah blah, blahblahblah, blah blah blah-blah blah (qtd. in Author B 65).
If you cannot get that paper, you should not cite it.
What is a citation? The word citation comes from Latin verb cio (past participle: citum ) that means to call somebody , to invite somebody , or preferably to demand someone to give his own testimony .
So, in your case, if you would like to cite that paper, that means that you invite that paper to give its own testimony. But if it's not available , how could it do it?
Simply, it can't .
Not the answer you're looking for browse other questions tagged citations ..
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Published on March 14, 2022 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on February 28, 2024.
An in-text citation is a short acknowledgement you include whenever you quote or take information from a source in academic writing. It points the reader to the source so they can see where you got your information.
In-text citations most commonly take the form of short parenthetical statements indicating the author and publication year of the source, as well as the page number if relevant.
We also offer a free citation generator and in-depth guides to the main citation styles.
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What are in-text citations for, when do you need an in-text citation, types of in-text citation, frequently asked questions about in-text citations.
The point of an in-text citation is to show your reader where your information comes from. Including citations:
Academic writing is seen as an ongoing conversation among scholars, both within and between fields of study. Showing exactly how your own research draws on and interacts with existing sources is essential to keeping this conversation going.
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An in-text citation should be included whenever you quote or paraphrase a source in your text.
Quoting means including the original author’s words directly in your text, usually introduced by a signal phrase . Quotes should always be cited (and indicated with quotation marks), and you should include a page number indicating where in the source the quote can be found.
Paraphrasing means putting information from a source into your own words. In-text citations are just as important here as with quotes, to avoid the impression you’re taking credit for someone else’s ideas. Include page numbers where possible, to show where the information can be found.
However, to avoid over-citation, bear in mind that some information is considered common knowledge and doesn’t need to be cited. For example, you don’t need a citation to prove that Paris is the capital city of France, and including one would be distracting.
Different types of in-text citation are used in different citation styles . They always direct the reader to a reference list giving more complete information on each source.
Author-date citations (used in APA , Harvard , and Chicago author-date ) include the author’s last name, the year of publication, and a page number when available. Author-page citations (used in MLA ) are the same except that the year is not included.
Both types are divided into parenthetical and narrative citations. In a parenthetical citation , the author’s name appears in parentheses along with the rest of the information. In a narrative citation , the author’s name appears as part of your sentence, not in parentheses.
Parenthetical citation | Narrative citation | |
---|---|---|
Author-date (APA) | The treatment proved highly effective (Smith, 2018, p. 11). | Smith states that the treatment was highly effective (2018, p. 11). |
Author-page (MLA) | The treatment proved highly effective (Smith 11). | Smith states that the treatment was highly effective (11). |
Note: Footnote citations like those used in Chicago notes and bibliography are sometimes also referred to as in-text citations, but the citation itself appears in a note separate from the text.
An in-text citation is an acknowledgement you include in your text whenever you quote or paraphrase a source. It usually gives the author’s last name, the year of publication, and the page number of the relevant text. In-text citations allow the reader to look up the full source information in your reference list and see your sources for themselves.
At college level, you must properly cite your sources in all essays , research papers , and other academic texts (except exams and in-class exercises).
Add a citation whenever you quote , paraphrase , or summarize information or ideas from a source. You should also give full source details in a bibliography or reference list at the end of your text.
The exact format of your citations depends on which citation style you are instructed to use. The most common styles are APA , MLA , and Chicago .
Check if your university or course guidelines specify which citation style to use. If the choice is left up to you, consider which style is most commonly used in your field.
Other more specialized styles exist for certain fields, such as Bluebook and OSCOLA for law.
The most important thing is to choose one style and use it consistently throughout your text.
If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the “Cite this Scribbr article” button to automatically add the citation to our free Citation Generator.
Caulfield, J. (2024, February 28). The Basics of In-Text Citation | APA & MLA Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved June 24, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/citing-sources/in-text-citation-styles/
Other students also liked, how to quote | citing quotes in apa, mla & chicago, how to paraphrase | step-by-step guide & examples, how to avoid plagiarism | tips on citing sources, what is your plagiarism score.
Dissertations, thesis, and all kinds of academic papers will need to be cited using citation styles, such as APA, MLA, or Chicago. Citing academic papers properly are done to counteract plagiarism. These citing formats are used to recognize related literary pieces and to mention references used. You should study various citing styles and research paper well before producing essays or any other pieces of academic writing. In this article, our term paper writers have prepared information on how to format research papers as well as how to properly reference academic papers.
APA (American Psychological Association) research paper format is often used in papers related to psychology and social sciences. In this citation, there is a general format in referencing through endnotes/footnotes, in-text, and reference pages. Academic papers in APA citation has general writing guidelines.
Papers should be typed, double-spaced on standard-sized paper (8.5" x 11") with 1" margins on all sides. You should use a clear font that is highly readable. APA recommends using 12 pt. Times New Roman font. Include a page header at the top of every page. To create a page header, insert page numbers flush right. Then type the title of your paper in the header flush left using all capital letters. The page header is a shortened version of your paper's title and cannot exceed 50 characters including spacing and punctuation.
Talking about how to write a research paper in APA format, your APA paper should have four major sections :
Be sure to read about how to write an essay format . In article, we talked about the differences between formats.
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There are specific rules to follow when citing a research paper in APA. The following are the specific formats to follow:
Source Type | Citation Format | Example |
---|---|---|
Book | Author, A.A.. (Year of Publication). The Title of work. Publisher City, State: Publisher. | Finney, J. (1970). Time and again. New York, NY: Simon and Schuster. |
Magazine | Author, A.A.. (Year, month of Publication). Article title. Magazine Title, Volume(Issue), pp.-pp. | Tumulty, K. (2006, April). Should they stay or should they go? Time, 167(15), 3-40. |
Newspaper | Author, A.A.. (Year, Month Date of Publication). Article title. Magazine Title, pp. xx-xx. | Rosenberg, G. (1997, March 31). An electronic discovery proves an effective legal weapon. The New York Times, p. D5. |
Website | Author, A.A.. (Year, Month Date of Publication). Article title. Retrieved from URL | Simmons, B. (2015, January 9). The tale of two Flaccos. Retrieved from [link] |
These citing formats are used to recognize related literary pieces and to mention references used. You don't need to cite information about yourself or your own thoughts. For example, when listing education on resume you don't need any citations. However, you should study various citing styles and research well before producing any other piece of academic writing.
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MLA (Modern Language Association) format format is commonly used in liberal arts and humanities. Let’s talk a bit about how to write a research paper in MLA format. This format has principles rather than a set of specific rules to be followed. Papers in MLA format provides a process of documentation.
MLA recommends using Times New Roman font in size 12. The entire paper should be double spaced with 1-inch margins on all sides. Tab once to indent paragraphs (½ inch). Your last name and a page number should be inserted on the upper right-hand corner of the first page.
The following are formats to follow in citing research paper in MLA format:
Source Type | Citation Format | Example |
---|---|---|
Last Name, First Name. Book Title. Publisher City: Publisher Name, Year Published. Medium. | Smith, John. The Sample Book. Pittsburgh: BibMe, 2008. Print. | |
Last Name, First Name. "Article Title." Magazine Name Publication Date: Page Numbers. Medium. | Smith, John. "Obama inaugurated as President." Time 21 Jan. 2009: 21-23. Print. | |
Last Name, First Name. "Article Title." Newspaper Name Publication Date: Page Numbers. Medium. | Smith, John. "Steelers win Super Bowl XLIII." Pittsburgh Post-Gazette 2 Feb. 2009: 4-6. Print. | |
Last Name, First Name. "Page Title." Website Title. Sponsoring Institution/Publisher, Publication Date: Page Numbers. Medium. | Smith, John. "Obama inaugurated as President." CNN.com. Cable News Network, 21 Jan. 2009. Web. 1 Feb. 2009. |
Read more about HOW TO CITE A RESEARCH PAPER USING MLA FORMAT
The Chicago style of citing is commonly used in humanities. It requires writers to cite sources in endnotes or footnotes. This citation provides the author with an avenue to express accountability and credibility to related literature or references used in written material. It helps an academic writer provide quotations in a research paper, as well as being commonly used for book bibliographies.
Look at our movie review example at our cheap research paper writing service and try to determine what format it is written in.
The following are Chicago style formats to follow:
Source Type | Citation Format | Example |
---|---|---|
Last Name, First Name. Title of Book. Publisher City: Publisher Name, Year Published. | Brown, Dan. The DaVinci Code. New York: Scholastic, 2004. | |
Last Name, First Name. Article title. Magazine Title, Month Date, Year of publication. | Chan, Dan. The art of pandas. Panda Magazine, Nov 10, 1985. | |
Last Name, First Name. “Article Title.” Newspaper Name, Publication Date. | Smith, John. “Steelers win Super Bowl XLIII.” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, February 2, 2009. | |
Last Name, First Name. “Page Title.” Website Title. Web Address (retrieved Date Accessed). | Smith, John. “Obama inaugurated as President.” {link} (accessed February 1, 2009). |
The leading American method of referencing and quotation created by Sociological Association. Sociological students and scholars use the ASA citation format primarily for writing university research papers in sociology or for submitting articles to ASA journals.
For the detailed information about ASA elements of style, visit the American Sociological Association official website or read our Guide to ASA Citation and Writing Style.
Type | Citation | Example |
---|---|---|
Author's Last and First Name. Year of Publication. Title. Country of Publisher: Publisher. | James, Henry. 2003. The Turn of the Screw. New York: Barnes & Noble Books. | |
Author's Last and First Name. Year of Publication. Title. Country of Publisher: Publisher. Retrieved Month Day, Year {link}. | James, Henry. 2003. The Turn of the Screw. New York: Penguin Books Kindle Version. Retrieved January 18, 2017. {link} | |
Author’s Last and First Name. Year of Publication. "Title." Journal Name issue #: inclusive page numbers. | Feekins, Bo. 2008. “Chasing Tree Frogs.” National Geographic #182. 6-10. | |
Author’s Last and First Name. Year of Pub. "Title." Magazine Name, Month Year, pp. Inclusive page numbers. | Geary, Rachel. 2012. “The Issue with Mastery Learning.” New York Times, April 2002. Pp. 15-23. | |
Author’s Last and First Name. Date of Publishing. Title. Publisher. Retrieved Month Day, Year {link}. | Lee, Bruce. 03.09.2004. Birth of a Nation. Retrieved 18.01.2017. {link} |
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How to write a research paper in apa format, how to write a research paper mla format.
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One of the biggest complaints about ChatGPT is that it provides information that is difficult to check for accuracy. Those complaints exist because ChatGPT doesn't provide the sources, footnotes, or links from which it derived the information in its answers.
While that is true for the GPT-3.5 model, GPT-4 and GPT-4o provide more citation resources. While GPT-4 is only for paid subscribers, GPT-4o is available to both free and paid subscribers, although free users get fewer citations and less detail than users with a ChatGPT Plus subscription .
Also: 4 things Claude AI can do that ChatGPT can't
Here's how ChatGPT describes the approach: "GPT-4o in free mode provides basic and essential citations, focusing on quick and concise references to ensure information is traceable. In contrast, GPT-4o in paid mode offers enhanced, detailed, and frequent citations, including multiple sources and contextual annotations to provide comprehensive verification and understanding of the information. This ensures a robust and reliable experience, especially beneficial for users requiring in-depth information and thorough source verification."
Even with the provided citations in GPT-4o, there are ways to improve your results.
To start, you need to ask ChatGPT something that needs sources or citations. I've found it's better to ask a question with a longer answer, so there's more "meat" for ChatGPT to chew on.
Also: The best AI chatbots: ChatGPT and other interesting alternatives to try
Keep in mind that ChatGPT can't provide any information after January 2022 for GPT-3.5, April 2023 for GPT-4, and October 2023 for GPT-4o, and requests for information pre-internet (say, for a paper on Ronald Reagan's presidency) will have far fewer available sources.
Here's an example of a prompt I wrote on a topic that I worked on a lot when I was in grad school:
Describe the learning theories of cognitivism, behaviorism, and constructivism
This is where a bit of prompt engineering comes in. A good starting point is with this query:
Please provide sources for the previous answer
I've found that this prompt often provides offline sources, books, papers, etc. The problem with offline sources is you can't check their veracity. Still, it's a starting point. A better query is this:
Please provide URL sources
This prompt specifically tells ChatGPT that you want clickable links to sources. You can also tweak this prompt by asking for a specific quantity of sources, although your mileage might vary in terms of how many you get back:
Please provide 10 URL sources
Most large language models respond well to detail and specificity . So if you're asking for sources, you can push for higher-quality sources. You'll need to specify that you need reliable and accurate sources. While this approach won't necessarily work, it may remind the AI chatbot to give you more useful responses. For example:
Please provide me with reputable sources to support my argument on... (whatever the topic is you're looking at)
You can also tell ChatGPT the kinds of sources you want. If you're looking for scholarly articles, peer-reviewed journals, books, or authoritative websites, mention these preferences explicitly. For example:
Please recommend peer-reviewed journals that discuss... (and here, repeat what you discussed earlier in your conversation)
When dealing with abstract concepts or theories, request that ChatGPT provide a conceptual framework and real-world examples. Here's an example:
Can you describe the principles of Vygotsky's Social Development Theory and provide real-world examples where these principles were applied, including sources for these examples?
This approach gives you a theoretical explanation and practical instances to trace the original sources or case studies.
Also: Two ways you can build custom AI assistants with GPT-4o
Another idea is to use sources that don't have link rot (that is, they're no longer online at the URL that ChatGPT might know). Be careful with this idea, though, because ChatGPT doesn't know about things after January 2022 for GPT-3.5, April 2023 for GPT-4, and October 2023 for GPT-4o. So, while you might be tempted to use a prompt like this:
Please provide me with sources published within the past five years.
Instead, consider using a prompt like this:
Please provide sources published from 2019 through April 2023.
And, as always, don't assume that whatever output ChatGPT gives you is accurate. It's still quite possible the AI will completely fabricate answers, even to the point of making up the names of what seem like academic journals. It's a sometimes helpful tool, but it's also a fibber .
Keep this golden rule in mind about ChatGPT-provided sources: ChatGPT is more often wrong than right .
Across the many times I've asked ChatGPT for URL sources, roughly half were just plain bad links. Another 25% or more of the links went to topics completely or somewhat unrelated to the one I was trying to source. GPT-4 and GPT-4o are slightly more reliable, but not by much.
Also: How to use ChatGPT: Everything you need to know
For example, I asked for sources on a backgrounder for the phrase "trust but verify," generally popularized by US President Ronald Reagan. I got a lot of sources back, but most didn't exist. I got some back that correctly took me to active pages on the Reagan Presidential Library site, but the page topic had nothing to do with the phrase.
I had better luck with my learning theory question from step 1. There, I got back offline texts from people I knew from my studies who had worked on those theories. I also got back URLs. Once again, only about two in 10 worked or were accurate.
Also: What does GPT stand for? Understanding GPT-3.5, GPT-4, GPT-4o, and more
Don't despair. The idea isn't to expect ChatGPT to provide sources that you can immediately use. If you instead think of ChatGPT as a research assistant, it will give you some great starting places. Use the names of the articles (which may be completely fake or just not accessible) and drop them into Google. That process will give you some interesting search queries that probably lead to interesting material that can legitimately go into your research.
Also, keep in mind that you're not limited to using ChatGPT. Don't forget all the tools available to researchers and students. Do your own web searches. Check with primary sources and subject-matter experts if they're available. If you're in school, you can even ask your friendly neighborhood librarian for help.
Also: How to use ChatGPT to create an app
Don't forget that there are many excellent traditional sources. For example, Google Scholar and JSTOR provide access to a wide range of academically acceptable resources you can cite with reasonable confidence.
One final point: if you merely cut and paste ChatGPT sources into your research, you're likely to get stung. Use the AI for clues, not as a way to avoid the real work of research.
APA style is a citation style that's often required in academic programs. APA stands for American Psychological Association. I've often thought they invented these style rules to get more customers. The definitive starting point for APA style is the Purdue OWL , which provides a wide range of style guidelines.
Also: GPT-3.5 vs GPT-4: Is ChatGPT Plus worth its subscription fee?
Be careful: online style formatters might not do a complete job, and you may get your work returned by your professor. It pays to do the work yourself -- and be careful doing it.
This is a good question. I have found that sometimes -- sometimes -- if you ask ChatGPT to give you more sources or re-ask for sources, it will give you new listings. If you tell ChatGPT the sources it provided were erroneous, it will sometimes give you better ones. The bot may also apologize and give excuses. Another approach is to re-ask your original question with a different focus or direction, and then ask for sources for the new answer.
Also: How to access, install, and use AI ChatGPT-4 plugins
Once again, my best advice is to avoid treating ChatGPT as a tool that writes for you and more as a writing assistant. Asking for sources to cut and paste a ChatGPT response is pretty much plagiarism. That said, using ChatGPT's responses, and any sources you can tease out, as clues for further research and writing is a legitimate way to use this tool.
For some links, it's just link rot. Some links may have changed, since many sources are more than three years old. Other sources are of indeterminate age. Since we don't have a full listing of ChatGPT's sources, it's impossible to tell how valid they are or were.
Also: How does ChatGPT actually work?
Since ChatGPT was trained mostly without human supervision , we know that most of its sources weren't vetted and could be wrong, made up, or completely non-existent.
Trust, but verify.
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The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) Employment and Training Administration (ETA) sponsors numerous research studies, evaluations, pilots, and demonstrations on a broad range of topics relevant to the agency’s mission. This annotated bibliography provides abstracts of impact evaluations and other systematic analyses funded by ETA and published on ETA’s Research Publication Database or DOL’s Chief Evaluation Office research page from 2012 through June 2016, as selected by researchers from Mathematica Policy Research with guidance from ETA staff. The summarized publications include research, evaluation, and demonstration reports, as well as other papers and sets of policy recommendations. Each abstract provides a brief overview of the intervention studied, the type of research, data sources, analytical methods, and findings. These publications were not reviewed for quality or strength of design, and their inclusion in this bibliography does not imply any endorsement of their design, methods, or content by ETA or Mathematica.
This bibliography is organized along eight major topic areas: training programs under the Workforce Investment Act (WIA); training programs other than WIA; services to military personnel, veterans, or military spouses; population-specific programs; trade adjustment assistance; unemployment insurance; labor market information (LMI); and regional economic development. Within some topics, publications are categorized under more specific sub-topic headings. Publications related to more than one topic are summarized in the section where they are most relevant. For publications that do not cover a specific program area or grant program, the annotated bibliography classifies them according to the most relevant topic area and describes the logic for its inclusion in the topic summary.
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At college level, you must properly cite your sources in all essays, research papers, and other academic texts (except exams and in-class exercises). Add a citation whenever you quote, paraphrase, or summarize information or ideas from a source. You should also give full source details in a bibliography or reference list at the end of your text.
APA in-text citations The basics. In-text citations are brief references in the running text that direct readers to the reference entry at the end of the paper. You include them every time you quote or paraphrase someone else's ideas or words to avoid plagiarism.. An APA in-text citation consists of the author's last name and the year of publication (also known as the author-date system).
The Chicago/Turabian style of citing sources is generally used when citing sources for humanities papers, and is best known for its requirement that writers place bibliographic citations at the bottom of a page (in Chicago-format footnotes) or at the end of a paper (endnotes). The Turabian and Chicago citation styles are almost identical, but ...
Placement: The reference list appears at the end of the paper, on its own page(s). If your research paper ends on page 8, your References begin on page 9. Heading: Place the section label References in bold at the top of the page, centered. Arrangement: Alphabetize entries by author's last name. If source has no named author, alphabetize by the ...
There are three main approaches: Parenthetical citations: You include identifying details of the source in parentheses in the text—usually the author's last name and the publication date, plus a page number if relevant ( author-date ). Sometimes the publication date is omitted ( author-page ). Numerical citations: You include a number in ...
In-text citations are quick references to your sources. In Harvard referencing, you use the author's surname and the date of publication in brackets. Up to three authors are included in a Harvard in-text citation. If the source has more than three authors, include the first author followed by ' et al. '.
The following are guidelines to follow when writing in-text citations: Ensure that the spelling of author names and the publication dates in reference list entries match those in the corresponding in-text citations. Cite only works that you have read and ideas that you have incorporated into your writing. The works you cite may provide key ...
3. How to Cite Different Source Types. In-text citation doesn't vary depending on source type, unless the author is unknown. Reference list citations are highly variable depending on the source.
Citing a source means that you show, within the body of your text, that you took words, ideas, figures, images, etc. from another place. Citations are a short way to uniquely identify a published work (e.g. book, article, chapter, web site). They are found in bibliographies and reference lists and are also collected in article and book databases.
When you cite a source with up to three authors, cite all authors' names. For four or more authors, list only the first name, followed by ' et al. ': Number of authors. In-text citation example. 1 author. (Davis, 2019) 2 authors. (Davis and Barrett, 2019) 3 authors.
Journal Articles. References to journal articles usually include the author's name, title of the article, name of the journal, volume and issue number, page numbers, and publication date. Example: Johnson, T. (2021). The Impact of Social Media on Mental Health. Journal of Psychology, 32 (4), 87-94.
A citation identifies for the reader the original source for an idea, information, or image that is referred to in a work. In the body of a paper, the in-text citation acknowledges the source of information used.; At the end of a paper, the citations are compiled on a References or Works Cited list.A basic citation includes the author, title, and publication information of the source.
For most papers, cite one or two of the most representative sources for each key point. Literature review papers, however, typically include a more exhaustive list of references. Provide appropriate credit to the source (e.g., by using an in-text citation) whenever you do the following: paraphrase (i.e., state in your own words) the ideas of others
7. Can I cite unusual and non-scholarly sources in my research paper? The majority of the citations in a research paper should be to scholarly [a.k.a., academic; peer-reviewed] studies that rely on an objective and logical analysis of the research problem based on empirical evidence that reliably supports your arguments.
3. List the title of the research paper. Use sentence capitalization to write out the full title of the research paper, capitalizing the first word and any proper names. If it has a subtitle, place a colon and capitalize the first word of the subtitle. [3] For example: "Kringle, K., & Frost, J. (2012).
Short quotes: Have fewer than 40 words, use quotation marks around the quote, are incorporated into the text of the paper. (Shayden, 2016, p. 202) Long quotes: Have 40 words or MORE, DO NOT use quotation marks, are in a block quote (by indenting 0.5" or 1 tab) beneath the text of the paragraph. (Miller et al., 2016, p. 136)
There are two main kinds of titles. Firstly, titles can be the name of the standalone work like books and research papers. In this case, the title of the work should appear in the title element of the reference. Secondly, they can be a part of a bigger work, such as edited chapters, podcast episodes, and even songs.
In an MLA Works Cited entry for a journal article, the article title appears in quotation marks, the name of the journal in italics—both in title case. List up to two authors in both the in-text citation and the Works Cited entry. For three or more, use "et al.". MLA format. Author last name, First name.
Scholarship is a conversation and scholars use citations not only to give credit to original creators and thinkers, but also to add strength and authority to their own work.By citing their sources, scholars are placing their work in a specific context to show where they "fit" within the larger conversation.Citations are also a great way to leave a trail intended to help others who may want ...
How to write references in research papers. If the citations follow the Harvard system, references in a research papers are sorted alphabetically by the last name of the first author; if the citations follow the Vancouver system, the references are arranged by numbers: the reference corresponding to the first numbered citation is numbered 1 ...
2. If you are using a quote from author A that author B is citing, you would go ahead and use the quote from author A and cite it like this: Blah blah, blahblahblah, blah blah blah-blah blah (qtd. in Author B 65). Share. Improve this answer.
Answer: If you have come across a reference from one paper (A) that has been cited in another paper (B), then A is the primary source while B is the secondary source. In such cases, you must first read the original paper or primary source (A) and ensure that the context of the citation has been correctly presented in B.
At college level, you must properly cite your sources in all essays, research papers, and other academic texts (except exams and in-class exercises). Add a citation whenever you quote, paraphrase, or summarize information or ideas from a source. You should also give full source details in a bibliography or reference list at the end of your text.
In this citation, there is a general format in referencing through endnotes/footnotes, in-text, and reference pages. Academic papers in APA citation has general writing guidelines. Papers should be typed, double-spaced on standard-sized paper (8.5" x 11") with 1" margins on all sides. You should use a clear font that is highly readable.
Also: 4 things Claude AI can do that ChatGPT can't Here's how ChatGPT describes the approach: "GPT-4o in free mode provides basic and essential citations, focusing on quick and concise references ...
The summarized publications include research, evaluation, and demonstration reports, as well as other papers and sets of policy recommendations. Each abstract provides a brief overview of the intervention studied, the type of research, data sources, analytical methods, and findings. These publications were not reviewed for quality or strength ...