9.9: Citing sources
- Page ID
- 251583
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\(\newcommand{\avec}{\mathbf a}\) \(\newcommand{\bvec}{\mathbf b}\) \(\newcommand{\cvec}{\mathbf c}\) \(\newcommand{\dvec}{\mathbf d}\) \(\newcommand{\dtil}{\widetilde{\mathbf d}}\) \(\newcommand{\evec}{\mathbf e}\) \(\newcommand{\fvec}{\mathbf f}\) \(\newcommand{\nvec}{\mathbf n}\) \(\newcommand{\pvec}{\mathbf p}\) \(\newcommand{\qvec}{\mathbf q}\) \(\newcommand{\svec}{\mathbf s}\) \(\newcommand{\tvec}{\mathbf t}\) \(\newcommand{\uvec}{\mathbf u}\) \(\newcommand{\vvec}{\mathbf v}\) \(\newcommand{\wvec}{\mathbf w}\) \(\newcommand{\xvec}{\mathbf x}\) \(\newcommand{\yvec}{\mathbf y}\) \(\newcommand{\zvec}{\mathbf z}\) \(\newcommand{\rvec}{\mathbf r}\) \(\newcommand{\mvec}{\mathbf m}\) \(\newcommand{\zerovec}{\mathbf 0}\) \(\newcommand{\onevec}{\mathbf 1}\) \(\newcommand{\real}{\mathbb R}\) \(\newcommand{\twovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\ctwovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\threevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cthreevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\mattwo}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{rr}#1 \amp #2 \\ #3 \amp #4 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\laspan}[1]{\text{Span}\{#1\}}\) \(\newcommand{\bcal}{\cal B}\) \(\newcommand{\ccal}{\cal C}\) \(\newcommand{\scal}{\cal S}\) \(\newcommand{\wcal}{\cal W}\) \(\newcommand{\ecal}{\cal E}\) \(\newcommand{\coords}[2]{\left\{#1\right\}_{#2}}\) \(\newcommand{\gray}[1]{\color{gray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\lgray}[1]{\color{lightgray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\rank}{\operatorname{rank}}\) \(\newcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\col}{\text{Col}}\) \(\renewcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\nul}{\text{Nul}}\) \(\newcommand{\var}{\text{Var}}\) \(\newcommand{\corr}{\text{corr}}\) \(\newcommand{\len}[1]{\left|#1\right|}\) \(\newcommand{\bbar}{\overline{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bhat}{\widehat{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bperp}{\bvec^\perp}\) \(\newcommand{\xhat}{\widehat{\xvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\vhat}{\widehat{\vvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\uhat}{\widehat{\uvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\what}{\widehat{\wvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\Sighat}{\widehat{\Sigma}}\) \(\newcommand{\lt}{<}\) \(\newcommand{\gt}{>}\) \(\newcommand{\amp}{&}\) \(\definecolor{fillinmathshade}{gray}{0.9}\)Revisiting the Importance of Citation
“Wait,” you may say, “Isn’t it common knowledge that writing is difficult, and there’s always room for improvement? Why would we have to cite this Olson guy if it’s common knowledge?” Good question. Here’s the answer: If you hadn’t thought about including this particular piece of information in your paper until you read Olson’s book, cite it. Again: when in doubt, cite.
Citing Sources: MLA, APA, and Chicago Styles
Citing sources correctly is crucial in academic writing. You've already learned about MLA format, but there are other style guides that you may need to follow in your academic writing beyond this class.
MLA (Modern Language Association)
- Used For: Humanities, especially in writing about literature, language, and other cultural studies.
- Paper Focus: Essays, research papers, and other academic writing that analyze texts, literary works, and cultural artifacts.
APA (American Psychological Association)
- Used For: Social sciences, including psychology, sociology, education, and other related fields.
- Paper Focus: Research reports, experimental studies, theoretical articles, and literature reviews that emphasize recent studies and findings.
Chicago (Chicago Manual of Style)
- Used For: A wide range of subjects, including history, art, and other humanities; also used in publishing.
- Paper Focus: Detailed scholarly books, articles, and theses that require extensive footnotes or endnotes, and works that include a comprehensive bibliography.
MLA (Modern Language Association)
In-Text Citations
- Format: Author's last name and page number in parentheses.
- Example: (Smith 23)
Example in a Sentence:
- According to Smith, the results were significant (23).
Works Cited Page
- Format: Author's last name, first name. Title of the Book. Publisher, Year.
- Example: Smith, John. Understanding Citation. Citation Press, 2020.
Examples:
- Book: Smith, John. Understanding Citation. Citation Press, 2020.
- Article: Johnson, Emily. "Research Strategies." Journal of Academic Writing, vol. 12, no. 2, 2019, pp. 45-67.
- Website: Brown, Lisa. "Effective Study Habits." Academic Resource Center, 12 Jan. 2021, www.academicresourcecenter.com/study-habits.
APA (American Psychological Association)
In-Text Citations
- Format: Author's last name, year of publication, and page number (if applicable).
- Example: (Smith, 2020, p. 23)
Example in a Sentence:
- The results were significant (Smith, 2020, p. 23).
Reference List
- Format: Author's last name, first initial. (Year). Title of the book. Publisher.
- Example: Smith, J. (2020). Understanding citation. Citation Press.
Examples:
- Book: Smith, J. (2020). Understanding citation. Citation Press.
- Article: Johnson, E. (2019). Research strategies. Journal of Academic Writing, 12(2), 45-67.
- Website: Brown, L. (2021, January 12). Effective study habits. Academic Resource Center. Retrieved from http://www.academicresourcecenter.com/study-habits.
Chicago (Chicago Manual of Style)
In-Text Citations
- Format: Footnotes or endnotes with a superscript number.
- Example: Smith argues that the results were significant.^1
Example in a Sentence:
- Smith argues that the results were significant.^1
Footnotes/Endnotes
- Format: Author's first name last name, Title of the Book (Publisher, Year), page number.
- Example: John Smith, Understanding Citation (Citation Press, 2020), 23.
Examples:
- Book: John Smith, Understanding Citation (Citation Press, 2020), 23.
- Article: Emily Johnson, "Research Strategies," Journal of Academic Writing 12, no. 2 (2019): 45-67.
- Website: Lisa Brown, "Effective Study Habits," Academic Resource Center, January 12, 2021, http://www.academicresourcecenter.com/study-habits.
Bibliography
- Format: Author's last name, first name. Title of the Book. Publisher, Year.
- Example: Smith, John. Understanding Citation. Citation Press, 2020.
Examples:
- Book: Smith, John. Understanding Citation. Citation Press, 2020.
- Article: Johnson, Emily. "Research Strategies." Journal of Academic Writing 12, no. 2 (2019): 45-67.
- Website: Brown, Lisa. "Effective Study Habits." Academic Resource Center. January 12, 2021. http://www.academicresourcecenter.com/study-habits.
Summary Table
| Style | In-Text Citation Example | End Citation Format | End Citation Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| MLA | (Smith 23) | Author's last name, first name. Title. Publisher, Year. | Smith, John. Understanding Citation. Citation Press, 2020. |
| APA | (Smith, 2020, p. 23) | Author's last name, first initial. (Year). Title. Publisher. | Smith, J. (2020). Understanding citation. Citation Press. |
| Chicago | Smith argues that...^1 | Author's first name last name, Title (Publisher, Year), page number. | John Smith, Understanding Citation (Citation Press, 2020), 23. |