How to Cite a Research Paper in Different Research Paper Formats?
Learn how to cite a research paper using APA, MLA, Chicago, Harvard, and IEEE formats. Get valuable insights on citation from academic expert Chris Lewis.
Learning how to cite a research paper is one of the fundamental skills that any academic writer should possess. Citation serves the important function of acknowledging the original authors whose ideas or work have been used or built upon. Citation also enables the reader to locate the sources that have been used in the research study. As cited before, various fields have different citation rules, and those rules must be followed accurately to avoid getting a low grade. In this article, the author will elaborate on how to cite a research paper using APA, MLA, Chicago, Harvard, and IEEE formats. We will also emphasize the need to seek help from a research paper writing service where one needs clarification on the proper citation or format to use.
Different Types of Citations
APA (American Psychological Association)
The APA formatting is most common in the field of social sciences, including psychology, sociology, and education. APA is considered highly specific, and it requires the use of author-date in-text citations along with a list of references. Key features include:
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Author’s last name and year of publication in the body of the text.
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Example: (Smith, 2023)
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Choosing double spacing throughout the length of the document.
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A title page different from the one at the beginning of the paper with its title, author’s name and the institution.
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List of sources at the end of the paper arranged in alphabetical order.
Writing research papers for students entails an accurate commitment to APA standards, reducing the chance of mistakes that may deny a student marks.
MLA (Modern Language Association)
The MLA style is widely used today in humanities, particularly in literature and cultural studies. It emphasizes purity and adaptability to a variety of media and formats. Key aspects include:
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When quoting work within the text, references are in the form of the author’s last name and the page number.
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Example: (Smith 25)
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A “Works Cited” page at the end of the document.
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With regard to formatting, one should use double space and include margins of one inch.
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Write a header containing the author’s last name and the relevant page number.
Students need help in the proper MLA format, particularly when using a large number of sources in their bibliographies.
Chicago Style
The Chicago Manual of Style offers two citation formats:
Author-Date: Applicable in sciences, and this one includes an in-text citation.
Example: (Smith 2023, 25)
Notes-Bibliography: Widely used in history and art, this type is based on footnotes or endnotes.
Example: ^1John Smith, Title of the Book (Publisher, City, 2023), p. 25.
Key elements include:
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Clear section headings
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Endnotes or references are provided in brackets, preferably immediately under the remarks made.
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A comprehensive bibliography
Due to this, most students opt to seek assistance from research paper writers to handle complex Chicago-style needs.
Harvard
Harvard style is most commonly used in economics, business, and social sciences. Using the author-date citation system as its main feature, it is similar to APA with a few variations. Key features include:
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Author’s last name, year and specific page number in parentheses at the end of the relevant part of text. Example: (Smith 2023, p. 25)
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References using alphabetic order for the entries at the end.
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Well-organized to help ensure classroom understanding by faculty mem
bers as well as students.
Many students prefer to ask ‘Please, could you write my research paper in Harvard writing?’ to get the proper formatting and adherence to established guidelines.
IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers)
The IEEE style is most commonly used in engineering, computer science, and other technical disciplines. It has its own special numeric citation style, different from Harvard or APA. Key features include:
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Numerals in square brackets refer to citations in the running text. Example: [1]
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A “References” section whereby the sources are appended with numbers in the order they have been used in the paper.
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Detailed procedures for the alignment of the equation, the figure, and the table.
The structured format of the IEEE makes the task daunting for the students. They opt for research paper writing service.
Conclusion
Proper citation of research papers also plays an important role in piracy prevention and maintaining academic honesty, wherein authors are given credit for their ideas. No matter if you are using APA, MLA, Chicago, Harvard, or IEEE style, each of them has guidelines on in-text citations and reference list entries. However, learning all of these citation formats may take a lot of time. If you worried about during exam days who will write my research paper, you can use a research paper writing service like Quick Assignment Hub, which will help to use correct citations properly. If you sometimes have difficulty with citation rules, at least consider seeking assistance when it comes to writing a research paper. Using a proper citation style, you can format your research properly and show others your work without violating the rights of others.
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