Citation Guides

citation guides

These citation guides will show you how to properly cite a source in the most widely used citation methods (APA, MLA, Chicago). Whether you need help citing a website, youtube video, online journal, book, movie, poem, or any other source, we will provide you with easy steps on how to do that with complete accuracy. In addition we also provided guides on how to properly cite a source within the paper (parenthetical), as well as how to properly format your works cited page or bibliography. Finally, we included a guide on how to properly complete an annotated bibliography, as those are being requested more often. Our guides are updated each year (last updated in Jan 2018) to include the latest format, structure, and guidelines.

APA Format – American Psychological Association / latest version: 6th edition / last updated: 2009

MLA Format – Modern Language Association / latest version: 8th edition / last updated: 2016

Chicago Style – Chicago Manual of Style / latest version: 17th edition / last updated: 2017


 

How to Cite a Book in MLA Format

As a student, one of the things you’ll definitely want to know is how to cite a book in MLA format.  Why?  Simple:  over the course of your research, you’re bound to use some books to help support the claims and arguments you develop.  That means you need to reference them appropriately.  And one of the most common citation styles used is the MLA style.  MLA is short for Modern Language Association.  We’ve presented other tutorials on how to use MLA when citing YouTube videos or when formatting an essay.  In this tutorial, we’ll take a brief look at how Continue Reading...

How to Cite a Youtube Video in APA Format

YouTube videos have been all the rage for years now. Everything from demo videos of kids playing with toys to lectures on the next wave of scientific engineering can be seen on the video streaming platform. For someone doing research, it can offer a great treasure trove of information. So don’t be shy about using YouTube videos for your research essay! Even if you don’t know how to cite them, we’re here to help: This tutorial will show you how to cite a YouTube video APA style. What to Look For In the screen cap below, we’ve highlighted the areas Continue Reading...

How to Cite a YouTube Video in MLA

The Internet has certainly changed the way students do research. So much information can be retrieved from websites. Knowing how to properly cite them can definitely help when it comes time to construct a great essay. One popular site that offers a ton of good material for research is YouTube. There are literally millions of educational and informational videos on this video streaming website. So let’s take a look at how to cite a YouTube video MLA style. Where to Look Let’s take a look at the screen cap below. Here we have a video entitled: “Frank Abagnale: ‘Catch Me Continue Reading...

How to Do Parenthetical Citations in APA Format

Anytime you’re writing a research paper, you’ll more than likely have to include some parenthetical citations. These are known as in-text citations. It’s where you reference an outside source, using information from that source to make a point or support a thesis. Because the information is not likely to be known by the majority of readers, you cite your source right there in the text. This article will describe how you do that using the APA style. Parenthetical Citation When Author’s Name IS Used in the Sentence If you’re using the author’s name in the sentence to introduce the information Continue Reading...

How to Cite a Journal Article in APA Format

Referencing scholarly journals is what writing a research paper is all about. You get to sound professional and academic while planting some nice, sweet references in your Reference List at the end of the paper. Just be sure to cite those journals correctly—both in your text and at the end of your essay! How? Well, we’ll show you. This is our tutorial on how to cite a journal in APA format (6th edition). In-Text Citations The APA citation style is one of the easiest to use. Just remember Name and Date and if you use a direct quote add in Continue Reading...

How to Write a Paper in MLA Essay Format

The Modern Language Association (MLA) updates its recommendations for how to format an essay every so many years. The most recent MLA essay format guidelines were published in the MLA Handbook, 8th Edition, available here. It consists of a basic set of principles, rather than rules, that allows for some flexibility in terms of how a student cites and references sources. The key concepts of MLA formatting are also available in this nifty and easy to use infograph from Purdue OWL. The main points to remember when formatting a paper are to be consistent, to adhere to the fundamentals, and Continue Reading...

How to Write a Paper in APA Essay Format

APA (American Psychological Association) style is a method of formatting often used by students today. If you are writing a research paper or a Cause & Effect essay, you’re more than likely going to use APA style. The current APA essay format guidelines come from the 6th Edition of the APA Manual. As always, check with the official publication in order to make sure you are following the most recent and up-to-date recommendations. You can do that here at the APA official site. Formatting APA essays should be type-written on standard white paper, 8.5 x 11”. Margins should be 1” on Continue Reading...

How to Write an APA Reference Page

An APA Reference Page is a reference page that is written in APA style.  You may be asked to write a reference page as a stand-alone project, while researching sources for a term paper or essay, or as part of a research project. What is APA? The initials APA stand for the American Psychological Association, the author of the The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association.  APA style refers to the current writing rules outlined in that publication, which is the Sixth Edition. APA style is usually used for the social and behavioral sciences, also known as the “soft” Continue Reading...

How to Write an Annotated Bibliography

When doing a research paper, you’ll sometimes be required to provide an annotated bibliography. You may have heard of a bibliography before—but what is an annotated bibliography? Don’t worry! It’s really no big deal—and quite easy to write. This article will discuss the process of writing an annotated bibliography by giving you a template to see how it is constructed. It will also provide you with some examples in a variety of citation styles (MLA, APA and Chicago). We’ll also give you some topics that usually make for great annotated bib subjects. Let’s get started! What is an Annotated Bibliography Continue Reading...

How to Cite a Website Using APA

The current APA 6th Edition set of citation guidelines offers pretty clear rules on how to cite and reference a website in your research paper. Because so much research can be conducted online today, it is important to be aware of what the rules for citing and referencing are. In this article, we’ll discuss how to cite a website using APA. We’ll also give lots of examples of how various types of sites can be referenced and where to look for reference info on those sites. Let’s get started! Structure Newspaper Website APA uses a basic, simple structure for referencing Continue Reading...