MLA and APA are the most common styles to use for research paper citations.
Whether you are writing a term or research paper, an article or an essay, working on a project that requires research compels you to cite your sources in a bibliography. Even if you do not quote directly from a resource, it is important that ideas on the subject receive proper credit.
The bibliography is usually located in the back of a paper. There are certain methods of citing your sources; the most popular styles are MLA and APA. Usually, you will use one of these two methods in citing your sources.
Instructions
MLA Style
1. Write the author's name. The last name goes first, followed by a comma and then the author's first name. The middle name or initial goes after the first name. The name ends with a period. Example: Smith, Robert B.
2. Type the title of the article after the name of author. The title begins and ends with quotations. Example: "The Baby Tales."
3. Underline the title of the journal, which comes after the title of the article. Example: (underline) Mother Nature.
4. Disclose the volume and issue number, as well as the date and pages of a journal article. The volume number is separated by a period. Place the date in parentheses. Place a colon after the last parenthesis. A period follows the page numbers. Example: 11.1 (1986): 18-23.
5. Review your citation for the journal article. It should read: Smith, Robert B. "The Baby Tales." (underline) Mother Nature 11.1 (1986): 18-23.
APA Style
6. Type the name of the author, last name first. Use a comma to separate the first and last name. Then add the author's first initial. A period follows the first initial. If the writer has a middle initial, type that in next, followed by another period. If there are two authors, use an ampersand to separate their names. For example, one writer would be seen as Smith, R.B. Two authors would be shown as Smith, R.B., & Smith, A.
7. Type the year of the citation, in parentheses. Example: (1986).
8. Add the title of the article and the name of the publication, separated by a period. The name of the publication is written in italics and followed by a comma. Example: The Baby Tales. (italics) Mother Nature,
9. Follow the name of the publication with the volume and issue number, as well as the pages. The issue number is in parentheses, and a comma follows. The end of the citation is a period. Example: 11(1), 18-23.
10. View the citation for the journal article. In APA writing style, it should appear like this: Smith, R.B. (1986). The Baby Tales. (italics) Mother Nature, 11(1), 18-23. With two authors, the following should appear: Smith, R.B., & Smith, A. (1986). The Baby Tales. (italics) Mother Nature, 11(1), 18-23.
Tags: Baby Tales, Mother Nature, Baby Tales italics, issue number, italics Mother