How to Properly Reference a Research Paper: Comprehensive Guide

How to Properly Reference a Research Paper: Comprehensive Guide

Are you in search of valuable tips for referencing a research paper? Look no further, as this article provides you with a detailed guide. Throughout your academic journey, it is imperative to include accurate citations in any research paper you compose. Scholarly materials, such as journals and conference papers, demand strict adherence to specific format requirements.

For students and aspiring researchers, mastering the art of referencing a research paper and other academic essays is indispensable. Proper citations play a pivotal role in helping your professors and readers establish the context and relevance of your research. The correct inclusion of citations in your paper significantly influences your final grade. Gain deeper insights into various citation styles and how to employ them effectively.

What are Citation Styles?

The ability to cite sources is a fundamental skill in academia. When referencing the work of other authors, it is crucial to provide proper citations to avoid the pitfalls of plagiarism in your research paper. Citing the sources appropriately not only gives credit to the original authors but also bolsters the credibility of your work.

Citations serve various purposes, such as substantiating your claims, acknowledging the contributions of other scholars, and maintaining the integrity of your research. The chosen citation format is vital as it helps students and researchers consistently structure their papers. Citations act as signposts, indicating where you found your information and when the authors of the referenced articles conducted their research.

Using citations also serves as a safeguard against plagiarism, adding credibility to your work. It is imperative to consult your instructor regarding the preferred research paper citation style, as the appropriate style depends on the specific discipline in which your research paper is situated.

Citations validate your work and prevent you from appropriating the work of others. It is crucial to remain mindful of the details within the citations you employ, as the order of citations may vary depending on the chosen citation style.

Excellent Guidelines for Citing a Research Paper in Different Formats

Consider the following essential tips for effectively citing your research paper:

1. Comprehend your professor’s instructions thoroughly.
2. Employ the correct citation format.
3. Use quotation marks when necessary.
4. Double-check your citations for accuracy.
5. Familiarize yourself with and understand the recommended citation style.
6. Use commas to separate multiple author names.

Diverse Referencing Styles for Citations

In the realm of academic writing, it is imperative to acknowledge your sources by citing them appropriately. There are six major citation styles commonly used in academic papers:

1. MLA in-text citation (Modern Language Association)
2. APA citation style (American Psychological Association)
3. Chicago-style formatting
4. Harvard-style format
5. ASA Citation Style (American Sociological Association)
6. The IEEE Citation style (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers)

While these citation formats may differ in formatting, they all contain the same core information. The distinction lies in how you structure your citations based on the chosen style, be it APA, MLA, Chicago, or any other.

APA Research Paper Format

The APA research paper format is commonly employed in essays related to psychology and social sciences. This style encompasses an overall structure for citations, including endnotes/footnotes, in-text citations, and reference pages. When composing academic papers in APA citation, adhere to these general writing guidelines:

– Maintain double-spacing on standard-sized paper (8.5″ x 11″) with 1″ margins on all sides.
– Utilize a legible font, such as 12 pt. Times New Roman.
– Create page numbers on the right side of the paper to form a page header.
– At the left flush header, write the paper’s title in all capital letters, limited to 50 characters, including spaces and punctuation.

A research paper in APA format typically comprises four major sections:

1. Title page
2. Abstract
3. Main body
4. References

For proper citation in APA format, adhere to the following guidelines:

**Book**
Author’s name, Abbreviations A.A… (Year of Publication). The title of the work. Publisher City, State: Publisher.

*Example:*
Health Canada. (2018). An overview of the Marketed Health Products Directorate. New York, NY: Simon and Schuster.

**Magazine**
Author, A.A… (Year, month of Publication). Article title. Magazine Title, Volume(Issue), pp.-pp.

*Example:*
Tumulty, K. (2006, April). Should they remain, or should they leave? Time, 167(15), 3-40.

**Newspaper**
Author, A.A… (Year, Month, Date of Publication). Article title. Magazine Title, pp. xx-xx.

*Example:*
Rosenberg, G. (1997, March 31). Electronic discovery is a powerful legal tool. The New York Times, p. D5.

**Website**
Author, A.A… (Year, Month, Date of Publication). Article title. Retrieved from URL

*Example:*
Simmons, B. (2015, January 9). A story about two Flaccos. Retrieved from {link}

MLA Research Paper Format

The MLA format finds extensive use in the liberal humanities and arts fields. This format prioritizes concepts over rigid rules, emphasizing the importance of documentation in papers. To cite a research paper in MLA format:

– Employ Times New Roman font at size 12.
– Maintain double-spacing throughout the essay.
– Set 1-inch margins on all sides.
– Indent paragraphs by 1/2 inch using the tab key.
– Include your last name and page number on the upper right-hand corner of the first page.

For proper citation in MLA format, adhere to these guidelines:

**Book**
Author’s Last Name, First Name. *Book Title*. Publisher City: Publisher Name, Year Published. Medium.

*Example:*
Smith, John. *The Sample Book*. Pittsburgh: BibMe, 2008. Print.

**Magazine**
Last Name, First Name. “Article Title.” *Magazine Name*, Publication Date, Page Numbers. Medium.

*Example:*
Stamatis, Dean H. “Total high-quality service: principles, practices, and implementation.” *Routledge*, 2018.

**Newspaper**
Last Name, First Name. “Article Title.” *Newspaper Name*, Publication Date, Page Numbers. Medium.

*Example:*
Smith, John. “The Steelers triumph in Super Bowl XLIII.” *Pittsburgh Post-Gazette*, February 2, 2009: 4-6. Print.

**Website**
Last Name, First Name. “Page Title.” *Website Title*. Sponsoring Institution/Publisher, Publication Date, Page Numbers. Medium.

*Example:*
Smith, John. “Obama was sworn in as President.” *CNN.com*, Cable News Network, January 21, 2009. Web. February 1, 2009.

Chicago Style for Research Papers

Commonly used in the humanities, the Chicago citation style employs endnotes or footnotes for citations. To cite a research paper in Chicago style:

**Book**
The author’s Last Name, First Name. *Title of Book*. Publisher City: Publisher Name, Year Published.

*Example:*
Stamatis, Dean H. *Total quality service: principles, practices, and implementation*. Routledge, 2018.

**Magazine**
Last Name, First Name. “Article

title.” *Magazine Title*, Month Date, Year of publication.

*Example:*
Chan, Dan. “The art of pandas.” *Panda Magazine*, Nov 10, 1985.

**Newspaper**
Last Name, First Name. “Article Title.” *Newspaper Name*, Publication Date.

*Example:*
Smith, John. “The Steelers triumph in Super Bowl XLIII..” *Pittsburgh Post-Gazette*, February 2, 2009.

**Website**
Last Name, First Name. “Page Title.” *Website Title*. Web Address (retrieved Date Accessed).

*Example:*
Lee, Bruce. “Birth of a Nation.” Retrieved 18.01.2017.

ASA Research Paper Citation Format

The American Sociological Association (ASA) citation format is chiefly used in sociology research papers and articles for ASA journals. To cite a research paper in ASA format:

**Book**
Author’s Last and First Name. Year of Publication. *Title*. Country of Publisher: Publisher.

*Example:*
James, Henry. 2003. *The Turn of the Screw*. New York: Barns & Noble Books.

**E-Books**
Author’s Last and First Name. Year of Publication. *Title*. Country of Publisher: Publisher. Retrieved Month Day, Year {link}.

*Example:*
James, Henry. 2003. *The Turn of the Screw*. New York: Penguin Books Kindle Version. Retrieved January 18, 2017. {link}

**Journal article**
Author’s Last and First Name. Year of Publication. “Title.” *Journal Name* issue #: inclusive page numbers.

*Example:*
Fees, Bo. 2008. “Chasing Tree Frogs.” *National Geographic* #182. 6-10.

**Magazine article**
Author’s Last and First Name. Year of Pub. “Title.” *Magazine Name*, Month Year, pp. Inclusive page numbers.

*Example:*
Geary, Rachel. 2012. “The Problem with Mastery Learning.” *New York Times*, April 2002. Pp. 15-23.

**Website**
Author’s Last and First Name. Date of Publishing. “Title.” *Publisher*. Retrieved Month Day, Year {link}.

*Example:*
Smith, John. 03.09.2004. “Birth of a Nation.” Retrieved 18.01.2017.

The IEEE Citation Style

The IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) citation style is commonly used in technical fields like electronics, engineering, computer science, and telecommunications research papers. This style employs in-text citations within numbered brackets referring to comprehensive references. To cite a research paper in IEEE format:

– Utilize a page layout with top, bottom, left, and right margins of 19mm (0.75″), 43mm (1.69″), and 14.32mm (0.56″), respectively.
– Implement the Times New Roman font with a size of 10 pt.
– Single-space the text and notate the first sentence of each paragraph.
– Include page numbers on the right side of the paper to form a page header.

For proper IEEE format citation, follow these guidelines:

**For books**
K. Author. “Title of chapter in the book,” in *His Published Book*, xth ed. The City of Publisher (only U.S. State), Country: Abbrev. of Publisher, year, ch. x, sec. x, pp. xxx–xxx.

*Example:*
K. Chen, “Linear Networks and Systems,” *Belmont, CA: WadsworthPress*, 2003.

**For conference papers**
K. Author. “Title of paper,” presented at the Abbreviated Name of Conf., The city of Conf., Abbrev. State, Country, Month and day(s), year, Paper number.

*Example:*
Caratelli, M. C. Viganó, G. Toso, and P. Angeletti, “Analytical sparse element location method,” presented at the *32nd ESA Antenna Workshop*, Noordwijk, The Netherlands, Oct. 5p, 2010.

**For periodicals**
K. Author. “Name of paper,” *Abbrev. Title of Periodical*, vol. x, no. x, pp. xxx-xxx, Abbrev. Month, year.

*Example:*
Ito et al., “The use of amorphous oxide TFTs in electrophoretic displays,” *J. Non-Cryst. Solids*, vol. 354, no. 19, pp. 2777–2782, Fp. 2008.

**For software manuals**
Name of Manual/Handbook, x ed. (year). Accessed: Date. [Online]. Available: http://www.url.com

*Example:*
K. Author (or Abbrev. Name of Co., City of Co. Abbrev. State, Country).

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Why Citations Matter in Research Papers

Citations play a pivotal role in scholarly research papers. Their significance lies in the following key aspects:

1. Preventing Plagiarism: Proper citations ensure that you give credit to the original authors and avoid presenting someone else’s work as your own.

2. Respecting Intellectual Property Rights: Academic writing may include copyrighted material, patents, or creative works. Citations acknowledge the intellectual property rights of these works.

3. Providing Evidence: Citations offer evidence for the claims and arguments in your paper, enhancing its credibility.

4. Source Verification: Citations help readers locate the sources you’ve used, enabling them to explore further and verify your research.

Proper referencing is essential to academic integrity, preventing plagiarism, and giving credit to the original authors. It also adds to the overall quality and credibility of your research paper.

In Conclusion

Citing sources correctly is fundamental in academic writing. It ensures that you acknowledge the work of others, avoid plagiarism, provide evidence for your arguments, and allow readers to verify your research. Familiarize yourself with the appropriate citation style for your discipline and follow the guidelines diligently.

Should you require assistance with citing your research paper, consider seeking support from professional writers who can ensure accuracy and adherence to the correct citation format. For all your academic needs, including paper citation, onlinenursingpapers.com is here to help. Our experienced writers are ready to assist you with your academic assignments.