What Are the Citation Styles for College Research Papers?

The Importance of Citation Styles

The three most commonly used citation styles in college research papers are APA (American Psychological Association), MLA (Modern Language Association), and Chicago/Turabian. Each style serves a specific purpose, depending on the academic discipline. Proper citation ensures that sources are accurately credited and information remains transparent in college research papers.

In the blog, APA Format Literature Review: Template and Examples, the author argues that citations enable readers to track and verify sources, enhancing the credibility and reliability of the presented information. In the precept, citation promote transparency and reproducibility in college research, facilitating the academic dialogue. Consistency and clarity in citations also improve the readability and professionalism of papers, making it easier for researchers to follow and verify sources.

This article will explore these citation styles, ranking their significance and highlighting their key features. Understanding and applying the correct format is crucial for maintaining academic credibility, preventing plagiarism, and improving the readability of research papers.

MLA Citation Style

MLA (Modern Language Association) style is widely used in the humanities, such as literature and language studies. Papers in MLA format are double-spaced with 12-point Times New Roman font and one-inch margins. In-text citations include the author’s last name and page number, and the Works Cited page lists all referenced sources.

How to Cite in MLA

• Author’s Name: Start with the author’s last name, followed by a comma and the first name.
• Title: Place the work’s title in quotation marks if it’s an article or in italics if it’s a book.
• Publication Details: Include the publisher’s name and the year of publication.
• Page Numbers: Add the page number(s) for print sources. For online sources, include the URL or DOI.

Examples of MLA Citation

Book with One Author:

• Johnson, Mark. The Art of Writing. PublishCo, 2019.

Journal Article:

• Smith, Jane. “Improving Writing Skills.” Journal of Writing Studies, vol. 10, no. 2, 2021, pp. 45-60.

Website:

• Alvarez, Maria. “Climate Change Effects on Writing.” Environmental Studies Hub, April 20. 2023, www.envstudies.org/climate-writing. Accessed May 15, 2023.

E-book:

• Thompson, Robert. Basic Electronics for Writers. Digital Press, 2020. E-book.

Practical Tips MLA Formatting

If you’re writing a paper in MLA format, here’s what you need to know:

1. First Page Setup (No Title Page Needed)

• In the upper left corner of the first page, write:
• Your name
• Your instructor’s name
• The course name
• The date (in Day Month Year format, e.g., 31 March 2025)

• Double-space after this and center your title (don’t bold, italicize, or put it in quotation marks).
• Use title case (capitalize the main words), but do not use all capital letters.

2. Page Numbers & Headers

• Create a header in the top right corner of every page.
• It should include your last name and the page number (e.g., Smith 1).
• The header should be half an inch from the top and aligned to the right margin.

3. In-Text Citations (Citing Your Sources in the Paper)

• MLA uses the author’s last name and page number for citations.
• If you mention the author in your sentence, just put the page number in parentheses:
• Example: According to Smith, “climate change is a growing concern” (45).
• If you don’t mention the author in your sentence, include both the name and page number in parentheses:
• Example: “Climate change is a growing concern” (Smith 45).

• For short quotes (fewer than four lines), use quotation marks.
• For more extended quotes (four or more lines), format them as a block quote:
• Start on a new line.
• Indent the entire quote one inch from the left margin.
• Do not use quotation marks.
• Place the citation after the punctuation at the end of the quote.

4. Works Cited Page (Your List of Sources)

• Start a new page at the end of your paper.
• Title it Works Cited (centered, no bold or italics).
• Keep the same margins and page number format as the rest of the paper.
• List all sources in alphabetical order by the author’s last name.
• Use a hanging indent: The first line of each citation is left-aligned, and the following lines are indented 0.5 inches.
• Double-space everything, but don’t add extra spaces between entries.
• If you’re citing an article from an online database, include the database name in italics, but don’t include subscription details.

APA Citation Style

APA (American Psychological Association) style is commonly used in social sciences like psychology, sociology, political science, and education. An APA paper includes a title page, abstract, introduction, body, and conclusion. In-text citations feature the author’s last name and publication year, and a reference list at the end provides detailed information about each source.

APA Format Literature Review: Template and Examples

How to Cite in APA

• Author’s Name: Use the author’s last name followed by initials.
• Publication Year: Place the year in parentheses immediately after the author’s name.
• Title: Include the title of the work in sentence case.
• Source Details: Italicize the source or container and include volume, issue, and page numbers for articles. For online sources, add the URL or DOI.

Examples of APA Citation

Book:

• Johnson, M. (2019). The art of writing. PublishCo.

Journal Article:

• Smith, J. (2021). How to improve writing skills. Journal of Writing Studies, 10(2), 45-60. https://doi.org/xx.xxxx/yyyy

Online Article:

• Thompson, R. (2022). Climate change impacts on academic writing. Environmental Studies Journal. Retrieved from https://www.environmentalstudies.com/climate-writing

Conference Paper:

• Williams, K., & Davis, A. (2023, March 15-18). Citation patterns in student papers [Conference presentation]. Academic Writing Conference, Boston, MA, United States.

Practical Tips for APA Formatting

If you’re writing a paper in APA format, here’s everything you need to know in an easy-to-follow way:

1. Paper Structure

Your paper should have four main sections:

1. Title Page
2. Abstract (only if required)
3. Main Body
4. References

Your paper should be typed and double-spaced on standard 8.5” x 11” paper with 1-inch margins on all sides.

Use a consistent font throughout the paper. APA recommends:

• Sans serif fonts: 11-point Calibri, 11-point Arial, or 10-point Lucida Sans Unicode
• Serif fonts: 12-point Times New Roman, 11-point Georgia, or 10-point Computer Modern

A running head (shortened title in the header) is not required for student papers unless your instructor asks.

2. Title Page (First Page of Your Paper)

Your title page should include:

• Title of the Paper → Centered, in bold, with significant words capitalized
• Your Name → One double-spaced line below the title
• Institution Name → The name of your university or college
• Course Name & Number → Example: PSY 101: Introduction to Psychology
• Instructor’s Name
• Due Date

3. Abstract (Only If Required)

If your instructor asks for an abstract, start it on a new page after the title page.

• Title it “Abstract” (bold & centered).
• Write a summary of your paper (around 150-250 words).
• Do NOT indent the first line.
• Keep it double-spaced like the rest of your paper.
• You may include keywords (only if required).

4. In-Text Citations (Citing Sources in the Text)

When you reference another person’s work, use the author-date format:

• Example (Paraphrased):
• Sleep deprivation negatively impacts learning (Smith, 2020).
• Example (Direct Quote):
• Smith (2020) stated, “Sleep deprivation negatively impacts learning” (p. 45).
• If citing multiple pages, use “pp.” instead of “p.”:
• (Smith, 2020, pp. 45–47)
• For 3 or more authors, use et al. after the first author’s name:
• (Johnson et al., 2021)

For long quotes (40+ words):

• Do NOT use quotation marks.
• Indent the entire block 0.5 inches from the left.
• Keep it double-spaced.
• The citation goes after the punctuation.

Example of a Block Quote:

Sleep deprivation leads to decreased memory retention. Studies have shown that students who sleep fewer than six hours per night perform significantly worse on cognitive tests than those who sleep at least eight hours. This suggests that sleep plays a crucial role in information processing and learning.

(Smith, 2020, p. 45)

5. Headings in APA Style

APA uses different levels of headings for organizing content:

LevelFormat

1 Centered, Bold, Title Case (Text starts a new paragraph)

2 Flush Left, Bold, Title Case (Text starts a new paragraph)

3 Flush Left, Bold Italic, Title Case (Text starts a new paragraph)

4 Indented, Bold, Title Case, Ending with a Period. (Text follows on the same line)

5 Indented, Bold Italic, Title Case, Ending with a Period. (Text follows on the same line)

6. References Page (List of Sources at the End)

Your references should start on a new page titled “References” (bold & centered).

Formatting Rules:

• Alphabetize the list by the first author’s last name.
• Double-space all entries.
• Use a hanging indent (the first line is flush left, rest indented 0.5 inches).
• List up to 20 authors. For 21+ authors, list the first 19, then use an ellipsis (…), and end with the last author’s name.
• Italicize book titles and journal names.
• DOI & URLs:
• DOIs should be formatted as a hyperlink:
• Example: https://doi.org/10.xxxx/xxxxx
• Do NOT use “Retrieved from” before a URL unless a retrieval date is required.

Example References

Book:

Smith, J. (2020). The science of sleep. Oxford University Press.

Journal Article (with DOI):

Brown, L., & White, R. (2021). Sleep cycles and memory retention. Journal of Neuroscience, 45(3), 123–135. https://doi.org/10.1037/neu0000198

Website:

American Psychological Association. (2022). APA style guide. https://apastyle.apa.org

7. Quick APA Checklist

✅ Title Page with all required details

✅ Abstract (only if required)

✅ Double-spacing throughout

✅ 1-inch margins on all sides

✅ In-text citations in (Author, Year) format

✅ Reference list formatted correctly

✅ Headings structured properly

Chicago Citation Style

Chicago style, used in humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences, offers two citation systems: Notes and Bibliography (for literature, history, and the arts) and Author-Date (for social and natural sciences). In-text citations in the Chicago style use footnotes or endnotes, while a bibliography provides full source details.

How to Cite in Chicago (Notes and Bibliography)

• Author’s Name: Include the author’s last name followed by the first name.
• Title: Italicize the title of the book or article.
• Publication Details: For books, add the place of publication, publisher, and year. For articles, include the journal name, volume, issue, and year.
• Online Sources: Add the URL or DOI at the end.

Examples of Chicago Citation (Notes and Bibliography)

First Note for a Book:

1. Mark Johnson, The Art of Writing (New York: PublishCo, 2019), 45-46.

Shortened Subsequent Note: 2. Johnson, Art of Writing, 48.

Bibliography Entry: Johnson, Mark. The Art of Writing. New York: PublishCo, 2019.

First Note for a Journal Article: 3. Jane Smith, “Improving Writing Skills,” Journal of Writing Studies 10, no. 2 (2021): 45-60.

Bibliography Entry: Smith, Jane. “Improving Writing Skills.” Journal of Writing Studies 10, no. 2 (2021): 45-60.

Examples of Chicago Citation (Author-Date)

In-text Citation: (Johnson 2019, 45-46)

Reference List Entry: Johnson, Mark. 2019. The Art of Writing. New York: PublishCo.

Practical Tips for Chicago Formatting

General Formatting Rules

• Use a readable font like Times New Roman.
• Font size should be at least 10 pt (12 pt is preferred).
• Double-space all text, except for:
  • Block quotes, table titles, and figure captions (single-spaced).
• A quotation of five or more lines should be set apart as a block quote (no quotation marks).
• Page numbers should start on the second page using Arabic numerals (2, 3, 4, etc.) in the header.

Title Page

You may either include a separate title page or place the title at the top of the first page. If a title page is required:

• Title should be bold and centered ⅓ down the page.
• If there’s a subtitle, add a colon (:) and place it on the next line.
• Below the title, write:
  • Your name
  • Course name & number
  • Date
• Double-space everything on the title page.
• The title page does not get a page number but still counts as page 1 when numbering the rest of the paper.

Margins & Page Numbers

• Use 1-inch margins on all sides.
• Ignore page numbers when setting margins—they go in the header.
• Page numbers should be ½ inch from the edge in either the top right or bottom center.
• If your paper includes front matter (like a dedication or table of contents), number those pages using Roman numerals (i, ii, iii, etc.).

Table of Contents (if needed)

• Title the first page Contents at the top.
• Leave two blank lines before listing the items.
• Single-space each entry but leave a blank line between them.
• List everything in order:
  • Chapters, sections, appendices, bibliography, etc.
• Write chapter titles flush left and page numbers flush right.

List of Figures & Tables (if needed)

• Number these pages with Roman numerals (i, ii, iii, etc.).
• If only figures are included, title the page Figures.
• If only tables are included, title the page Tables.
• If you have both, title the page Illustrations and divide it into sections.
• Use single spacing but leave a blank line between entries.
• List the figure or table number on the left and the page number on the right.

Introduction & Conclusion

• If your paper includes an Introduction, label it Introduction at the top of the page.
• If your paper includes a Conclusion, label it Conclusion at the top of the page.
• Leave two blank lines between the title and the first paragraph.
• Format the text just like the rest of the paper.
• If the Introduction and Conclusion flow directly into the chapters, you can omit separate labels and just start with Chapter 1.

Main Text Formatting

• Indent the first line of each paragraph ½ inch (use the Tab key, not spaces).
• Double-space the text.
• Keep the right margin ragged (don’t justify text).
• Use only one space between sentences.

Headings & Subheadings

• Use different styles for different heading levels.
• Higher-level headings should stand out more than lower ones.
• No periods at the end of headings.
• Leave extra space before a heading but not after it.
• If you use a subheading, there should be at least two at that level (no single subheadings).
• Never end a page with a heading—move it to the next page if needed.

Chapter Openings (for long papers like theses)

• Center the chapter number and title at the top of the first page.
• If there’s a subtitle, place it below the title with a colon (:) separating them.
• After the title, leave:
  • One blank line before the chapter number.
  • Two blank lines before the main text starts.

Figures & Captions

• Place figures near the paragraph that first mentions them.
• Captions go below the figure, flush left (not centered).
• Single-space the caption and leave one blank line before the next paragraph.

Citing Sources (Two Systems)

Chicago has two citation systems:

1. Notes & Bibliography (for history, literature, and the arts).
2. Author-Date (for sciences and social sciences).

Notes & Bibliography Style

Footnotes vs. Endnotes

• Footnotes appear at the bottom of the page.
• Endnotes appear at the end of the paper (before the bibliography).
• Use superscript numbers in the text to link to the footnote or endnote.

Bibliography

• Title the page Bibliography (centered, at the top).
• Single-space each entry but leave a blank line between them.
• Use hanging indents (first line flush left, the rest indented).
• For multiple works by the same author, replace the name with three dashes (—) in later entries.

Author-Date Style (Parenthetical Citations)

• Place citations in parentheses at the end of a sentence. Example:
  • (Smith 2020, 45) → Last name, year, page number.
• Do not use punctuation between the name and date.
• A Reference List goes at the end of the paper.

Reference List Formatting

• Title the page Reference List (centered, at the top).
• Single-space each entry and leave a blank line between them.
• Hanging indent for each entry.
• For multiple works by the same author, replace the name with three dashes (—).
• Use a, b, c, etc., to distinguish works published in the same year.

Formatting Books, Articles & Online Sources

• Italicize titles of books and journals.
• Use quotation marks for article and chapter titles.
• Capitalize important words in titles (headline-style).
• For online sources, include a DOI or URL.
• Use “n.d.” (no date) if a publication date isn’t available.

How to Format a Block Quote

• If a quote is five or more lines, indent it ½ inch (like a paragraph).
• Do not use quotation marks.
• Single-space the quote and leave a blank line before and after.

 Harvard Citation Style

Harvard style, used in social sciences, humanities, and business, employs a parenthetical author-date system. In-text citations include the author’s last name and publication year, while the reference list provides full source details.

How to Cite in Harvard

• Author’s Name: Start with the author’s last name followed by initials.
• Publication Year: Place the year in parentheses after the author’s name.
• Title: Italicize the title of the work.
• Publication Details: Include the place of publication and publisher.

Examples of Harvard Citation

Book:

• Johnson, M. 2019, The Art of Writing, PublishCo, New York.

Journal Article:

• Smith, J. 2021, “Improving Writing Skills”, Journal of Writing Studies, vol. 10, no. 2, pp. 45-60.

Website:

• Garcia, R. 2022, Business Source Premier: A Guide for Students, viewed March 15, 2023, https://www.businesssourcepremier.com/guide.

Conference Paper:

• Liu, Y. & Zhang, H. 2023, ‘Citation patterns in professional papers,’ paper presented at the Academic Writing Conference, London, 10-12 May.

Practical Tips for Harvard

• Harvard has several variations—check your institution’s specific Harvard style guide.
• Use the title instead of the author’s name for works with no author.
• Include page numbers in in-text citations when directly quoting.
• For multiple works in a single citation, list them chronologically and separate them with semicolons.
• Harvard style is particularly popular in business papers and social sciences research.

Vancouver Citation Style

Vancouver style is widely used in medical and scientific research. Citations are numbered in the order they appear in the text, and a corresponding reference list is included at the end.

How to Cite in Vancouver

• Author’s Name: List authors in numerical order.
• Title: Use sentence case for titles, italicizing book titles.
• Publication Details: Include the publication year, volume, issue, and page range.
• Online Sources: Add the URL or DOI at the end.

Examples of Vancouver Citation

Book:

1. Johnson M. The art of writing. New York: PublishCo; 2019.

Journal Article: 2. Smith J. Improving writing skills. J Writing Stud. 2021;10(2):45-60.

Online Article: 3. Thompson R. Medical association guidelines for citation. J Med Write [Internet]. 2023 [cited 2023 May 15];15(3):112-20. Available from: https://jmedwrite.org/citation

Conference Proceedings: 4. Williams K, Davis A. Citation patterns in medical manuscripts. In: Proceedings of the Medical Writing Conference; 2023 Mar 15-18; Boston, USA. p. 45-52.

Practical Tips for Vancouver

• Number sources in the order of first appearance in the text.
• Use Arabic numerals in square brackets, parentheses, or in the text superscript.
• For six or fewer authors, list all; for more than six, list the first six followed by “et al.”
• Journal titles are abbreviated according to the NLM Catalog or Index Medicus.
• Vancouver style is preferred for most medical association publications.

IEEE Citation Style

IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) style is used in technical fields like engineering and computer science. In-text citations use numerical references in square brackets, with a corresponding reference list at the end.

How to Cite in IEEE

• Author’s Name: List authors by initials followed by the last name.
• Title: Italicize the title of books and use quotation marks for article titles.
• Publication Details: Include journal name, volume, issue, and page numbers.
• Online Sources: Add the URL or DOI at the end.

Examples of IEEE Citation

Book: [1] M. Johnson, The Art of Writing. New York: PublishCo, 2019.

Journal Article: [2] J. Smith, “Improving Writing Skills,” J. Writing Stud., vol. 10, no. 2, pp. 45-60, 2021.

Conference Paper: [3] R. Thompson and S. Garcia, “Citation patterns in electronics engineering,” in Proc. IEEE Int. Conf. on Technical Writing, San Francisco, CA, USA, 2023, pp. 78-83.

Website: [4] Engineering Society, “Basic electronics documentation guide,” 2022. [Online]. Available: https://www.engsociety.org/documentation. [Accessed: April 10, 2023].

Practical Tips for IEEE

• Try the IEEE style for engineering papers, technical manuscripts, and electronics research.
• In-text citations should be numbered in the order they appear in the text.
• Place citation numbers inside square brackets [1], not as superscripts.
• For three or more authors, use the first author’s name followed by “et al.”
• The title case is used for journal names, and the sentence case is used for article titles.

AMA Citation Style

AMA (American Medical Association) style is prevalent in medicine and healthcare. In-text citations use superscript numbers, and the reference list is numbered accordingly.

How to Cite in AMA

• Author’s Name: List authors by last name followed by initials.
• Title: Use sentence case for titles.
• Publication Details: Include journal name, year, volume, issue, and page range.
• Online Sources: Add the URL or DOI at the end.

Examples of AMA Citation

Book:

1. Johnson M. The Art of Writing. PublishCo; 2019.

Journal Article: 2. Smith J. Improving writing skills. J Writing Stud. 2021;10(2):45-60. doi

.xxxx/yyyy

Online Article: 3. Garcia R. Medical writing guidelines. J Med Educ. Published online March 15, 2023. Accessed April 10, 2023. https://jmededuc.org/guidelines

Conference Abstract: 4. Williams K, Davis A. Citation patterns in research papers. In: Proceedings of the Medical Writing Conference; March 15-18, 2023; Boston, MA.

Practical Tips for AMA

• Use superscript numbers for in-text citations, placed after punctuation marks.
• Number citations in the order they first appear in the text.
• For journal abbreviations, follow the style used in the NLM Catalog.
• Include up to 6 authors; for more than 6, list the first three followed by “et al.”
• The AMA Manual of Style provides comprehensive guidance for medical manuscripts.

CSE Citation Style

CSE (Council of Science Editors) style is commonly used in biology and other natural sciences. It offers three documentation systems: citation-sequence, name-year, and citation-name.

How to Cite in CSE

• Citation-Sequence: Similar to Vancouver, with references numbered in order of appearance.
• Name-Year: Similar to APA, with author name and year in parentheses.
• Citation-Name: References are alphabetized and then numbered.

Examples of CSE Citation

Book (Citation-Sequence):

1. Johnson M. The art of writing. New York: PublishCo; 2019.

Journal Article (Name-Year): Smith J. 2021. Improving writing skills. J Writing Stud. 10(2):45-60.

Website (Citation-Name): 3. Environmental Studies Society. 2022. Climate change documentation [Internet]. New York: ESS; [cited 2023 April 10]. Available from: https://www.envstudy.org/climate

Practical Tips for CSE

• Try CSE for environmental studies papers, biology research, and other scientific writing.
• Be consistent with the specific CSE system you choose throughout your paper.
• Journal titles are abbreviated according to the ISO 4 standard or CASSI.
• For online sources, include “Internet” in square brackets after the title.
• The CSE Manual provides detailed guidelines for each documentation system.

Choosing the Right Citation Style

Selecting the appropriate citation style depends on several factors:

By Academic Discipline

• Humanities (Literature, Philosophy, Arts): MLA or Chicago Notes and Bibliography
• Social Sciences (Psychology, Sociology, Education): APA or Chicago Author-Date
• Business and Management: Harvard or APA
• Medical Sciences: Vancouver or AMA
• Engineering and Computer Science: IEEE
• Natural Sciences (Biology, Environmental Studies): CSE
• History and Anthropology: Chicago Notes and Bibliography
• Political Science and International Relations: APSA (based in Chicago) or APA

By Publication Requirements

• Journal Manuscripts: Check the journal’s author guidelines for their preferred style
• Conference Papers: Follow the conference’s submission guidelines
• Student Papers: Review your course syllabus or campus style guide
• Professional Papers: Consider industry standards in your field

By Content Type

• Research with many in-text citations: Consider APA or Harvard for a smoother reading flow
• Work heavily citing historical documents: Chicago Notes and Bibliography offers comprehensive footnoting
• Technical paper with numerous sources: IEEE or Vancouver’s numbered system prevents disruption
• Literary analysis with frequent quotations: MLA’s page number system is ideal

By Project Scope

• Short Papers: Simpler styles like APA or MLA may be easier to implement
• Thesis or Dissertation: More comprehensive styles like Chicago might be preferred
• Collaborative Research: Choose a style familiar to all contributors

Citation Management Tools

For more efficient citation management, consider using:

• Zotero: Free, open-source tool ideal for collecting, organizing, and citing sources
• Mendeley: Reference manager with PDF annotation features
• EndNote: Comprehensive tool with advanced bibliography formatting
• RefWorks: Web-based citation manager accessible from any computer
• Citation generators: Owl at Purdue, Citation Machine, and EasyBib offer quick formatting help

Final Tips for Effective Citation

1. Consistency is key: Use the same citation style throughout your paper
2. Review the style guide: Consult official style guides or the Owl at Purdue website
3. Please keep track of sources: Record complete source information when you first encounter it
4. Update your knowledge: Citation styles evolve; check for the latest editions
5. Use citation management software: Save time and reduce errors
6. Seek campus resources: Visit your university writing center or library for style guides
7. Double-check your work: Verify that all in-text citations match your reference list
8. Consider the review process: Different journals have different citation preferences