How to Cite Sources in a Research Paper

By eHow Education Editor

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There are many different ways to cite research sources. This method - parenthetical citation - is currently most in favor.

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Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

Dictionaries
Writing Style Manuals
Caffeinated Beverages
Bibliography Software
Classes On Writing A Research Paper

Step1

Start with nothing in your bibliography, and build it based on your parenthetical citations. This will ensure that you haven't listed any sources you didn't cite, and that you haven't cited any sources you didn't list.

Step2

Put the last name of the author and the year of publication in parentheses after the relevant piece of text, as in: "Crime dropped 10% between 1995 and 1999 (Croft, 1999)." The comma is optional.

Step3

Add the page number(s), if necessary, after a colon, as in: "(Offerman, 1968: 33)."

Step4

Check your bibliography to make sure the source is listed in it.

Step5

Distinguish between sources written in the same year by the same author; add lower-case letters in chronological order. Thus "(O'Leary, 1993a)" is earlier than "(O'Leary, 1993b)."

Step6

Consult a style guide, such as the MLA (Modern Language Association) manual of style, for further details.

Tips & Warnings

Use bibliography software to help keep track of and cite sources. Several such programs are available, and can save a lot of time and energy.
Consider taking a class on writing a research paper.

Comments

Anonymous said

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on 1/9/2008 There are 3 main styles used in college and community college today; MLA, CME, and APA. Of these formats, most are unfamiliar with the APA formatting style. For a concise guide on how to use this style, visit the American Psychology Association website.

Anonymous said

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on 11/22/2005 Write your bibliography before you start writing the paper. That way, the most painful part is already done, and when you have to cite sources in the body of the essaythey will be easily accessible in the document you are writing the paper in.