Research papers require citation of sources to avoid plagiarism and enable readers to find the original materials. Proper citation format depends on the style guide specified for the paper, such as MLA, APA, or Chicago style. This article discusses research paper citation format guidelines for in-text citations and reference lists based on the 8th edition of MLA style.
MLA in-text citation style uses the author’s last name and page number when referring to sources in the text. For paraphrases or summaries of information from another source, include the author’s last name and the page number covered by the paraphrase or summary. Place the citation in parentheses after a paraphrase or summary. Example: (Smith 25).
For verbatim quotes, include the author’s last name, the page number where the quote is located, and quote marks before enclosing the quote in parentheses. Example: (“This is a direct quote” (Jones 12)).
When the author’s name is mentioned in the sentence, only include the page number in parentheses after the mention. Example: As Jones stated, “the evidence was clear” (12).
If a work has no known author, use a shortened title instead of an author’s name in in-text citations. Place page numbers after, in parentheses, when quoting or paraphrasing a source without a known author.
With more than one work by the same author, include a shortened title of the work or enough of the title to distinguish it from other works by that author in parentheses after the date. Example: (Smith, Everyday Life 121).
For sources with two authors, cite both names every time the source is referenced. With three or more authors, cite only the first author followed by “et al.” For citations of works with organizational or corporate authors, include the full name of the organization in the first citation within the text and abbreviate to the acronym or shortened name for subsequent citations.
The reference list appears at the end of the paper, on its own page, titled “References” centered without formatting like bold, italics or quotation marks. List references in alphabetical order by author’s last name or by title if there is no author. All lines after the first line of each entry in the reference list should be indented half an inch from the left margin, also known as hanging indentation.
Begin the entry with the author’s last name, followed by a comma, followed by the first name. Provide publication date after the author’s name. Include title of the source in italics, followed by publication information for books or periodicals. Page numbers are not necessary for reference entries, but are needed for in-text citations.
Some common reference list entries include:
Book by Single Author:
Last name, First name. Title of Book. Publisher, Publication Date.
Chapter in Edited Book:
Last name, First name. “Chapter Title.” Title of Book, edited by Editor’s Name(s), Publisher, Publication Date, page range of chapter.
Journal Article:
Last name, First name. “Article Title.” Journal Name, volume number, issue number (Publication Date): page range.
Website:
Last name, First name. “Article or Page Title.” Name of Website, URL, Publication Date if available, Date of Access.
For any resource not covered here, consult the MLA Handbook, 9th edition for specific guidance on how to cite the source. Consistency and accuracy are key elements of proper MLA citation format. Correctly citing sources avoids plagiarism and enables readers to find original source materials.