As an academic writer, you have to document your research sources properly. Citing your sources is quintessential when you are working on a research paper. Using citations in academic research allows your reader to verify your facts and claims, and it proves to your reader that all of the material in the journal article is valid.
However, documenting sources does not have to be as daunting and cumbersome as it sounds. There are many ways to improve effectiveness while you cite a research paper and make research easier for yourself and your readers. This guide is written to help you create proper citations so that you never have to worry about it again.
Trying to get the hang of APA citations? Don't worry — take the hassle out of manual formatting with our all-new AI-powered APA citation generator. This fantastic tool captures data automatically and allows you to effortlessly generate accurate, up-to-date, perfectly formatted citations that would get automatically saved — with no pesky ads to distract you.
What is a citation?
Citation refers to acknowledging the original source of a quotation, idea, or other information used in your research paper. It is one of the critical aspects of academic writing since it allows readers to find your references as well as helps them judge the quality of your research. If a source is critical to your research, including a citation when you reference will earn you more credibility.
Why is citing sources important?
It is important to cite sources not only because it is a professional courtesy and shows your research skills, but also because it helps you avoid plagiarism. Plagiarism is when you copy the words or ideas of another writer without crediting them or their work. Hence, never forget to acknowledge your sources while writing a research paper.
In-text citations and including works cited pages are the two ways you can cite a research paper. In-text citations are brief bits of text that appear within your paper, and a works cited page is the proper list of the sources you used (in alphabetical order), appearing  at the end of your article.
A few important reasons for citing a research paper  are to:
- Show your readers that proper research has been done by listing all the sources from where you got the information.
- Give credit to the author who originally wrote about it and allowed you to share the information with your readers.
- Prevent legal issues on the grounds of copyright infringement.
It's mandatory to give credit where credit is due by listing the source and author of the material you researched or read, be it an article, book, website, or any other source of information.
It also shows readers that you did not come up with this "amazing" idea on your own, but rather someone else did it before you, so they may want to check out that source as well.
Also read- How to increase citation count of your research paper?
What needs to be cited?
You must cite a reference when you:
- Provide a direct quotation or paraphrase of others’ work.
- Cite specific facts or ideas rather than just a broad concept.
- Include information in your paper that is widely known or commonly accepted.
- Include lengthy material from a source, such as an encyclopedia article.
In general, if you use someone else's exact words (quotations) or information (paraphrasing) in your research paper, you need to document where you found this information. In addition, you may find it helpful to consult the publication manual of the American Psychological Association (APA). The APA manual addresses all of these situations and gives you an overview of all the rules you have to follow while citing sources.
The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association details precisely what constitutes a proper citation and provides guidelines for citing sources across different fields of study. However, it is essential to remember that the APA publications manual primarily targets academic researchers. So, if your writing does not fall into this category, it would be better to consult the Chicago Manual of Style.
How to cite correctly? Â Â
Citing correctly is a very important part of your academic writing. In order to cite your research paper properly, you must also include a bibliography at the end apart from just  citing the sources.
A bibliography is more than just a list of sources cited. It also features all the books, articles, online sources, and other materials consulted in the preparation of the report. In the bibliography, alphabetize entries by author's surname. If there are multiple works by the same author, order chronologically according to the date of publication (with earlier published work listed first). If you do not know an author's name, alphabetize by title. Also, include any article that is not signed.
The bibliography aims to help readers find each source used in your study and understand what kind of research you have done. The placement and style differ from one field to another; so, check your instructor's requirements for a sample bibliography or ask about it during class discussion.
Which citation style should I use?
There are many citation styles in the world today, but the most common are APA, MLA, and Chicago. When choosing a citation style for your journal article, you should consider first what discipline you are working in. Each of the significant styles has its own rules for citing sources within the text and when to include a Works Cited page at the end of your research paper.
APA Style
APA style was established in 1929 by the American Psychological Association. It was developed to standardize the format of psychological research and writing. Education, Psychology, and Sciences use APA style. In addition, it uses specific guidelines for formatting references, such as including author names and dates when referencing particular types of the source material.
MLA Style
MLA style was established in 1951 by the Modern Language Association, a group of educators, writers, and scholars that aimed to establish a uniform and standardized style for citation. Papers published in the  Humanities field use MLA style. MLA uses specific guidelines for formatting references to ensure consistency across all projects. It includes documenting all sources within the text of your project and providing a complete list of all sources in alphabetical order on a separate list known as a Works Cited page.
Chicago/Turabian Style
Chicago style was established in 1906, when the University of Chicago Press published the first edition of its Manual of Style. This format, generally used by Business, History, and the Fine Arts requires particular documentation formats within the body of the  project and offers flexibility in creating appropriate works.
What are some common mistakes in Research Paper Citation?
When you are writing a research paper and include information from other sources, it is important to cite all your sources in your journal article. You must provide complete documentation of the sources in the works cited at the very end of your research paper. It is a standard format for documenting sources required by most colleges and universities.
Here are some common citation mistakes that students make:
1. In-text citation mistakes
a. Misquoting – A mistake that many students make when citing their sources is misquoting. This type of citation mistake in your research paper not only hurts your credibility as an author but may also get you in trouble. To avoid misquoting, review  the quote to make sure you have it right and use quotation marks, if necessary.
b. Incorrect page numbers – When citing a source, include the page number of where you found the information. Page numbers should be included in parentheses following the direct quote or paraphrase. If you do not have page numbers in your source, you may use any other identifying information such as chapter titles or figure numbers instead of page numbers to cite your correct source.
A good bibliography or reference list should include all necessary information so readers can easily find the source used for your research paper. For example, some people choose to put each entry in alphabetical order by author's last name, while others prefer to put them in chronological order by publication date. You may also see some entries with no author listed, as many older sources do not include an author name. Include every source you used because someone might want to know where you got something less specific.
2. Repetition of the same reference.
Repetition of the same reference after each sentence in a paragraph is an absolute NO. It is unnecessary and leads to confusion. Your purpose of acknowledging the original author as well as citing the source is fulfilled by just referencing it once.
3. Not citing in alphabetical order
Correct alphabetization, otherwise known as alphabetical ordering, is important for citations. While Citing authors, always put them in alphabetical order by the author's last name. This makes it easier to find the citations and also avoids confusion.
4. Incorrect punctuations
When you start writing down citations, one of the most confusing issues is figuring out where to put the comma and periods in your citations. You may even have teachers who will thoroughly scrutinize your work, looking for citation errors. Therefore, it is always crucial to have at least some examples of correct citations executed correctly before writing out your own.
5. Not defining the citations
Sentences like “Earlier research showed…” and “Previous researches have proved….” are a flaw. It is always advisable to justify and cite the “earlier studies” stated in the article. It is a rule of thumb that these sentences need to be referenced to show the original research and source.
Conclusion
When you write an academic paper or write your dissertation, it’s important to make sure that everything is cited properly so that the reader (or examiner) doesn’t become frustrated with bad citing. A well-cited piece is a joy to read. As an author, even before deciding on the title of journal make sure to collect all the resources for citation. Citations can be tricky; however, using the right online citation tool can help you create accurate citations. Needless to say, failing to cite appropriately can lead to your paper being rejected. Therefore, Always remember, “When in doubt, cite!”
