How to Cite a Research Paper: APA, MLA, and Chicago Formats

Dissertations, thesis, and all kinds of academic papers will need to be cited using citation styles, such as APA, MLA, or Chicago. Citing academic papers properly are done to counteract plagiarism. These citing formats are used to recognize related literary pieces and to mention references used. You should study various citing styles and research paper well before producing essays or any other pieces of academic writing. In this article, our term paper writers have prepared information on how to format research papers as well as how to properly reference academic papers.

APA Research Paper Format

APA (American Psychological Association) research paper format is often used in papers related to psychology and social sciences. In this citation, there is a general format in referencing through endnotes/footnotes, in-text, and reference pages. Academic papers in APA citation has general writing guidelines.

Papers should be typed, double-spaced on standard-sized paper (8.5" x 11") with 1" margins on all sides. You should use a clear font that is highly readable. APA recommends using 12 pt. Times New Roman font. Include a page header at the top of every page. To create a page header, insert page numbers flush right. Then type the title of your paper in the header flush left using all capital letters. The page header is a shortened version of your paper's title and cannot exceed 50 characters including spacing and punctuation.

Talking about how to write a research paper in APA format, your APA paper should have four major sections:

Title page
Abstract
Main Body
References

Be sure to read about how to write an essay format. In article, we talked about the differences between formats.

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How to Cite a Research Paper in APA

There are specific rules to follow when citing a research paper in APA. The following are the specific formats to follow:

Source Type	Citation Format	Example
Book	Author, A.A.. (Year of Publication). The Title of work. Publisher City, State: Publisher.	Finney, J. (1970). Time and again. New York, NY: Simon and Schuster.
Magazine	Author, A.A.. (Year, month of Publication). Article title. Magazine Title, Volume(Issue), pp.-pp.	Tumulty, K. (2006, April). Should they stay or should they go? Time, 167(15), 3-40.
Newspaper	Author, A.A.. (Year, Month Date of Publication). Article title. Magazine Title, pp. xx-xx.	Rosenberg, G. (1997, March 31). An electronic discovery proves an effective legal weapon. The New York Times, p. D5.
Website	Author, A.A.. (Year, Month Date of Publication). Article title. Retrieved from URL	Simmons, B. (2015, January 9). The tale of two Flaccos. Retrieved from [link]

These citing formats are used to recognize related literary pieces and to mention references used. You don't need to cite information about yourself or your own thoughts. For example, when listing education on resume you don't need any citations. However, you should study various citing styles and research well before producing any other piece of academic writing.

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MLA Research Paper Format

MLA (Modern Language Association) format format is commonly used in liberal arts and humanities. Let’s talk a bit about how to write a research paper in MLA format. This format has principles rather than a set of specific rules to be followed. Papers in MLA format provides a process of documentation.

MLA recommends using Times New Roman font in size 12. The entire paper should be double spaced with 1-inch margins on all sides. Tab once to indent paragraphs (½ inch). Your last name and a page number should be inserted on the upper right-hand corner of the first page.

How to Cite a Research Paper in MLA Format

The following are formats to follow in citing research paper in MLA format:

Source Type	Citation Format	Example
Book	Last Name, First Name. Book Title. Publisher City: Publisher Name, Year Published. Medium.	Smith, John. The Sample Book. Pittsburgh: BibMe, 2008. Print.
Magazine	Last Name, First Name. "Article Title." Magazine Name Publication Date: Page Numbers. Medium.	Smith, John. "Obama inaugurated as President." Time 21 Jan. 2009: 21-23. Print.
Newspaper	Last Name, First Name. "Article Title." Newspaper Name Publication Date: Page Numbers. Medium.	Smith, John. "Steelers win Super Bowl XLIII." Pittsburgh Post-Gazette 2 Feb. 2009: 4-6. Print.
Website	Last Name, First Name. "Page Title." Website Title. Sponsoring Institution/Publisher, Publication Date: Page Numbers. Medium.	Smith, John. "Obama inaugurated as President." CNN.com. Cable News Network, 21 Jan. 2009. Web. 1 Feb. 2009.

Research Paper in Chicago Style

The Chicago style of citing is commonly used in humanities. It requires writers to cite sources in endnotes or footnotes. This citation provides the author with an avenue to express accountability and credibility to related literature or references used in written material. It helps an academic writer provide quotations in a research paper, as well as being commonly used for book bibliographies.

Look at our movie review example at our cheap research paper writing service and try to determine what format it is written in.

How to Cite a Research Paper in Chicago Style

The following are Chicago style formats to follow:

Source Type	Citation Format	Example
Book	Last Name, First Name. Title of Book. Publisher City: Publisher Name, Year Published.	Brown, Dan. The DaVinci Code. New York: Scholastic, 2004.
Magazine	Last Name, First Name. Article title. Magazine Title, Month Date, Year of publication.	Chan, Dan. The art of pandas. Panda Magazine, Nov 10, 1985.
Newspaper	Last Name, First Name. “Article Title.” Newspaper Name, Publication Date.	Smith, John. “Steelers win Super Bowl XLIII.” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, February 2, 2009.
Website	Last Name, First Name. “Page Title.” Website Title. Web Address (retrieved Date Accessed).	Smith, John. “Obama inaugurated as President.” {link} (accessed February 1, 2009).

ASA Research Paper Format

The leading American method of referencing and quotation created by Sociological Association. Sociological students and scholars use the ASA citation format primarily for writing university research papers in sociology or for submitting articles to ASA journals.

For the detailed information about ASA elements of style, visit the American Sociological Association official website or read our Guide to ASA Citation and Writing Style.

How to Cite a Research Paper in ASA Format

Type	Citation	Example
Book	Author's Last and First Name. Year of Publication. Title. Country of Publisher: Publisher.	James, Henry. 2003. The Turn of the Screw. New York: Barnes & Noble Books.
E-Books	Author's Last and First Name. Year of Publication. Title. Country of Publisher: Publisher. Retrieved Month Day, Year {link}.	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.	Feekins, 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.	Geary, Rachel. 2012. “The Issue 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}.	Lee, Bruce. 03.09.2004. Birth of a Nation. Retrieved 18.01.2017. {link}

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Adam Jason

is an expert in nursing and healthcare, with a strong background in history, law, and literature. Holding advanced degrees in nursing and public health, his analytical approach and comprehensive knowledge help students navigate complex topics. On EssayPro blog, Adam provides insightful articles on everything from historical analysis to the intricacies of healthcare policies. In his downtime, he enjoys historical documentaries and volunteering at local clinics.

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