How to Write an Academic Essay with References and Citations
#scribendiinc
Written by Scribendi
If you're wondering how to write an academic essay with references, look no further. In this article, we'll discuss how to use in-text citations and references, including how to cite a website, how to cite a book, and how to cite a Tweet, according to various style guides.
You might need to cite sources when writing a paper that references other sources. For example, when writing an essay, you may use information from other works, such as books, articles, or websites. You must then inform readers where this information came from. Failure to do so, even accidentally, is plagiarism—passing off another person's work as your own.
You can avoid plagiarism and show readers where to find information by using citations and references.
Citations tell readers where a piece of information came from. They take the form of footnotes, endnotes, or parenthetical elements, depending on your style guide. In-text citations are usually placed at the end of a sentence containing the relevant information.
A reference list , bibliography, or works cited list at the end of a text provides additional details about these cited sources. This list includes enough publication information allowing readers to look up these sources themselves.
Referencing is important for more than simply avoiding plagiarism. Referring to a trustworthy source shows that the information is reliable. Referring to reliable information can also support your major points and back up your argument.
Learning how to write an academic essay with references and how to use in-text citations will allow you to cite authors who have made similar arguments. This helps show that your argument is objective and not entirely based on personal biases.
How Do You Determine Which Style Guide to Use?
Often, a professor will assign a style guide. The purpose of a style guide is to provide writers with formatting instructions. If your professor has not assigned a style guide, they should still be able to recommend one.
If you are entirely free to choose, pick one that aligns with your field (for example, APA is frequently used for scientific writing).
Some of the most common style guides are as follows:
AP style for journalism
Chicago style for publishing
APA style for scholarly writing (commonly used in scientific fields)
MLA style for scholarly citations (commonly used in English literature fields)
Some journals have their own style guides, so if you plan to publish, check which guide your target journal uses. You can do this by locating your target journal's website and searching for author guidelines.
How Do You Pick Your Sources?
When learning how to write an academic essay with references, you must identify reliable sources that support your argument.
As you read, think critically and evaluate sources for:
Objectivity
Keep detailed notes on the sources so that you can easily find them again, if needed.
Tip: Record these notes in the format of your style guide—your reference list will then be ready to go.
How to Use In-Text Citations in MLA
An in-text citation in MLA includes the author's last name and the relevant page number:
(Author 123)
How to Cite a Website in MLA
Here's how to cite a website in MLA:
Author's last name, First name. "Title of page."
Website. Website Publisher, date. Web. Date
retrieved. <URL>
With information from a real website, this looks like:
Morris, Nancy. "How to Cite a Tweet in APA,
Chicago, and MLA." Scribendi. Scribendi
Inc., n.d. Web. 22 Dec. 2021.
<https://www.scribendi.com/academy/articles/how_to_cite_a_website.en.html>
How Do You Cite a Tweet in MLA ?
MLA uses the full text of a short Tweet (under 140 characters) as its title. Longer Tweets can be shortened using ellipses.
MLA Tweet references should be formatted as follows:
@twitterhandle (Author Name). "Text of Tweet." Twitter, Date Month, Year, time of
publication, URL.
With information from an actual Tweet, this looks like:
@neiltyson (Neil deGrasse Tyson). "You can't use reason to convince anyone out of an
argument that they didn't use reason to get into." Twitter, 29 Sept. 2020, 10:15 p.m.,
https://twitter.com/neiltyson/status/1311127369785192449 .
How to Cite a Book in MLA
Here's how to cite a book in MLA:
Author's last name, First name. Book Title. Publisher, Year.
With publication information from a real book, this looks like:
Montgomery, L.M. Rainbow Valley. Frederick A. Stokes Company, 1919.
How to Cite a Chapter in a Book in MLA
Author's last name, First name. "Title of Chapter." Book Title , edited by Editor Name,
Publisher, Year, pp. page range.
With publication information from an actual book, this looks like:
Ezell, Margaret J.M. "The Social Author: Manuscript Culture, Writers, and Readers." The
Broadview Reader in Book History , edited by Michelle Levy and Tom Mole, Broadview
Press, 2015,pp. 375–394.
How to Cite a Paraphrase in MLA
You can cite a paraphrase in MLA exactly the same way as you would cite a direct quotation.
Make sure to include the author's name (either in the text or in the parenthetical citation) and the relevant page number.
How to Use In-Text Citations in APA
In APA, in-text citations include the author's last name and the year of publication; a page number is included only if a direct quotation is used:
(Author, 2021, p. 123)
How to Cite a Website in APA
Here's how to cite a website in APA:
Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Year, Month. date of publication). Title of page. https://URL
Morris, N. (n.d.). How to cite a Tweet in APA, Chicago, and MLA.
https://www.scribendi.com/academy/articles/how_to_cite_a_website.en.html
Tip: Learn more about how to write an academic essay with references to websites .
How Do You Cite a Tweet in APA ?
APA refers to Tweets using their first 20 words.
Tweet references should be formatted as follows:
Author, A. A. [@twitterhandle). (Year, Month. date of publication). First 20 words of the
Tweet. [Tweet] Twitter. URL
When we input information from a real Tweet, this looks like:
deGrasse Tyson, N. [@neiltyson]. (2020, Sept. 29). You can't use reason to convince anyone
out of an argument that they didn't use reason to get into. [Tweet] Twitter.
https://twitter.com/neiltyson/status/1311127369785192449
How to Cite a Book in APA
Here's how to cite a book in APA:
Author, A. A. (Year). Book title. Publisher.
For a real book, this looks like:
Montgomery, L. M. (1919). Rainbow valley.
Frederick A. Stokes Company.
How to Cite a Chapter in a Book in APA
Author, A. A. (Year). Chapter title. In Editor Name (Ed.), Book Title (pp. page range).
With information from a real book, this looks like:
Ezell, M. J. M. (2014). The social author: Manuscript culture, writers, and readers. In
Michelle Levy and Tom Mole (Eds.), The Broadview Reader in Book History (pp. 375–
394). Broadview Press.
Knowing how to cite a book and how to cite a chapter in a book correctly will take you a long way in creating an effective reference list.
How to Cite a Paraphrase in APA
You can cite a paraphrase in APA the same way as you would cite a direct quotation, including the author's name and year of publication.
In APA, you may also choose to pinpoint the page from which the information is taken.
Referencing is an essential part of academic integrity. Learning how to write an academic essay with references and how to use in-text citations shows readers that you did your research and helps them locate your sources.
Learning how to cite a website, how to cite a book, and how to cite a paraphrase can also help you avoid plagiarism —an academic offense with serious consequences for your education or professional reputation.
Scribendi can help format your citations or review your whole paper with our Academic Editing services .
Take Your Essay from Good to Great
Hire an expert academic editor , or get a free sample, about the author.
Scribendi's in-house editors work with writers from all over the globe to perfect their writing. They know that no piece of writing is complete without a professional edit, and they love to see a good piece of writing transformed into a great one. Scribendi's in-house editors are unrivaled in both experience and education, having collectively edited millions of words and obtained numerous degrees. They love consuming caffeinated beverages, reading books of various genres, and relaxing in quiet, dimly lit spaces.
Have You Read?
"The Complete Beginner's Guide to Academic Writing"
Related Posts
APA Style and APA Formatting
How to Research a Term Paper
MLA Formatting and MLA Style: An Introduction
Upload your file(s) so we can calculate your word count, or enter your word count manually.
We will also recommend a service based on the file(s) you upload.
English is not my first language. I need English editing and proofreading so that I sound like a native speaker.
I need to have my journal article, dissertation, or term paper edited and proofread, or I need help with an admissions essay or proposal.
I have a novel, manuscript, play, or ebook. I need editing, copy editing, proofreading, a critique of my work, or a query package.
I need editing and proofreading for my white papers, reports, manuals, press releases, marketing materials, and other business documents.
I need to have my essay, project, assignment, or term paper edited and proofread.
I want to sound professional and to get hired. I have a resume, letter, email, or personal document that I need to have edited and proofread.
Prices include your personal % discount.
Prices include % sales tax ( ).
Example essay extract with citations and references list: Home
Example essay extract with citations and references list.
Below is an example essay, complete with citations and references.
Please remember this is a fictional essay purely designed to demonstrate how and when to reference.
Embedding experiences and voices in research can “challenge [the] studied ignorance” around race (Arday and Mirza, 2018, p.v) and the academy’s role as gatekeeper of what is considered “relevant knowledge” (Lillis, 2003). Academic conventions around skills such as writing can be excluding, forming “constructions of difference […] that deepen misrecognitions and inequalities” (Burke, 2018, p.366). Lillis (2003) and Arday et al. (2021) both use narrative to listen to the ways in which black students’ experiences are ignored and the marginalising effect of a refusal to validate multiple ways of knowing.
References:
Arday, J., Belluigi, D. Z. and Thomas, D. (2021) Attempting to break the chain: reimaging inclusive pedagogy and decolonising the curriculum within the academy. Educational Philosophy and Theory . 53 (3), pp.298-313.
Arday, J. and Mirza, H. S. (eds.) (2018) Dismantling race in higher education: racism, whiteness and decolonising the academy . London: Palgrave Macmillan.
Burke, P. J. (2018) Trans/forming pedagogical spaces: race, belonging and recognition in higher education. In: Arday, J. and Mirza, H. S. (eds.) Dismantling race in higher education: racism, whiteness and decolonising the academy . London: Palgrave Macmillan, pp.365-382.
Lillis, T. (2003) Student writing as ‘academic literacies’: drawing on Bakhtin to move from critique to design. Language and Education. 17 (5), pp.192-207.
- Last Updated: Sep 22, 2023 12:51 PM
- URL: https://libguides.northampton.ac.uk/harvard/exampleessay
APA 7th Edition Citation Guide
- APA 7th Edition Home
- Formatting the Paper Itself
- When and What to Cite
- In-Text: Multiple Authors
- In-Text: First and Subsequent Citations
- In-Text: Authors and Dates Matching
- In-Text: Direct Quotations
- In-Text: Secondary Sources
- Reference Examples: Print
- Reference Examples: Electronic
- Reference Examples: Audiovisual Media
- Step 1: Author (Names)
- Step 2: Date
- Step 3: Titles
- Step 4: Source
- Help and Training
- Related Guides
This citation guide is based on The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed., 2020). The contents are accurate to the best of our knowledge.
Content in this guide was copied with permission from Bethel University (TN) Library .
Reference Examples
Your references should begin on a new page separate from the text of the essay; label this page "References" centered at the top of the page in bold. All text should be double-spaced just like the rest of your essay.
Basic Rules
- All lines after the first line of each entry in your reference list should be indented 1/2-inch from the left margin. This is called hanging indentation. You can set up Word to do this automatically.
- If there are 21 or more authors, list the first 19 authors and insert an ellipsis. After the ellipsis, then add the final author's name.
- Reference list entries should be alphabetized by the last name of the first author of each work.
- For multiple articles by the same author (or authors listed in the same order), list the entries in chronological order, from earliest to most recent.
- Present the journal title in full.
- ReCALL , not RECALL
- Knowledge Management Research & Practice , not Knowledge Management Research and Practice
- When referring to the titles of books, chapters, articles, or webpages, capitalize only the first letter of the first word of a title and subtitle, the first word after a colon or a dash in the title, and proper nouns.
- Note that the distinction here is based on the type of source being cited. Academic journal titles have all major words capitalized, while other sources' titles do not.
- Italicize titles of longer works such as books and journals.
- Do not italicize, underline, or put quotes around the titles of shorter works such as journal articles or essays in edited collections.
From the APA Style Blog
Other apa style 7th reference resources.
- << Previous: In-Text: Secondary Sources
- Next: Reference Examples: Print >>
- Last Updated: Feb 16, 2024 4:01 PM
- URL: https://utsouthwestern.libguides.com/APA7
- Utility Menu
fa3d988da6f218669ec27d6b6019a0cd
A publication of the harvard college writing program.
Harvard Guide to Using Sources
- The Honor Code
The recommendations in this section are based on the standards set forth by the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed., APA, 2020), which is available through Hollis . While you can check out the print edition, they offer only limited online access. The APA also maintains a Web site ( http://www.apastyle.org/ ) that provides a basic citation tutorial, answers to frequently asked questions, and a blog.
No one expects you to memorize the format for every type of source you will cite in APA style. Instead, you should know where to look for models of each type of source. This section explains the basics of APA-style citations and provides citation examples for some commonly used sources. For more information, you should consult the links below.
- Here is the APA overview of how to format in-text citations .
- APA also offers a checklist for in-text citations .
- For sample APA citations, visit this section of the APA style website .
- For sample papers written in APA style, visit this section of the APA style website .
- APA also offers a series of webinars that explain their citation and reference list guidelines .
If you are looking for information on how to generate citations using Zotero or other citation software, you can find links to library resources here .
- Citation Management Tools
- In-Text Citations
- Reference List Format
- Examples of Commonly Cited Sources
- Frequently Asked Questions About Cite Sources in APA Format
- Sample Reference List
PDFs for This Section
- Citing Sources
- Online Library and Citation Tools
Purdue Online Writing Lab Purdue OWL® College of Liberal Arts
APA Sample Paper
Welcome to the Purdue OWL
This page is brought to you by the OWL at Purdue University. When printing this page, you must include the entire legal notice.
Copyright ©1995-2018 by The Writing Lab & The OWL at Purdue and Purdue University. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, reproduced, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our terms and conditions of fair use.
Note: This page reflects the latest version of the APA Publication Manual (i.e., APA 7), which released in October 2019. The equivalent resource for the older APA 6 style can be found here .
Media Files: APA Sample Student Paper , APA Sample Professional Paper
This resource is enhanced by Acrobat PDF files. Download the free Acrobat Reader
Note: The APA Publication Manual, 7 th Edition specifies different formatting conventions for student and professional papers (i.e., papers written for credit in a course and papers intended for scholarly publication). These differences mostly extend to the title page and running head. Crucially, citation practices do not differ between the two styles of paper.
However, for your convenience, we have provided two versions of our APA 7 sample paper below: one in student style and one in professional style.
Note: For accessibility purposes, we have used "Track Changes" to make comments along the margins of these samples. Those authored by [AF] denote explanations of formatting and [AWC] denote directions for writing and citing in APA 7.
APA 7 Student Paper:
Apa 7 professional paper:.
Have a language expert improve your writing
Run a free plagiarism check in 10 minutes, automatically generate references for free.
- Knowledge Base
- Referencing
A Quick Guide to Referencing | Cite Your Sources Correctly
Referencing means acknowledging the sources you have used in your writing. Including references helps you support your claims and ensures that you avoid plagiarism .
There are many referencing styles, but they usually consist of two things:
- A citation wherever you refer to a source in your text.
- A reference list or bibliography at the end listing full details of all your sources.
The most common method of referencing in UK universities is Harvard style , which uses author-date citations in the text. Our free Harvard Reference Generator automatically creates accurate references in this style.
Instantly correct all language mistakes in your text
Be assured that you'll submit flawless writing. Upload your document to correct all your mistakes.
Table of contents
Referencing styles, citing your sources with in-text citations, creating your reference list or bibliography, harvard referencing examples, frequently asked questions about referencing.
Each referencing style has different rules for presenting source information. For in-text citations, some use footnotes or endnotes , while others include the author’s surname and date of publication in brackets in the text.
The reference list or bibliography is presented differently in each style, with different rules for things like capitalisation, italics, and quotation marks in references.
Your university will usually tell you which referencing style to use; they may even have their own unique style. Always follow your university’s guidelines, and ask your tutor if you are unsure. The most common styles are summarised below.
Harvard referencing, the most commonly used style at UK universities, uses author–date in-text citations corresponding to an alphabetical bibliography or reference list at the end.
Harvard Referencing Guide
Vancouver referencing, used in biomedicine and other sciences, uses reference numbers in the text corresponding to a numbered reference list at the end.
Vancouver Referencing Guide
APA referencing, used in the social and behavioural sciences, uses author–date in-text citations corresponding to an alphabetical reference list at the end.
APA Referencing Guide APA Reference Generator
MHRA referencing, used in the humanities, uses footnotes in the text with source information, in addition to an alphabetised bibliography at the end.
MHRA Referencing Guide
OSCOLA referencing, used in law, uses footnotes in the text with source information, and an alphabetical bibliography at the end in longer texts.
OSCOLA Referencing Guide
Prevent plagiarism, run a free check.
In-text citations should be used whenever you quote, paraphrase, or refer to information from a source (e.g. a book, article, image, website, or video).
Quoting and paraphrasing
Quoting is when you directly copy some text from a source and enclose it in quotation marks to indicate that it is not your own writing.
Paraphrasing is when you rephrase the original source into your own words. In this case, you don’t use quotation marks, but you still need to include a citation.
In most referencing styles, page numbers are included when you’re quoting or paraphrasing a particular passage. If you are referring to the text as a whole, no page number is needed.
In-text citations
In-text citations are quick references to your sources. In Harvard referencing, you use the author’s surname and the date of publication in brackets.
Up to three authors are included in a Harvard in-text citation. If the source has more than three authors, include the first author followed by ‘ et al. ‘
The point of these citations is to direct your reader to the alphabetised reference list, where you give full information about each source. For example, to find the source cited above, the reader would look under ‘J’ in your reference list to find the title and publication details of the source.
Placement of in-text citations
In-text citations should be placed directly after the quotation or information they refer to, usually before a comma or full stop. If a sentence is supported by multiple sources, you can combine them in one set of brackets, separated by a semicolon.
If you mention the author’s name in the text already, you don’t include it in the citation, and you can place the citation immediately after the name.
- Another researcher warns that the results of this method are ‘inconsistent’ (Singh, 2018, p. 13) .
- Previous research has frequently illustrated the pitfalls of this method (Singh, 2018; Jones, 2016) .
- Singh (2018, p. 13) warns that the results of this method are ‘inconsistent’.
The terms ‘bibliography’ and ‘reference list’ are sometimes used interchangeably. Both refer to a list that contains full information on all the sources cited in your text. Sometimes ‘bibliography’ is used to mean a more extensive list, also containing sources that you consulted but did not cite in the text.
A reference list or bibliography is usually mandatory, since in-text citations typically don’t provide full source information. For styles that already include full source information in footnotes (e.g. OSCOLA and Chicago Style ), the bibliography is optional, although your university may still require you to include one.
Format of the reference list
Reference lists are usually alphabetised by authors’ last names. Each entry in the list appears on a new line, and a hanging indent is applied if an entry extends onto multiple lines.
Different source information is included for different source types. Each style provides detailed guidelines for exactly what information should be included and how it should be presented.
Below are some examples of reference list entries for common source types in Harvard style.
- Chapter of a book
- Journal article
The only proofreading tool specialized in correcting academic writing
The academic proofreading tool has been trained on 1000s of academic texts and by native English editors. Making it the most accurate and reliable proofreading tool for students.
Correct my document today
Your university should tell you which referencing style to follow. If you’re unsure, check with a supervisor. Commonly used styles include:
- Harvard referencing , the most commonly used style in UK universities.
- MHRA , used in humanities subjects.
- APA , used in the social sciences.
- Vancouver , used in biomedicine.
- OSCOLA , used in law.
Your university may have its own referencing style guide.
If you are allowed to choose which style to follow, we recommend Harvard referencing, as it is a straightforward and widely used style.
References should be included in your text whenever you use words, ideas, or information from a source. A source can be anything from a book or journal article to a website or YouTube video.
If you don’t acknowledge your sources, you can get in trouble for plagiarism .
To avoid plagiarism , always include a reference when you use words, ideas or information from a source. This shows that you are not trying to pass the work of others off as your own.
You must also properly quote or paraphrase the source. If you’re not sure whether you’ve done this correctly, you can use the Scribbr Plagiarism Checker to find and correct any mistakes.
Harvard referencing uses an author–date system. Sources are cited by the author’s last name and the publication year in brackets. Each Harvard in-text citation corresponds to an entry in the alphabetised reference list at the end of the paper.
Vancouver referencing uses a numerical system. Sources are cited by a number in parentheses or superscript. Each number corresponds to a full reference at the end of the paper.
Is this article helpful?
Other students also liked.
- A Quick Guide to Harvard Referencing | Citation Examples
- APA Referencing (7th Ed.) Quick Guide | In-text Citations & References
How to Avoid Plagiarism | Tips on Citing Sources
More interesting articles.
- A Quick Guide to OSCOLA Referencing | Rules & Examples
- Harvard In-Text Citation | A Complete Guide & Examples
- Harvard Referencing for Journal Articles | Templates & Examples
- Harvard Style Bibliography | Format & Examples
- MHRA Referencing | A Quick Guide & Citation Examples
- Reference a Website in Harvard Style | Templates & Examples
- Referencing Books in Harvard Style | Templates & Examples
- Vancouver Referencing | A Quick Guide & Reference Examples
Scribbr APA Citation Checker
An innovative new tool that checks your APA citations with AI software. Say goodbye to inaccurate citations!
- Cambridge Libraries
Resources for My Subject
English faculty library services: referencing guide.
- Opening hours
- Accessibility
- Books and Journals
- Plays and Poetry
- Films and Productions
- Student Support
- Finding your way around
Who is this for?
This resource is designed for students writing dissertations and portfolios, as well as those looking for tips on best practice for their weekly essays.
Important Links
- English Faculty Guide to Referencing Portfolios and Dissertations Distilled Official Faculty Guidance for Referencing in MHRA. Will cover a lot of what you need.
- MHRA Referencing Guide The official publication for MHRA Referencing. Section 11 will have most information relevant to writing your papers.
- Other Undergraduate Guidance
- MPhil Guidance on writing about texts in English translation and texts not in English
- Cite Them Right A database/eBook that helps demonstrate ways of referencing different items in different citation styles.
Second References
The majority of items listed on this guide give examples of what you might do for the first reference of a source in your writing. The first time you reference a source in your footnote you give all of the bibliographic information for it. In subsequent references to the source you can use a shortened form, as long as it clearly points to the source you are referencing.
Generally acceptable is some form of:
Author Surname, Shortened Title of Work , page number.
Introduction to MHRA Referencing
So you’ve chosen to reference in MHRA Style, eh? Splendid choice! The first thing to remember is:
DON’T PANIC.
The following guide addresses some of the most common questions and approaches for any material you may want to reference. The point is to clearly convey the information of the item you are referencing so that you both acknowledge the work of others and make it as easy as possible for other academics to find the work themselves. Most references are laid out in about the same way, answering the following questions:
Who did it?
What did they do?
Is it part of a larger work?
Who else significantly contributed to it?
What are the Where/Who/When of its production?
Is there a specific part to which you are referring?
What format did you find it in?
Something to remember is that MHRA is a guide . It can not cover all of the wibbly-wobbly strangeness of every type of resource you may want to use on your epic academic journey. What it does offer is a fairly consistent pattern of how you can accurately describe every reference, but many things will need to be tweaked, adapted, or jumbled around a little to fit the most accurate pattern.
The two most important things to focus on are consistency and clarity . Reference the same type of material consistently throughout your document and remember that at the end of the day it is someone else who is reading your work, so make things clear for them. If you do both of those then you will be well on your way to being right.
Presenting your Essays
There is no official formatting convention for undergraduate work to be presented in. As a general rule, it is good to make things as consistent and easy-to-read for your markers as you can. Essays presented using double line-spacing, 12 pt letter sizing, and a clear font like Times New Roman or Arial would follow this idea.
Contact the Library
Questions? Comments? Concerns?
Contact the Library with your Referencing questions at [email protected]
Bibliography
A bibliography is a compilation of all of the works which have contributed ideas to or which you have consulted in writing your academic work. Generally speaking the works listed in your bibliography will need to be separated in 3 separate sections:
- Primary Sources - Novels, poetry, works of art, or anything which you are writing directly about. If you are writing your paper on Jane Austen's Mansfield Park , then you would put that novel in your primary texts section.
- Secondary Sources - Critical works which comment on or are also writing about other works. If in your paper you read The Cambridge Companion to Jane Austen , then you would put that in the secondary sources section.
- Works of Reference - Works which give broad or general information, such as a dictionary or encyclopedia.
Bibliographic entries are mostly like your full first reference. The main difference is that the order is reversed for the author's name, so that it is surname, then first name. The bibliography is presented in alphabetical order, so this will group all of the works by the same author together by their surname. If there are multiple authors, only the first one is reversed. Bibliography entries also don't contain citation pages, or a full stop at the end of the entry. For example: Russ, Joanna, How to suppress women's writing ( Austin: University of Texas, 2018), de Gruyter eBooks Russ, Joanna, ‘Somebody’s Trying to Kill Me and I Think it’s my Husband’, Journal of Popular Culture , 6.4 (March 1973), 666-691 Russ, Joanna, To write like a woman: Essays in feminism and science fiction (Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1995)
- << Previous: Accessibility
- Next: Books and Journals >>
- Last Updated: Oct 3, 2023 12:30 PM
- URL: https://libguides.cam.ac.uk/english
© Cambridge University Libraries | Accessibility | Privacy policy | Log into LibApps
Home / Guides / Citation Guides / MLA Format / How to Cite an Essay in MLA
How to Cite an Essay in MLA
The guidelines for citing an essay in MLA format are similar to those for citing a chapter in a book. Include the author of the essay, the title of the essay, the name of the collection if the essay belongs to one, the editor of the collection or other contributors, the publication information, and the page number(s).
Citing an Essay
Mla essay citation structure.
Last, First M. “Essay Title.” Collection Title, edited by First M. Last, Publisher, year published, page numbers. Website Title , URL (if applicable).
MLA Essay Citation Example
Gupta, Sanjay. “Balancing and Checking.” Essays on Modern Democracy, edited by Bob Towsky, Brook Stone Publishers, 1996, pp. 36-48. Essay Database, www . databaseforessays.org/modern/modern-democracy.
MLA Essay In-text Citation Structure
(Last Name Page #)
MLA Essay In-text Citation Example
Click here to cite an essay via an EasyBib citation form.
MLA Formatting Guide
MLA Formatting
- Annotated Bibliography
- Bibliography
- Block Quotes
- et al Usage
- In-text Citations
- Paraphrasing
- Page Numbers
- Sample Paper
- Works Cited
- MLA 8 Updates
- MLA 9 Updates
- View MLA Guide
Citation Examples
- Book Chapter
- Journal Article
- Magazine Article
- Newspaper Article
- Website (no author)
- View all MLA Examples
How useful was this post?
Click on a star to rate it!
We are sorry that this post was not useful for you!
Let us improve this post!
Tell us how we can improve this post?
To cite your sources in an essay in MLA style, you need to have basic information including the author’s name(s), chapter title, book title, editor(s), publication year, publisher, and page numbers. The templates for in-text citations and a works-cited-list entry for essay sources and some examples are given below:
In-text citation template and example:
For citations in prose, use the first name and surname of the author on the first occurrence. For subsequent citations, use only the surname(s). In parenthetical citations, always use only the surname of the author(s).
Citation in prose:
First mention: Annette Wheeler Cafarelli
Subsequent occurrences: Wheeler Cafarelli
Parenthetical:
….(Wheeler Cafarelli).
Works-cited-list entry template and example:
The title of the chapter is enclosed in double quotation marks and uses title case. The book or collection title is given in italics and uses title case.
Surname, First Name. “Title of the Chapter.” Title of the Book , edited by Editor(s) Name, Publisher, Publication Year, page range.
Cafarelli, Annette Wheeler. “Rousseau and British Romanticism: Women and British Romanticism.” Cultural Interactions in the Romantic Age: Critical Essays in Comparative Literature , edited by Gregory Maertz. State U of New York P, 1998, pp. 125–56.
To cite an essay in MLA style, you need to have basic information including the author(s), the essay title, the book title, editor(s), publication year, publisher, and page numbers. The templates for citations in prose, parenthetical citations, and works-cited-list entries for an essay by multiple authors, and some examples, are given below:
For citations in prose, use the first name and surname of the author (e.g., Mary Strine).
For sources with two authors, use both full author names in prose (e.g., Mary Strine and Beth Radick).
For sources with three or more authors, use the first name and surname of the first author followed by “and others” or “and colleagues” (e.g., Mary Strine and others). In subsequent citations, use only the surname of the first author followed by “and others” or “and colleagues” (e.g., Strine and others).
In parenthetical citations, use only the author’s surname. For sources with two authors, use two surnames (e.g., Strine and Radick). For sources with three or more author names, use the first author’s surname followed by “et al.”
First mention: Mary Strine…
Subsequent mention: Strine…
First mention: Mary Strine and Beth Radick…
Subsequent mention: Strine and Radick…
First mention: Mary Strine and colleagues …. or Mary Strine and others
Subsequent occurrences: Strine and colleagues …. or Strine and others
…. (Strine).
….(Strine and Radick).
….(Strine et al.).
The title of the essay is enclosed in double quotation marks and uses title case. The book or collection title is given in italics and uses title case.
Surname, First Name, et al. “Title of the Essay.” Title of the Book , edited by Editor(s) Name, Publisher, Publication Year, page range.
Strine, Mary M., et al. “Research in Interpretation and Performance Studies: Trends, Issues, Priorities.” Speech Communication: Essays to Commemorate the 75th Anniversary of the Speech Communication Association , edited by Gerald M. Phillips and Julia T. Wood, Southern Illinois UP, 1990, pp. 181–204.
MLA Citation Examples
Writing Tools
Citation Generators
Other Citation Styles
Plagiarism Checker
Upload a paper to check for plagiarism against billions of sources and get advanced writing suggestions for clarity and style.
Get Started
Generate accurate APA citations for free
- Knowledge Base
- APA Style 7th edition
How to Cite in APA Format (7th edition) | Guide & Generator
This citation guide outlines the most important citation guidelines from the 7th edition APA Publication Manual (2020). Scribbr also offers free guides for the older APA 6th edition , MLA Style , and Chicago Style .
Generate accurate APA citations with Scribbr
Instantly correct all language mistakes in your text.
Upload your document to correct all your mistakes in minutes
Table of contents
Apa in-text citations, apa references, formatting the apa reference page, free lecture slides, frequently asked questions.
In-text citations are brief references in the running text that direct readers to the reference entry at the end of the paper. You include them every time you quote or paraphrase someone else’s ideas or words to avoid plagiarism .
An APA in-text citation consists of the author’s last name and the year of publication (also known as the author-date system). If you’re citing a specific part of a source, you should also include a locator such as a page number or timestamp. For example: (Smith, 2020, p. 170) .
Parenthetical vs. narrative citation
The in-text citation can take two forms: parenthetical and narrative. Both types are generated automatically when citing a source with Scribbr’s APA Citation Generator.
- Parenthetical citation: According to new research … (Smith, 2020) .
- Narrative citation: Smith (2020) notes that …
Multiple authors and corporate authors
The in-text citation changes slightly when a source has multiple authors or an organization as an author. Pay attention to punctuation and the use of the ampersand (&) symbol.
Missing information
When the author, publication date or locator is unknown, take the steps outlined below.
Are your APA in-text citations flawless?
The AI-powered APA Citation Checker points out every error, tells you exactly what’s wrong, and explains how to fix it. Say goodbye to losing marks on your assignment!
Get started!
APA references generally include information about the author , publication date , title , and source . Depending on the type of source, you may have to include extra information that helps your reader locate the source.
Reference examples
Citing a source starts with choosing the correct reference format. Use Scribbr’s Citation Example Generator to learn more about the format for the most common source types. Pay close attention to punctuation, capitalization, and italicization.
Generate APA citations for free
It is not uncommon for certain information to be unknown or missing, especially with sources found online. In these cases, the reference is slightly adjusted.
On the first line of the page, write the section label “References” (in bold and centered). On the second line, start listing your references in alphabetical order .
Apply these formatting guidelines to the APA reference page:
- Double spacing (within and between references)
- Hanging indent of ½ inch
- Legible font (e.g. Times New Roman 12 or Arial 11)
- Page number in the top right header
Which sources to include
On the reference page, you only include sources that you have cited in the text (with an in-text citation ). You should not include references to personal communications that your reader can’t access (e.g. emails, phone conversations or private online material).
Are you a teacher or professor looking to introduce your students to APA Style? Download our free introductory lecture slides, available for Google Slides and Microsoft PowerPoint.
Open Google Slides Download PowerPoint
Prevent plagiarism. Run a free check.
When no individual author name is listed, but the source can clearly be attributed to a specific organization—e.g., a press release by a charity, a report by an agency, or a page from a company’s website—use the organization’s name as the author in the reference entry and APA in-text citations .
When no author at all can be determined—e.g. a collaboratively edited wiki or an online article published anonymously—use the title in place of the author. In the in-text citation, put the title in quotation marks if it appears in plain text in the reference list, and in italics if it appears in italics in the reference list. Shorten it if necessary.
When you quote or paraphrase a specific passage from a source, you need to indicate the location of the passage in your APA in-text citation . If there are no page numbers (e.g. when citing a website ) but the text is long, you can instead use section headings, paragraph numbers, or a combination of the two:
(Caulfield, 2019, Linking section, para. 1).
Section headings can be shortened if necessary. Kindle location numbers should not be used in ebook citations , as they are unreliable.
If you are referring to the source as a whole, it’s not necessary to include a page number or other marker.
The abbreviation “ et al. ” (meaning “and others”) is used to shorten APA in-text citations with three or more authors . Here’s how it works:
Only include the first author’s last name, followed by “et al.”, a comma and the year of publication, for example (Taylor et al., 2018).
APA Style usually does not require an access date. You never need to include one when citing journal articles , e-books , or other stable online sources.
However, if you are citing a website or online article that’s designed to change over time, it’s a good idea to include an access date. In this case, write it in the following format at the end of the reference: Retrieved October 19, 2020, from https://www.uva.nl/en/about-the-uva/about-the-university/about-the-university.html
Is this article helpful?
Other students also liked.
- Beginner's guide to APA in-text citation
- Setting Up the APA Reference Page | Formatting & References (Examples)
- APA 7th edition: The most notable changes
More interesting articles
- APA Footnotes | Format & Examples
- APA format for academic papers and essays
- APA headings and subheadings
- APA running head
- APA Title Page (7th edition) | Template for Students & Professionals
- Creating an APA Style table of contents
- Creating APA reference entries
- Direct quotes in APA Style
- How to create an APA Style appendix
- How to format tables and figures in APA Style
- How to write an APA methods section
- How to write an APA results section
- How to write and format an APA abstract
- Ordering works on the APA reference page
- Reporting Statistics in APA Style | Guidelines & Examples
- Writing in APA Style: Language guidelines
Unlimited Academic AI-Proofreading
✔ Document error-free in 5minutes ✔ Unlimited document corrections ✔ Specialized in correcting academic texts
Help | Advanced Search
Computer Science > Computation and Language
Title: [call for papers] the 2nd babylm challenge: sample-efficient pretraining on a developmentally plausible corpus.
Abstract: After last year's successful BabyLM Challenge, the competition will be hosted again in 2024/2025. The overarching goals of the challenge remain the same; however, some of the competition rules will be different. The big changes for this year's competition are as follows: First, we replace the loose track with a paper track, which allows (for example) non-model-based submissions, novel cognitively-inspired benchmarks, or analysis techniques. Second, we are relaxing the rules around pretraining data, and will now allow participants to construct their own datasets provided they stay within the 100M-word or 10M-word budget. Third, we introduce a multimodal vision-and-language track, and will release a corpus of 50% text-only and 50% image-text multimodal data as a starting point for LM model training. The purpose of this CfP is to provide rules for this year's challenge, explain these rule changes and their rationale in greater detail, give a timeline of this year's competition, and provide answers to frequently asked questions from last year's challenge.
Submission history
Access paper:.
- HTML (experimental)
- Other Formats
References & Citations
- Google Scholar
- Semantic Scholar
BibTeX formatted citation
Bibliographic and Citation Tools
Code, data and media associated with this article, recommenders and search tools.
- Institution
arXivLabs: experimental projects with community collaborators
arXivLabs is a framework that allows collaborators to develop and share new arXiv features directly on our website.
Both individuals and organizations that work with arXivLabs have embraced and accepted our values of openness, community, excellence, and user data privacy. arXiv is committed to these values and only works with partners that adhere to them.
Have an idea for a project that will add value for arXiv's community? Learn more about arXivLabs .
IMAGES
VIDEO
COMMENTS
Butler et al (2010) assert that in this scenario, the Harvard referencing system stipulates that the citation should be listed alphabetically to avoid confusion. An example of this is as follows; Bach & Edwards (2012a) assert that human resource management is an essential core function and/or support function in any modern organisation.
When learning how to write an academic essay with references, you must identify reliable sources that support your argument. As you read, think critically and evaluate sources for: Accuracy. Objectivity. Currency. Authority. Keep detailed notes on the sources so that you can easily find them again, if needed.
When you cite a source with up to three authors, cite all authors' names. For four or more authors, list only the first name, followed by ' et al. ': Number of authors. In-text citation example. 1 author. (Davis, 2019) 2 authors. (Davis and Barrett, 2019) 3 authors.
Throughout your paper, you need to apply the following APA format guidelines: Set page margins to 1 inch on all sides. Double-space all text, including headings. Indent the first line of every paragraph 0.5 inches. Use an accessible font (e.g., Times New Roman 12pt., Arial 11pt., or Georgia 11pt.).
More than 100 reference examples and their corresponding in-text citations are presented in the seventh edition Publication Manual.Examples of the most common works that writers cite are provided on this page; additional examples are available in the Publication Manual.. To find the reference example you need, first select a category (e.g., periodicals) and then choose the appropriate type of ...
Below is an example essay, complete with citations and references. Please remember this is a fictional essay purely designed to demonstrate how and when to reference. Embedding experiences and voices in research can "challenge [the] studied ignorance" around race (Arday and Mirza, 2018, p.v) and the academy's role as gatekeeper of what is ...
This guide contains examples of common types of APA Style references. Section numbers indicate where to find the examples in the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed.). More information on references and reference examples are in Chapters 9 and 10 of the Publication Manual as well as the Concise Guide to APA ...
Harvard Style Bibliography | Format & Examples. Published on 1 May 2020 by Jack Caulfield.Revised on 7 November 2022. In Harvard style, the bibliography or reference list provides full references for the sources you used in your writing.. A reference list consists of entries corresponding to your in-text citations.; A bibliography sometimes also lists sources that you consulted for background ...
Citation Examples | Books, Articles, Websites & More. Published on April 9, 2021 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on January 17, 2024. The most common citation styles are APA and MLA. To cite a source in these styles, you need a brief in-text citation and a full reference. Use the interactive tool to understand how a citation is structured and see ...
Reference Examples. Your references should begin on a new page separate from the text of the essay; label this page "References" centered at the top of the page in bold. ... Do not italicize, underline, or put quotes around the titles of shorter works such as journal articles or essays in edited collections. From the APA Style Blog. References ...
Reference example for the above in-text citation: Author Surname, Initials. (Publication Year) Title of the text in italics. Place of Publication: Publisher. Bloom, H. (2005) Novelists and novels. Philadelphia: Chelsea House Publishers. Below are Harvard referencing examples of in-text citations and reference list entries for the different ...
This section explains the basics of APA-style citations and provides citation examples for some commonly used sources. For more information, you should consult the links below. Here is the APA overview of how to format in-text citations . APA also offers a checklist for in-text citations . For sample APA citations, visit this section of the APA ...
As you begin writing the introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion of your Harvard referencing paper, these are formatting tips to keep in mind. Page headings: Center a page title. Do not bold, italicize, or underline it. Body: Left-aligned. Paragraphs: Indent the first line using the tab key. In-text citations: Include these citations ...
Crucially, citation practices do not differ between the two styles of paper. However, for your convenience, we have provided two versions of our APA 7 sample paper below: one in student style and one in professional style. Note: For accessibility purposes, we have used "Track Changes" to make comments along the margins of these samples. Those ...
parenthetical citation of a work with two authors, 8.17 parenthetical citation of a work with one author, 8.17 group author, 9.11 use of first person, 4.16 italics to highlight a key term, 6.22 narrative citation in parenthetical running text, 8.11 repeated citation needed, 8.1 student title page, 2.3 Sample Papers • 61 ELEMENTS & FORMAT
To quote a source, copy a short piece of text word for word and put it inside quotation marks. To paraphrase a source, put the text into your own words. It's important that the paraphrase is not too close to the original wording. You can use the paraphrasing tool if you don't want to do this manually.
APA referencing, used in the social and behavioural sciences, uses author-date in-text citations corresponding to an alphabetical reference list at the end. In-text citation. Sources should always be cited properly (Pears & Shields, 2019). Reference list. Pears, R., & Shields, G. (2019). Cite them right: The essential referencing guide (11th ...
Harvard referencing is a system that allows you to include information about the source materials. It is based on the author-date system. It includes references: 1) as in-text citations and 2) in a reference list (which is different from a bibliography). In-text citations: (Author Surname, Year Published). Reference list entry: Author Surname ...
Citing a Secondary Source: In this case, state the reference you used first followed by 'cited in' and the original author: Smith 2000 (cited in Mitchell, 2017, p. 189) or (Smith, 2000, cited in Mitchell, 2017, p. 189) 3. How to Cite Different Source Types. Reference list references vary quite a lot between sources.
The majority of items listed on this guide give examples of what you might do for the first reference of a source in your writing. ... presented in. As a general rule, it is good to make things as consistent and easy-to-read for your markers as you can. Essays presented using double line-spacing, 12 pt letter sizing, and a clear font like Times ...
Create manual citation. The guidelines for citing an essay in MLA format are similar to those for citing a chapter in a book. Include the author of the essay, the title of the essay, the name of the collection if the essay belongs to one, the editor of the collection or other contributors, the publication information, and the page number (s).
APA Style is widely used by students, researchers, and professionals in the social and behavioral sciences. Scribbr's APA Citation Generator automatically generates accurate references and in-text citations for free.. This citation guide outlines the most important citation guidelines from the 7th edition APA Publication Manual (2020). Scribbr also offers free guides for the older APA 6th ...
After last year's successful BabyLM Challenge, the competition will be hosted again in 2024/2025. The overarching goals of the challenge remain the same; however, some of the competition rules will be different. The big changes for this year's competition are as follows: First, we replace the loose track with a paper track, which allows (for example) non-model-based submissions, novel ...
Background. There are various materials used for socket preservation following dental extraction. The aim of the present animal study was to histologically investigate the efficacy of buccal fat autotransplantation on alveolar bone regeneration following dental extraction. Study design. In this prospective, double-blind laboratory experiment with a split-mouth design, 16 mandibular second ...
Meanwhile, while fewer faculty members used AI, the percentage grew to 22% of faculty members in the fall of 2023, up from 9% in spring 2023. Teachers are turning to AI tools and platforms ...