Introduction
Citations are used in Ph.D. Which is helpful for Ph.D. students to show their research paper plagiarism-free. Referring to the use of someone else’s work in your research work is called citation. This process is also called bibliography.
It provides a detailed and systematic approach to your reference and shows plagiarism-free research taken from other people’s research papers. Among many such citation styles, MLA, APA, Chicago, and Harvard styles are the most used.
In this article, we will discuss these main four citation styles to understand them in detail. Different themes are designed for different citation styles.
MLA Style
Overview and history
Modern Language Association (MLA) style is used mainly in the humanities (finding the truth and understanding the purpose and goal of historical and social events), this style mainly includes subjects such as literature, language, and cultural studies. It started in the 1950s. At the time these topics were uniform citation practices. The reference page should be mentioned as” works cited”.
Formatting guidelines for in-text citations and bibliography
MLA style typically employs parenthetical citations including the author’s last name and page number (Brown 8)within the text. The citations used on each page of the works cited are organized at the end.
Examples of common source types ( Books, Articles, Websites)
For reference, research is taken from books, articles, websites, and other sources. Which are written in different ways.
Book article- If your source is a book, then in the works cited you will have to include the name of the author, title of the book, year of the publication, and related information of the publication, etc.
Article or website– If your source is online, you must include the author’s name, book title, publication year, and URL in the last.
Example- (Alter, Charlotte. “Gender Politics at the Democratic Debate Show How Hard it is to Fight Like a Girl.” Time, 21, Nov. 2019, time.com/5735288/female-candidates-democratic-debate.)
APA Style
Overview and its evolution
The American Psychological Association (APA) style citation was first written in 1929. This style is used in the main subjects, which are Social Science, Psychology, Criminal Justice, Law, and Education.
APA style provides a foundation that helps writers present their ideas in a clear accurate, and inclusive manner. APA style also provides a standard, consistent system for attributing their ideas to others.
In-text citation rules
APA style for in-text writing that includes the author’s last name, publication year, and page number (Smith, 2019, p. 25) within parentheses. The purpose of in-text citation is to make it easier for the reader to find complete information about the relevant citation in the reference list.
Example of citing various sources (Book, Journal, Online resources)
APA style varies slightly in its citation formats depending on each source.
Book article- You will have to include the book article for reference, the author’s last name first initial, publication date, Title of book, book name in italics, and page number.
Journal article- The name of the journal will be italicized in the seventh citation of a journal article.
Magazine articles include the author’s last name first initial, year of publication, Title of the article, Title of Journal, volume(issue), page number of the whole article, and DOI/ URL.
Example-McManus, M. E., (1977).Microsomal xenobiotic metabolism in marsupials. Journal of Drug Metabolism and Disposition,5(6), 501-508.
Online Source– You need to include the author’s last name and first initial. (Year, Month, date). Title of web page/document. Retrieved from http:/ URL to a specific page.
Chicago
Basic information
Chicago/Turabian style is generally used in Business, History, and the Fine Arts. In this style, there is no in-text citation but there are footnotes and endnotes. The reference page is written in the name of Bibliography.
Notes, bibliography system, and author-date system
Notes (footnotes, endnotes) and bibliography systems use footnotes or endnotes with a separate bibliography, while author-date usually includes the author’s name, publication year, and page number. Author data is mainly used in academic subjects and social science.
Guideline for Footnotes/Endnotes and Bibliography
With the help of footnotes and endnotes, you can write the meaning of any word at the bottom of the same page or at the end of the file, which we call a footnote or endnote. Notes and bibliography requirements are marked by the corresponding superscript number.
Example of common source like(Book, Journal, Online source)
Book article- You need to include the author’s first name, last name. Year. “Title of book.” Place of publication: Publisher, page number.
Journal Article- Author’s last name, first name. Year. “Title of article.” Name of Journal in italic Volume, issue number (Publication date): Page number. DOI or URL.
Website Article– Last name, First name of author, “Title of Web Page.” Publishing Organization or Name of Website, publication date and/or access date if available, URL.
Conclusion
The most commonly used styles are MLA, APA, and Chicago styles. Each has different themes and objectives and its own unique set of rules. MLA is commonly used in the humanities, while APA is permanent in the social sciences, psychology, and education, and the Chicago style is versatile. Ultimately, mastering these citation styles allows writers to express their ideas effectively, and adhere to scholarly conventions, allowing students to produce clear and accurate academic writing.
We also need to know that, the latest style, 9th style of MLA, 7th style of APA, and 17th style of Chicago is going on.