can you cite a blog in a research paper

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This guidance (PDF version available here ) addresses the use of blogs as reference sources in academic publishing, including:

Quotation from blogs;
Use of ideas that originated in a blog.

This page does not address best practice in research into blogs, the practice of blogging or bloggers themselves (i.e. the blog or blogger as the subject of research).

Although blogs are a long established medium, authors may be unaware of best practice conventions for their use in academic publishing. This page is designed to provide introductory guidance on this topic.

Should blogs be used as sources in academic publishing?

There are a number of reasons why blogs may not be considered suitable sources in academic publishing:

Blogs are typically not peer-reviewed.
It may not be possible to confidently establish the authorship of blogs or verify their content.
Blog text may not be fixed (i.e. the author may change the content of a particular blog page without warning).
Blogs may not be permanently accessible and could be removed.

These characteristics are similarly found in many other forms of grey literature [1] , including newspaper articles (particularly online), industry research outputs, or technical reports. In all cases careful critical judgement is required before such sources should be used in academic publishing.

Despite these issues, blogs offer a significant and readily available corpus of information, ideas and opinions that could be of value to academic research. In some cases it may be possible to find an alternative source for the material provided by a particular blog, for example if the author has also published their ideas in a peer-reviewed and stable format or is basing their blog on existing research by others who have published in such a format.

However, some blogs will contain original research or ideas that are not published in an alternative form (or may include insights that are not articulated in the alternative publication). As such, there will be some cases in which a researcher will want to use a blog as a source in their academic research.

In such cases, researchers must, as with any other source, consider carefully whether the blog is of sufficient quality and reliability to be used confidently as a source in research.

If a decision is taken to use a blog as a source, it must be carried out in accordance with standard rules and expectations for referencing. The public and often informal nature of blogs does not remove the obligation on authors to acknowledge the source of the information or ideas they are using.

How should blogs be cited in academic publications?

As with standard referencing, conventions for citing blogs vary between subjects, style manuals and journals. However, as with other online sources, references for material cited from blogs should usually include the standard material required for a reference and particular information to address the digital nature of the source.

This will normally include:

The author of the blog – this may be an individual (using a real name or screen name) but may also be a group such as a company or a title used by a group of authors who curate the blog.
The title of the individual post.
The title of the blog.
The URL of the blogpost.

You may also be expected to include:

A statement that the reference is from a blog post.
The date on which you accessed the blog.

Sometimes a blog post will suggest a form of citation. In that case, it is recommended to follow the suggestion where possible. [2]

Example references

American Psychological Association (APA) Style [3] :

Parry, J. (2015, September 28). The Culture of Scientific Research: where next? [Blog post]. Retrieved from http://ukrio.org/the-culture-of-scientific-research-where-next/

Harvard Style [4] :

Parry, J. (2015). The Culture of Scientific Research: where next?. UK Research Integrity Office Blog . Available from: http://ukrio.org/the-culture-of-scientific-research-where-next/ [Accessed 6 th September 2017]

Blogs: is it acceptable to cite them as reference sources?

A fairly straightforward formula is associated with writing scientific and academic papers: the more authoritative the sources, the more credible the work.

We start to discover this during our A levels, and as we advance through our education and professions, it only becomes more important. We learn that supporting the most innovative arguments with reference to scholars and experts is essential. Apart from anything else, doing this guarantees being taken seriously in the peer review process.

Digital Disruption

The answer to what qualifies as a reliable source is no longer settled as it was during the analogue age because online publication has transformed the landscape.

Of course, there is nothing inherently inferior in research that has been published online, and most academic and scientific institutions make extensive use of websites to disseminate significant works. However, the quality of the work needs to be looked at carefully since anyone with a domain name can publish whatever they wish. The general consensus is that these pieces should be classified as blogs rather than academic papers, especially as there is no requirement for them to be subjected to peer review, which makes it very hard for those engaged in new research to know whether citing them will help or harm their case.

The Conventional View

There is a widespread view that citing blogs is unacceptable, and the main reasons are easily identified. First, as we’ve mentioned, they have not been peer reviewed, so they could be bogus or misguided. Even parodic pieces could be mistaken for serious scholarship, as we saw in the Sokal affair, in which an article purporting to argue serious questions of post-modernism but actually ‘liberally salted with nonsense’ apparently fooled the editors of the academic journal Social Text [1]. It could be argued that this was actually a failure of peer review and the journal’s editors, but it does expose the wider vulnerabilities of blogs.

Other concerns are that it is impossible to verify the authorship of a blog, the content itself can be changed without warning or notification – thus invalidating references that rely upon it, and that blogs can be deleted – making a nonsense of any use of its content as supporting evidence. There is also the possibility that the writer of the blog has a hidden agenda (as Alan Sokal certainly did) which prima facie makes any reliance upon it unsafe and possibly dangerous. For example, the website MartinLutherKing.Org is owned by a Neo-Nazi organisation which uses it to spread white supremacist misinformation [2].

The Influence of Grey Literature

Yet, this is not to argue that all blogs are unacceptable. Over the years, scholarly journals and peer reviewers have grown more accepting of so-called grey literature such as newspapers and magazines (including online publications), technical reports, industry research and white papers. These are all produced outside the commercial and academic publishing environments, which are the normal guarantor of authenticity and accuracy. Moreover, they have proven extremely useful in research projects, so it seems reasonable to apply a similarly open-minded, if cautious, receptiveness to blogs.

The Unique Value of Blogs

Blogs can be virtually instant and offer valuable insights into events which, if assessed on other platforms, would be history rather than news. For example, court rulings and government announcements can substantially affect scientific issues, and a well-composed blog gives an immediate perspective. It’s also entirely possible for blogs to contain valuable ideas and novel analysis as well as convincing original research that has not been published anywhere else. In many instances, the material from a blog, while not necessarily suitable as a primary source, provides unique perspectives that enrich the argument even if they are not conclusive, such as a CEO’s memorandum.

How to Use Blogs

As blogs clearly have a valid role to play in academic publishing, the question is not whether they should be used but rather the how and why they should be used. If the author of a paper feels it necessary to refer to a blog, they should be meticulous about placing it in its context and asking themselves questions such as why have they used it? What do they believe it shows? How far has it been possible to verify its accuracy? Is the blogger disinterested, or do they have a specific motive? Answering these questions will give the reader the tools to decide what weight to assign to the reference.

Using a blog to support a generalisation such as ‘most people believe—’ would, without doubt, seem wrong. Instead, its citation should be limited to the demonstration of particular points, and the author should apply the same standards of evaluation as they would to any other information found on the web. However, this is not always easy, as the amusing dispute between Jimmy Wales of Wikipedia and the Daily Mail Group shows.

In 2017 Wikipedia announced that it would no longer accept The Daily Mail as a source of reference because, in the opinion of co-founder Jimmy Wales, the newspaper had ‘mastered the art of…running stories that simply aren’t true’ [3]. DMG Media, which publishes The Daily Mail, returned fire with counter-accusations that it was Wikipedia with the problems of accuracy. As a result, Wales launched WikiTribune to focus on ‘evidence-based journalism’, which some see as an admission that the people’s journalism model of Wikipedia is unreliable. The WikiTribune site relies upon professional journalists to provide its editorial services.

Any reference to a blog requires citation, of course, but that needn’t imply that the author is relying on it as a primary source or even a secondary authority. In some instances, its purpose may simply be to air opposing opinions and suggest the general level of dissent in relation to the subject matter. Although the author may not be able to prove beyond doubt that a blog is totally dependable, they may, by providing as much supporting evidence as they can find, show that it’s possible to establish its credibility, at least to the extent of that evidence.

How to Cite Blogs

Because of the potential for unreliability, the citing of blogs requires more detail than a reference, for example, to The Lancet or Nature. The author of a paper should give the name of the blogger, or the group name under which the blog is posted, the title of the individual blog and of the series to which it belongs. In addition, the URL of the post should be included along with the date on which it was accessed. Lastly, it should be explicitly stated that the source is a blog, not an article from a recognised publication.

Last Thoughts on Acceptability

There can be no definitive rule on the acceptability of citing blogs as sources. To entirely ignore the wealth of knowledge offered by the blogosphere would be narrow-minded and ultimately limiting. To treat it as equal to the carefully researched, composed, and usually peer-reviewed work of recognised academic journals would be reckless. Blogs are an intellectual resource that any author should feel comfortable using, provided they observe the basic principles we’ve discussed: taking nothing at face value, exercising judgement and always providing caveats and context. The sum of human knowledge and opinion has been expanded by the internet, and academics and scientists can and should use it – wisely.

At PA EDitorial, we provide a complete peer-review management service, working with publishers and editors to introduce new workflows or perfect existing ones. Our expertise lies in the ability to remove the managerial pressures of peer review and leave professional editors, writers, and academics to concentrate on the core work of developing, writing, and assessing innovative new ideas to enrich the world’s store of scientific and academic knowledge.

[1] https://physics.nyu.edu/sokal/weinberg.html

[2] https://www.huffpost.com/entry/white-supremacist-site-ma_b_809755

[3] https://www.cnbc.com/2017/05/19/daily-mail-jimmy-wales-fake-news-wikipedia-wikitribune.html

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How to Properly Cite a Blog in Your Essay

Craig OCallaghan

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Introduction

The days when dusty leather-bound books from the library were the only useful source of information have long since gone, with more and more useful academic information now available online. Unfortunately, not every university style guide has kept with the times, making it tricky to know how to properly cite blogs and other online sources in your bibliography.

Fortunately for you, there's no need to panic. Below you'll find information on how to correctly reference academic blogs in your essay, whether you're using Harvard, MLA, Chicago or APA referencing.

Last name, Initial. (Year, Month Date). Title of Blog Post [Blog post]. Retrieved from URL

So, for example, that would look like:

Bloggs, J. (2015, December 25). This Is An Important Academic Blog [Blog post]. Retrieved from http://www.topuniversities.com

First name Last name, "Title of Blog Post," Blog Name (blog), Publisher/Sponsor of Blog (if applicable), Month, Date, Year of post, URL

Joan Bloggs, "This Is An Important Academic Blog," World of Clever Blogging (blog), December, 25, 2015, http://www.topuniversities.com

Last name, Initial. (Year). Title of Blog Post. [Blog] Blog Name . Available at: URL [Accessed Date of access]

Bloggs, J. (2015). This Is An Important Academic Blog. [Blog] World of Clever Blogging . Available at: http://www.topuniversities.com [Accessed February 2 2017]

Last name, First name. "Title of Blog Post." Web blog post. Blog Name . Publisher/Sponsor of Blog (if applicable), Date Month Year Published. Web. Date Month Year Accessed.

Bloggs, Jane. "This Is An Important Academic Blog." Web blog post. World of Clever Blogging . 25 December 2015. Web. 2 February 2017.

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As Head of Content, Craig is responsible for all articles and guides published across TopUniversities and TopMBA. He has nearly 10 years of experience writing for a student audience and extensive knowledge of universities and study programs around the world.

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APA Citation Style, 7th edition: Blog post

General Style Guidelines
One Author or Editor
Two Authors or Editors
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Article in a Reference Book
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Translation
Government Publication
Journal Article with 1 Author
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Citation Support
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Formatting Your Paper

Include the title of the blog message post as well as the URL. You do not italicize the titles for items in online communities such as blogs, newsgroups or forum. If the author’s name is not available, provide the screen name.

General Format

In-Text Citation (Paraphrase):

(Author Surname OR Screen name, Year)

In-Text Citation (Quotation):

References:

Author Surname, First Initial. Second Initial. OR Author screen name {as it appears on the blog}. (Year, Month Day {of post}). Title of specific post. Site name (if needed). URL of specific post

In-Text Citation (Paraphrase):

(MiddleKid, 2007)

References:

MiddleKid. (2007, January 22). Re: The unfortunate prerequisites and consequences of partitioning your mind. Science. http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2007/01/the_unfortunate_prerequisites.php

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Reference List

How to Cite a Blog Post in APA

Hannah berry (ph.d.).

Published on 05/13/2024

Blog posts provide valuable insights into various topics, from scientific discoveries to personal reflections. Understanding how to cite these sources in APA style enhances the credibility of your writing and acknowledges the original author’s contribution. Here’s a step-by-step guide on citing a blog post in APA format .

CITATION ELEMENTS OF A BLOG POST

Contributor: This refers to the person or entity responsible for creating the content of the blog post.
Publication Date: This is the date when the blog post was published. It should include the year, followed by the month and day if available, and enclosed in parentheses.
Title of the Blog Post: This is the specific title of the blog post. It should be written in sentence case, which means only the first word and proper nouns are capitalized.
Title of the Blog: This is the name of the blog where the post was published. It should be italicized to differentiate it from the title of the blog post.
URL: This is the web address that leads directly to the specific blog post being cited. It should be accurate and not contain any unnecessary parameters or tracking elements.

EXAMPLE CITATION FOR A BLOG POST

	, M. (2024, May 13). The rise of smart cities. . https://www.urbaninsights.com/the-rise-of-smart-cities/
	, Author’s Initial. (Year, Month Day). Title of the Blog Post. . URL

EXAMPLE IN-TEXT CITATION FOR A BLOG POST

When citing a blog post within the text of your work, there are two primary methods: parenthetical citation and narrative citation.

Parenthetical Citation: Place the author’s name and the publication year within parentheses at the end of the sentence containing the cited information.

	, 2024)
	, Year)

Narrative Citation: Integrate the author’s name into the narrative, followed by the publication year in parentheses.

	(2024)
	(Year)

Before citing a blog post or any online source, assess its credibility and reliability. Look for indicators such as the author’s expertise, the publication’s reputation, and whether the information is supported by evidence or references. Reliable sources enhance the credibility of your own work and ensure the accuracy of the information you present.

Blogs and online content can evolve over time, with new information or corrections added after the initial publication. Before citing a blog post, ensure that the information is current and up-to-date. Look for any editor’s notes, updates, or revisions provided by the author to ensure the accuracy of the content you’re citing.

Pay attention to details such as formatting, punctuation, and the order of elements in the citation. Consistency enhances readability and professionalism in your writing. Use or reference guides to ensure accuracy and compliance with APA standards.

Try our free for accurate citations. It works for , , and .

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Hannah Berry has lectured at several colleges and teaches at the WEA. Besides publishing extensively, she has taught citation skills and written multiple style guides.

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Writing Tips

How to Cite a Blog Post in Harvard Referencing

3-minute read

13th June 2021

Blogs can be a great source of information when researching an essay (as long as you make sure they’re reliable sources ). But how do you cite a blog post or a comment on a blog in Harvard referencing ? Follow the tips below to find out.

Citing a Blog in Harvard Referencing

In Harvard referencing, in-text citations include a name and a year. For a blog post, then, you need the author’s surname and the year the post was last updated:

Austerity policies invariably fail (Quiggin, 2021).

Some blog posts won’t have a named author. In this case, you can use the author’s alias or the name of the publishing organisation in citations:

Anti-poaching measures are effective (Save the Rhino, 2017).

You should then provide full source information in your reference list.

Blog Posts in a Harvard Reference List

The format for a blog post in a Harvard reference list is as follows:

Author, Initial(s). (Year of publication/last update) ‘Title of Post’, Name of Blog , day and month published/updated [Blog]. Available at URL (Accessed date).

In practice, our references for the blogs cited above would look like this:

Quiggin, J. (2021) ‘Economic lessons of the 20-year armistice’, Crooked Timber , 18 February 2021 [Blog]. Available at https://crookedtimber.org/2021/02/18/economic-lessons-of-the-20-year-armistice/ (Accessed 23 March 2021).

Save the Rhino. (2017) ‘De-horning’, Save the Rhino, 20 August 2017 [Blog]. Available at https://www.savetherhino.org/thorny-issues/de-horning/ (Accessed 21 March 2021).

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The key in all cases is making sure your reader can find the post you’ve cited.

Citing a Blog Comment in Harvard Referencing

You can also cite a comment on a blog post. For an in-text citation, use the commenter’s surname or username and the comment date in brackets:

One commenter described this as ‘blinkered’ (Rapier, 2021).

The basic reference format for a blog comment, meanwhile, is as follows:

Author, Initial(s). (Year of publication/last update) Re: ‘Title of post’, Name of Blog , day and month of comment [Blog comment]. Available at URL (Accessed date).

As such, a reference for a blog comment would look like this:

Rapier. (2021) Re: ‘Economic lessons of the 20-year armistice’, Crooked Timber, 18 February 2021 [Blog comment]. Available at https://crookedtimber.org/2021/02/18/economic-lessons-of-the-20-year-armistice/#commentid38923 (Accessed 23 March 2021).

Note that the link above points directly to the comment. If you can’t link to the comment itself or the comment section, though, just link to the blog post.

Harvard Variations and Proofreading

This post uses a version of Harvard referencing based on the Open University guide [PDF] . However, the exact rules for citing a blog post may depend on the version you’re is using, so make sure to check your style guide if you have one.

And if you’d like to be sure your citations and references are error free, you can have one of our Harvard referencing experts check them. Simply submit your work for proofreading today and let us know which version of Harvard you’ve used.

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Maker's Aid

How to Cite Sources in a Blog

Let’s not debate whether or not you should cite your sources. Here are the best ways to do it in your posts!

In journalism school, you learn the importance and practicalities of citing your sources in your articles. The fact that you can start a blog whether you studied journalism or not doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do it in your posts, too.

Why Cite Your Sources

There’s more than one reason why you want to cite your sources as a blogger:

If you cite your sources properly, you aren’t committing plagiarism by passing off another author’s work as your own—and you save yourself the associated legal and reputational risks of copyright infringement .

You also establish credibility with your readers, especially if you research the subject matter thoroughly and choose your sources well. After all, anyone can cite Wikipedia (and they usually do). But how many bloggers actually take the time to flip through an industry expert’s book and cite their professional advice?

Finally, it’s the right thing to do. I’ve had my content plagiarized before, and I can tell you that it’s not a pleasant feeling when that happens. If others have put love and labor into something, you should respect that and give them the credit they deserve.

So be a good citizen of the World Wide Web and cite your sources.

Below, we’ll discuss how.

How to Cite Your Sources

As a blogger, you generally have two ways to cite your sources: in the content of your post or in a “Footnotes” or “References” section at the end of your post.

Each has its pros and cons, and which one to choose comes down to your personal preferences. No matter which one you choose, the important thing is to stick with it. This will make your writing consistent across blog posts, and thus easier to read.

Citing Sources in Your Posts

By citing your sources in your blog posts, you promote flow. The citation blends naturally with the rest of your text, crediting the source and promoting credibility.

There are different ways to do this.

With your source’s name in brackets

You can use your own words to convey the information from your source and link out to the source in brackets. For example:

It’s a good idea to download or print an article from a website whenever you cite it, since online information can always change or disappear ( Purdue Online Writing Lab ).

Many bloggers choose this method because it’s concise, straightforward, and native to how websites link to one another on the Internet.

By incorporating your source’s name in your sentence

If you are one of those authors who likes their content wordier as I do, then you will probably prefer to include the name of your source directly in your text. For example:

According to the Purdue Online Writing Lab , it’s a good idea to download or print an article from a website whenever you cite it, since online information can always change or disappear.

This method is particularly good for emphasizing the authority and trustworthiness of your source. I like to use it when citing schools, research institutes, and federal or state agencies.

By naming and quoting them

There are times when you don’t want to paraphrase your source but to name and quote them. For example:

“Because online information can change or disappear,” says the Purdue Online Writing Lab’s MLA Formatting and Style Guide , “it is always a good idea to keep personal copies of important electronic information whenever possible.”

“Downloading or even printing key documents,” the guide continues, “ensures you have a stable backup.”

Use this method when you want to represent the original information in the exact words of your source. This is the correct method if you have interviewed someone or, for precision, want to quote them mot-à-mot.

Citing Sources in a “Footnotes” or “References” Section

You can also cite your sources in a dedicated “Footnotes” or “References” section at the end of your blog post.

This citation method is very useful when you need to cite academic authors, as the names of research papers or scientific articles and the journals in which they are published can be very long and can disruptive to the flow of your writing.

The simplest way to do this is by inserting a footnote index at the end of a citation manually. For example:

It’s a good idea to download or print an article from a website whenever you cite it, since online information can always change or disappear [1].

[1] “MLA Works Cited: Electronic Sources.” Purdue Online Writing Lab , 19 April 2022, https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/mla_style/mla_formatting_and_style_guide/mla_works_cited_electronic_sources.html .

But you can also use a WordPress plugin, such as footnotes or Modern Footnotes , for the job.

The University of Pittsburgh Library System provides a guide to the five major citation styles —APA, MLA, Chicago, Turabian, and IEEE—and how to use them.

Practicalities of Citing Your Sources

When naming your sources, how explicit do you want to be?

You can name the website as the source, but you can also name the author of the article and even give the title of the article (or at least how it was the day you accessed it). Notice the subtle, but important, difference:

“According to Maker’s Aid , (…)”
“According to Jim Stonos of Maker’s Aid , (…)”
“According to Jim Stonos, Editor of Maker’s Aid , (…)”
“According to an article titled ‘How to Cite Sources in a Blog’ by Jim Stonos, Editor of Maker’s Aid, (…)”

If you chose to cite your sources in a “Footnotes” or “References” section, what citation style will you follow?

As we already touched on, you want to choose a citation style (the five major citation styles being APA, MLA, Chicago, Turabian, and IEEE) and stick to it.

In case you’re a freelance author and you’re writing content for somebody else’s blog, ask them early on how they want you to cite their sources and if they have any specific citation style they want you to follow. This will limit the amount of revisions you have to do at first draft.

can I cite a blog post?

Some people still tell their doctoral researchers that they can’t cite blogs. Really? Yes really.

Just to start with … of course you CAN cite blogs. The fact that all of the big citation styles – APA for instance – now have citation formats which not only cover newspapers and reports and webpages but also blogs clearly suggests that you CAN. And that people are.

But why would you? The most helpful analogy for referring to blogs is to think about what are called grey literatures, those documents that are public and important and sometimes highly influential – but have not been through a scholarly process of peer review. The Grey Literature Report offers this definition:

The Fourth International Conference on Grey Literature (GL ’99) in Washington, DC, in October 1999 defined grey literature as follows: “That which is produced on all levels of government, academics, business and industry in print and electronic formats, but which is not controlled by commercial publishers.”

In general, grey literature publications are non-conventional, fugitive, and sometimes ephemeral publications. They may include, but are not limited to the following types of materials: reports (pre-prints, preliminary progress and advanced reports, technical reports, statistical reports, memoranda, state-of-the art reports, market research reports, etc.), theses, conference proceedings, technical specifications and standards, non-commercial translations, bibliographies, technical and commercial documentation, and official documents not published commercially (primarily government reports and documents)

The New York Academy of Medicine ( proper researchers eh, they can’t be wrong, she says wryly) keeps a data base of grey literature, explaining that

Grey literature offers a unique perspective to the research community because government agencies and think tanks produce these reports on topics that effect policy and the people who implement that policy. Grey literature is also timely because it is not subject to a long or peer-reviewed publishing process. For instance, the morning the U.S. Supreme Court made the deciding vote on the Affordable Care Act (ACA) their report was available online at 10:15 am. This report lays out the reasons for the decision as well as the options states have for implementing the changes.

Grey literatures are useful to researchers and are cited in the knowledge of what they are. A policy text is cited but also critically interrogated. A government statistical report is cited but may also be critiqued. A memoranda from a CEO might be cited for what it reveals about corporate practice. A state of the art report is cited and its discourses analysed. A series of news media reports are cited to indicate key aspects of context and debate.

We scholars know how to work with grey literatures.

So do blogs count as grey literature ? You bet they do. And they need to be treated in much the same way.

The question is not about whether you can cite blogs, but how and why . You have to decide with any publication, blog or not, their credibility and authenticity. And you have to decide with any published source what you want to use it for.

But blogs are not peer reviewed, I hear you say. Well no, most blogs aren’t. Thats why they are grey literature. But some do have strong editorial management just like edited books. And the comments made on posts are often far more rigorous than those that might be offered by a couple of peer reviewers. But yes, the vast majority of blogs aren’t peer reviewed, but we scholars already use all kinds of literatures that aren’t peer reviewed. Why exclude blogs?

We need to draw on what we already know about how to work with non peer reviewed material. As with any grey literatures, it’s important to ask questions of a blog post that you want to cite. First of all, what is it? Not all blogs are the same. They range from being personal diaries to journalistic reports of events to research method to research results reporting. And then you need to ascertain what kind of information is offered, who it’s written by and for and how it’s positioned … So you ask – is this an opinion piece, a report of an activity, a review of literatures? And you need to ask – Who has written this post? Academic bloggers range from anon to early career researchers on top of all of the literatures and debates to star researchers with years of experience and credibility. You can usually find out who the bloggers are and decide how much you will trust what they say. You also look for the basis on which the bloggers are writing and making claims. What references do they offer in hyperlinks?

The point is that you need to apply to blogs the same kind of crap detection practices that you apply to any web material or government report or political press release so that you can ascertain where it comes from, and its status .

Asking critical questions of a text is hardly a new and innovative academic activity. Social media might be relatively new to (some of) us, but working with a range of texts isn’t.

And the ways in which we use blog posts in our academic work aren’t particularly new and unusual either. If we wouldn’t cite a university press release about research results but would go to the actual report and read it for ourselves, then we do the same with a blog post, we go to the source. If we wouldn’t cite a personal anecdote without additional evidence that this was a ‘typical’ view or experience, then we do the same with a blog post – we get beyond the one-off case. If we wouldn’t cite one letter to the editor as evidence of common public opinions, then we don’t do that with a blog post either. If we wouldn’t cite a mere two or three newspaper articles as evidence of widespread debate than we don’t do that with blogs either. Etc. Etc.

But there’s plenty of ways that we can use blog posts – an essay post for example may be very well reasoned and offer particularly interesting angle; a post that responds to a corpus of scholarly literature or a particular theory might have a new perspective; a political commentary might raise critical issues, a personal story might cast doubts about a new policy or common practice … Etc. Etc.

Not so hard. When we think about citing blog posts, we simply have to be clear about what we are citing, why, the basis on which they are ‘information’ or ‘knowledge’ and the claims we make about them. Simple. Just like we do with any other publication.

And really – to those supervisors who are telling their doctoral researchers never to cite blogs – that really doesn’t help them or you. Blogs are out there, they’re not going away, and they are part of the information ecology that we study and work in. Time to get with the programme. Now.

Image credit: Kennedy Library

About pat thomson

9 responses to can i cite a blog post.

Thanks Pat. And it is all moving so fast (for us oldies). I had to write a whole chapter of my thesis on ‘grey literature’ – making the point that it was responsible for building and maintaining the meaning of, and understanding of a particular phenomenon I was writing about. As I no longer write ‘scholarly literature’, blogs are my way of making these same arguments, based on the same research (plus a little more experience, and a little less scholarly ‘rigour’), and I would like to think my contributions can still provoke critical thought and further contributions and critique.

Like Liked by 1 person

Pat, thank you for this. I needed a name for the type of literature, and I am excited you gave me one! One of my data sources in my mixed method design is a collection of blog posts by attendees at a conference, so this is essential to me that I can cite and name them properly. This post helps me tremendously.

Content-wise I do not see any problem with citing blog posts. A problem, however, is that they can disappear quickly form the internet, so called “link rot”. At this point citing a blog posts becomes a problem because nobody will be able to check your source.

For this reason I would advise anyone citing blog posts to archive it in the “internet archive” at the moment of citing. This can easily be done at web.archive.org, using the box in the lower right corner (“Save Page Now”). This way you ensure that the blog post you are citing can be retrieve even once the original URL stops working. In the reference section of the paper you may even provide the link to the archived version instead of to the normal version (unfortunately I cannot post an example link here).

The internet archive is a non-profit organisation that exists since 1996 and has the mission to provide “universal access to all knowledge”, e.g., by making an archive of the world wide web. At the moment they already have 279 billion web pages in their archive.

That seems to raise all sorts of issues to me – so something cannot be ‘removed from the internet’ even if it is defamatory or in error, or simply deemed unsuitable? But regarding the issue of ‘grey literature’ – government produced items (in hard or soft copy) that play a large and important role in ‘making meaning’ in particular ways, at a particular time/place, but disappear from view, are no less transitory than blogs. Particularly in terms of ‘historical literature’, and print based media. Interesting quandaries abound…

I guess you can ask the “internet archive” to remove pages from its index if you have a valid reason (e.g., a court order). Concerning the status of government produced items: In Germany these will be archived in the federal archive (“Bundesarchiv”), which is collecting everything that it deems worth archiving (for more than 500 years). As far as I know everyone interested in these items can in principle visit the archive and read them.

Great article which sloved half of my problem and my supervisor is also agreed upon citing a blog. But, the second half of my problem is unanswered. Also, help me here. Now, how much or how frequently one can cite blogs in a PhD thesis? Suppose, there are 100 references then how much of them could be from blog posts?

Your major contribution is to the scholarly literatures so that has to be what you read and cite most of all unless blogs are your data.

great! can I cite this?

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Is citing a blog post allowed in a research project?

I'm currently writing an essay on the possible benefits of video games in education for my Extended Project Qualification, and for part of it I want to cite a blog post from Gamasutra written by a developer who makes educational games. My supervisor has previously said to me that I should try to stick to citing research papers or books, as these are generally reputable, and I agree with this. However I cannot find anything in a journal that fits the point I want to make, as I wanted to write about a developer perspective on these kinds of games. Would citing such a post have an impact on the reputability of what I am writing, and therefore impact my grade?

4 For those who don't know, the EPQ (extended project qualification) is an optional research project undertaken in the final year of compulsory education in the UK (equivalent to an A Level). – astronat supports the strike Aug 27, 2017 at 14:09

2 Answers 2

When your supervisor said

try to stick to citing research papers or books

he or she most likely meant that you should use reputable and reliable sources of information when writing your thesis, and that most often (in an academic context), these will be research papers or books.

However, if you have another source of reliable information, by all means, use it (after verifying that it is reliable).

I'll give you an example of a scenario where it would be inappropriate to use a blog post as a source of information, and another example where it would be perfectly appropriate. Suppose a student is writing about some system X, and wants to write about the motivations behind the creation of X, but this is not addressed in the research paper about the technical details of X.

It would be a bad idea to use a blog post written by some person unaffiliated with system X, that lacks references to more reliable sources, as a source of information. You have no reason to believe that this post has accurate information about the motivations behind creating X.
It would be fine to use a blog post written by the creators of X, about why they created it. Obviously, they are a reliable source of information on this subject.

I want to cite a blog post from Gamasutra written by a developer who makes educational games.

One thing you should be careful of, is to make sure to use these pieces of information for what they are - one person's perspective.

Be careful not to generalize (e.g. "most developers think...").
Also, be careful not to assume this perspective as fact. (e.g. if the post says "Educational games are more effective when Y", don't present this as a statement of fact in your thesis - make it clear that this is just one person's perspective, and explain that person's role for context).

If you're not sure whether you've used the source properly, you can always check with your supervisor for advice.

Finally, the pedant in me wants to note: the question is not whether to cite something, but whether to rely on it as a source of information. Obviously, if you use something as a source, you cite it!

This is fine. Citing someone's opinion is different from reusing someone's results as long as the former is clearly separated from the latter. Find a way to distinguish both kinds of citations in your essay. The former is the data on which you operate, after all.

If your advisor insists of such a separation, consider using footnotes, endnotes, or an extra list (in addition to the bibliography).

4 Huh? A citation is a citation. There is no reason to distinguish citation for results versus citation for opinion; that should be clear from your text. And there is no obligation to cite only refereed sources for results, or to cite only non-refereed sources for opinions; peer review is neither necessary nor sufficient for a source to be reputable. Just list the blog in your bibliography like you would any other source. – JeffE Aug 28, 2017 at 2:26
@JeffE That's what you have to discuss with cqbit's supervisor, not with me, and not with cqubit. – Leon Meier Aug 28, 2017 at 6:31

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Plagiarism and grammar
Citation guides

Cite a Website

Don't let plagiarism errors spoil your paper, citing a website in apa.

Once you’ve identified a credible website to use, create a citation and begin building your reference list. Citation Machine citing tools can help you create references for online news articles, government websites, blogs, and many other website! Keeping track of sources as you research and write can help you stay organized and ethical. If you end up not using a source, you can easily delete it from your bibliography. Ready to create a citation? Enter the website’s URL into the search box above. You’ll get a list of results, so you can identify and choose the correct source you want to cite. It’s that easy to begin!

If you’re wondering how to cite a website in APA, use the structure below.

Author Last Name, First initial. (Year, Month Date Published). Title of web page . Name of Website. URL

Example of an APA format website:

Austerlitz, S. (2015, March 3). How long can a spinoff like ‘Better Call Saul’ last? FiveThirtyEight. http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/how-long-can-a-spinoff-like-better-call-saul-last/

Keep in mind that not all information found on a website follows the structure above. Only use the Website format above if your online source does not fit another source category. For example, if you’re looking at a video on YouTube, refer to the ‘YouTube Video’ section. If you’re citing a newspaper article found online, refer to ‘Newspapers Found Online’ section. Again, an APA website citation is strictly for web pages that do not fit better with one of the other categories on this page.

Social media:

When adding the text of a post, keep the original capitalization, spelling, hashtags, emojis (if possible), and links within the text.

Facebook posts:

Structure: Facebook user’s Last name, F. M. (Year, Monday Day of Post). Up to the first 20 words of Facebook post [Source type if attached] [Post type]. Facebook. URL

Source type examples: [Video attached], [Image attached]

Post type examples: [Status update], [Video], [Image], [Infographic]

Gomez, S. (2020, February 4). Guys, I’ve been working on this special project for two years and can officially say Rare Beauty is launching in [Video]. Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/Selena/videos/1340031502835436/

Life at Chegg. (2020, February 7) It breaks our heart that 50% of college students right here in Silicon Valley are hungry. That’s why Chegg has [Images attached] [Status update]. Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/LifeAtChegg/posts/1076718522691591

Twitter posts:

Structure: Account holder’s Last name, F. M. [Twitter Handle]. (Year, Month Day of Post). Up to the first 20 words of tweet [source type if attached] [Tweet]. Twitter. URL

Source type examples: [Video attached], [Image attached], [Poll attached]

Example: Edelman, J. [Edelman11]. (2018, April 26). Nine years ago today my life changed forever. New England took a chance on a long shot and I’ve worked [Video attached] [Tweet]. Twitter. https://twitter.com/Edelman11/status/989652345922473985

Instagram posts:

APA citation format: Account holder’s Last name, F. M. [@Instagram handle]. (Year, Month Day). Up to the first 20 words of caption [Photograph(s) and/or Video(s)]. Instagram. URL

Example: Portman, N. [@natalieportman]. (2019, January 5). Many of my best experiences last year were getting to listen to and learn from so many incredible people through [Videos]. Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/p/BsRD-FBB8HI/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

If this guide hasn’t helped solve all of your referencing questions, or if you’re still feeling the need to type “how to cite a website APA” into Google, then check out our APA citation generator on CitationMachine.com, which can build your references for you!

Citing sources: Overview

Citation style guides

Manage your references

Use these tools to help you organize and cite your references:

Citation Management and Writing Tools

If you have questions after consulting this guide about how to cite, please contact your advisor/professor or the writing and communication center .

Why citing is important

It's important to cite sources you used in your research for several reasons:

To show your reader you've done proper research by listing sources you used to get your information
To be a responsible scholar by giving credit to other researchers and acknowledging their ideas
To avoid plagiarism by quoting words and ideas used by other authors
To allow your reader to track down the sources you used by citing them accurately in your paper by way of footnotes, a bibliography or reference list

About citations

Citing a source means that you show, within the body of your text, that you took words, ideas, figures, images, etc. from another place.

Citations are a short way to uniquely identify a published work (e.g. book, article, chapter, web site). They are found in bibliographies and reference lists and are also collected in article and book databases.

Citations consist of standard elements, and contain all the information necessary to identify and track down publications, including:

author name(s)
titles of books, articles, and journals
date of publication
page numbers
volume and issue numbers (for articles)

Citations may look different, depending on what is being cited and which style was used to create them. Choose an appropriate style guide for your needs. Here is an example of an article citation using four different citation styles. Notice the common elements as mentioned above:

Author - R. Langer

Article Title - New Methods of Drug Delivery

Source Title - Science

Volume and issue - Vol 249, issue 4976

Publication Date - 1990

Page numbers - 1527-1533

American Chemical Society (ACS) style:

Langer, R. New Methods of Drug Delivery. Science 1990 , 249 , 1527-1533.

IEEE Style:

R. Langer, " New Methods of Drug Delivery," Science , vol. 249 , pp. 1527-1533 , SEP 28, 1990 .

American Psychological Association (APA) style:

Langer, R. (1990) . New methods of drug delivery. Science , 249 (4976), 1527-1533.

Modern Language Association (MLA) style:

Langer, R. " New Methods of Drug Delivery." Science 249.4976 (1990) : 1527-33.

What to cite

You must cite:

Facts, figures, ideas, or other information that is not common knowledge

Publications that must be cited include: books, book chapters, articles, web pages, theses, etc.

Another person's exact words should be quoted and cited to show proper credit

When in doubt, be safe and cite your source!

Avoiding plagiarism

Plagiarism occurs when you borrow another's words (or ideas) and do not acknowledge that you have done so. In this culture, we consider our words and ideas intellectual property; like a car or any other possession, we believe our words belong to us and cannot be used without our permission.

Plagiarism is a very serious offense. If it is found that you have plagiarized -- deliberately or inadvertently -- you may face serious consequences. In some instances, plagiarism has meant that students have had to leave the institutions where they were studying.

The best way to avoid plagiarism is to cite your sources - both within the body of your paper and in a bibliography of sources you used at the end of your paper.

Some useful links about plagiarism:

MIT Academic Integrity Overview on citing sources and avoiding plagiarism at MIT.
Avoiding Plagiarism From the MIT Writing and Communication Center.
Plagiarism: What It is and How to Recognize and Avoid It From Indiana University's Writing Tutorial Services.
Plagiarism- Overview A resource from Purdue University.
Next: Citation style guides >>
Last Updated: Jan 16, 2024 7:02 AM
URL: https://libguides.mit.edu/citing

Summer Research

Introduction
Find Scholarly/Peer-Reviewed Research
Find Data, Maps, & Government Reports
Strategies for Searching Scholarly Databases
Determining if a Resource is Peer-Reviewed

Self-Guided Plagiarism Tutorial

Common and uncommon forms of plagiarism, tips for avoiding plagiarism.

The following self-guided tutorial will help you learn more about plagiarism:

CLICK HERE TO BEGIN THE TUTORIAL

Plagiarism is the act of taking the work, opinion, content, or idea of a person or program (e.g. AI) and either passing it off as your own or not clearly acknowledging the original source. . Plagiarism can be intentional or unintentional.

Why is this important?

Each person deserves the rewards and the recognition for their intellectual creations
Plagiarism protections help foster further creativity
Understanding plagiarism protects you from failing grades, accusations of malfeasance, and/or looking sloppy

So let's look at some of the common, and uncommon, forms of plagiarism

Copying content from another researcher or AI program without properly attributing it If you take the ideas or content of another person or AI program and utilize it in your paper you must cite the creator. This can include copying just one or two sentences. You can also not utilize the ideas or concepts of another person or program without citing that. The golden rule for citing ideas or opinions is that If you had to look it up then you need to cite it.

Furthermore, plagiarism can occur by improperly citing a resource. For example, if you improperly cited a research publication, author, or other important information, this would be a type of plagiarism.

Having improper or misleading citations Plagiarism can also technically occur through sloppy citations or incorrectly citing a source. Here are some different types of source-based plagiarism.

A researcher cites the wrong source
A researcher uses a secondary source of information, but only cites the primary source. For example, if you are reading an article and the author cites another study that you also want to cite, you must review that original study and not assume the author that you are reading is summarizing and citing that research correctly.
Data misrepresentation and falsification can also be a form of plagiarism.

Here are some tips to avoid plagiarism.

Tip 1: Cite sources and make sure your citations are accurate. When in doubt, cite. Also ask your instructor or a librarian for assistance when needed.

Tip 2: Keep your citations organized. Staying organized can go a long way in avoiding plagiarism. There are free citation management applications that can assist you with keeping organized. For example, Zotero, Mendeley, and EndNote all offer citation management assistance. Click this link to learn more about citation management applications .

Tip 3: Never copy and paste the work of someone else into your paper with the expectation that you'll fix it or properly cite it at a later time. Many esteemed researchers and writers have fallen into this trap, forgotten to edit their paper later, and found themselves embroiled in a plagiarism scandal.

Tip 4: Do not read the summary of a research article via a secondary source and than cite the original article as if you read it. For example, if you find a researcher talking about a research article, such as in a literature review section, do not cite that original article until you have read and evaluated it. The same goes with data sets.

Tip 5: Proofread your paper. Ask yourself:

Are my citations consistent? Do they adhere to the citation format that I'm using (such as APA)?
Is the idea or opinion that I'm presenting my own or is it something that I read elsewhere?
Is every in-text citation included in the reference section?
Did I thoroughly read the assignment?

Tip 6: Cite everything you are borrowing, not just research. For example, if you are using images, multimedia, charts, and data you must cite that as well.

Tip 7: When in doubt, ask a librarian or your instructor.

<< Previous: Determining if a Resource is Peer-Reviewed
Last Updated: Jun 3, 2024 10:17 AM
URL: https://libguides.libraries.wsu.edu/summer_research

How To Cite a Research Paper: MLA, APA, and Chicago Style

Posted on January 25, 2022

When you’re writing a research paper, you’ll use a variety of sources to find information. You might find that you end up using other people’s research papers as sources of information for your own work. You need to know how to cite a research paper properly.

Using text citations tells readers where you got your information, and help build a sense of trust, allowing the reader to feel confident that you haven’t falsified the information. You have to prove that you’ve done the research and found data to back up the claims you’re making.

Writing a paper without giving credit to people whose work you’re using is plagiarism. Unless you’re citing a direct quote you want to change the language enough, by putting the quote in your own words, so it sounds like original content. Quetext’s plagiarism checker helps you search for similar content across the web so you can turn in a completely original paper.

Whether you’re submitting a research paper to school or for publication in a peer-reviewed journal, you’re required to cite your sources. Editors often reread the work of writers and researchers to ensure the information is factual. A teacher or professor will definitely check that your sources are accurate, so using tools like Quetext will help avoid unintentional plagiarism errors or wrongfully cited information.

Why Text Citations are Important

If you don’t have sources to back up your research, others might accuse you of spreading false information or plagiarism. Any journal publishing papers should verify what they’re printing, but ultimately, as the author, the buck stops with you.

In general, it’s a kindness to cite your sources. The people who created them did a lot of work, so it’s wrong to claim ownership of their ideas and information. But it’s also an ethical issue that can have major repercussions.

There have been cases where researchers make up information or falsify their sources and must face the consequences. People depend on factual information and don’t react well when they realize you lied to them or falsely paraphrase information.

That’s why it’s common knowledge to write a well-researched paper with text citations. If anyone claims your information is incorrect, you can point them to the source where you found the data. This doesn’t guarantee that the information you cited is correct, but you’ll be able to provide readers with a source of where you gathered your information.

When you’re citing other people’s research papers, make sure the source is legitimate. You should only use peer-reviewed journals so you know the article has gone through edits and fact-checking. Something identified as a research paper that is only on a blog or message board isn’t always a reliable source.

Many students like to use Wikipedia because there’s so much information available from one source. However, Wikipedia allows users to edit the information. What you read in a specific entry might not be true. It’s best to scroll down to the works cited and go to the original source yourself. If you can’t find a reliable, original source for the information, you shouldn’t use it.

Using the Various Citation Styles

The information used in any citation is basically the same across each style guide. The formatting and order of some elements may vary, so it’s important to know the difference between Modern Language Association (MLA), American Psychological Association (APA), and Chicago Styles.

The style you use depends on what type of writing you’re doing. All will use these basic elements in some form or another:

Source name

Volume and edition

Publication date

Page numbers

Publisher name

City and country of the publisher

URL and DOI for web pages and digital sources

The date you accessed the material

In addition to a reference list at the end of your work, you’ll also use in-text citations. Whenever you reference an idea or data that isn’t yours, you cite it. Each style has different types of in-text citations as well. Read on to find out about each citation format.

You’ll likely use the MLA citation guide if you’re writing papers in the humanities, such as for language arts, literary criticism, cultural studies, and more. The current edition of the MLA Handbook is the ninth because the style constantly evolves. As new technology creates new potential sources, MLA adds information to help students and researchers cite everything correctly.

The MLA Handbook has instructions on how to cite song lyrics, social media posts, and digital images, along with all of the standard research outlets. The book also gives detailed information on how to cite a research paper.

The MLA Handbook includes information about how to format your reference page. Use a 12-pt standard font like Times New Roman, so the text in italics is clearly different from the regular font. Center the title, Works Cited, at the top of the page. Your last name and page number are in the top right corner, and the reference page always comes at the end of your document.

Alphabetize citations according to the last name of the author. Left-align the citations and double-space them with no extra lines between each entry. When a citation goes beyond a single line, use a hanging indent to format it correctly. This lets the reader know it’s still the same citation continuing on.

Now that you know the basic format for the Works Cited page read on to find out how to cite a research paper for inclusion on this list.

Citing a Research Paper in MLA Style

When you’re citing a research paper in MLA style, you start with the author’s full name, putting the last name of the author first, followed by the title of the research paper in quotation marks. Next comes the the title of the journal that published the paper in italics, followed by the volume number, issue number, and date of publication.

You’ll also include the page number since the paper is in a journal with many pages. If you found the source online, include the digital object identifier or DOI. The DOI is a way to give a document a permanent web address so people reading your work can easily find the source.

MLA format also asks you to include the date you accessed online materials. Doing so gives your reader more information about when you read the research if it changed since that date. Here is an example of a research paper citation in MLA style:

Writer, Maria. “My Research Paper.” Research Journal, vol 3, no. 4, 2020, pp. 7-9. doi:12.34/mfs.12.34. Accessed 13 March 2021.

If the work wasn’t published online, you could stop your citation after the page numbers.

Sometimes you might find research papers that aren’t published in a scholarly journal. You can still use those in your work, but the MLA citation will look different. You’ll still put the last name of the author first, but instead of putting the title of the research paper in quotation marks, you’ll put it in italics.

Here is an example of an unpublished research paper citation in MLA style:

Writer, Maria. My Research Paper. 2020, http://websiteused.com . Accessed 13 March 2021.

These two examples show you how to document the source on your Works Cited page. In-text citations look different.

In-Text Citations for a Research Paper in MLA Style

When you’re working with the MLA format, an in-text reference requires a parenthetical citation.

If you refer to someone else’s research in a sentence, either with a direct quote or by paraphrasing, you need to give that author credit. At the end of the sentence where you use the information, you’ll put the author’s information in parenthesis and then put the sentence’s ending punctuation.

You use the author’s last name and the page number where you found the information for in-text citations. Then anyone reading your work can go to your Works Cited page, find the entry by the author’s last name, and access the document themselves. The page number directs them to where you got the specific information, so they don’t have to read the whole paper to find it. Here is an example of an in-text citation in MLA style:

Over 80% of the city’s garbage ended up in the ocean (Writer, 8).

You might mention the author’s name in your sentence. In that case, the parenthetical citation only needs to have the page numbers for reference. Here is an example:

According to Maria Writer, over 80% of the city’s garbage went into the ocean (8).

Researchers in the social science field, like sociology, anthropology, and psychology, use the APA style in their work. Like the MLA Handbook, the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association has gone through changes over the years. It’s currently on the 7th edition.

In addition to helping you understand how to cite research, the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association has information about how to format your paper to include tables, figures, and headings that often accompany scientific journal articles.

The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association also tells you how to format your reference page. In MLA style, this is the Works Cited page. For APA style, it’s either the Reference List or Reference Page.

This page uses the same font style as the rest of the paper but starts on its own page with a number in the top right corner. The title of the page is bold and centered at the top and should simply read “References.”

List citations in alphabetical order by author’s last name regardless of the type of source. Each citation is double-spaced and has a hanging indent if it goes beyond one line.

Now that you understand how to properly format your APA reference page, learn how to cite a research paper to include on the list.

Citing a Research Paper in APA Style

When you use a research paper in your work, you need to include it on your APA references page at the end of your document.

An APA citation includes the same information as the MLA format but in a different order. The citation starts with the author’s last name but only uses their first initial. Then comes the year of publication in parenthesis.

The paper’s title follows, then the title of the journal in italics. You also include the journal volume, issue number, and page numbers. As with MLA citations, include a DOI if you found the research paper online. Here is an example of a published research paper cited in APA format:

Writer, M. (2020). My Research Paper. Research Journal, 3(4), 7-9. doi:12.34/mfs.12.34

If the paper isn’t published in a journal, you can still use it in your work with a proper citation. Here is an example:

Writer, M. (2020). My Research Paper [PDF]. Retrieved from http://websiteused.com

In-Text Citations for a Research Paper in APA Style

In-text citations in the APA format differ from MLA style. You still put it in parenthesis, but you include different information. For APA parentheticals, include the author’s last name and the paper’s year of publication. This method applies when you’re summarizing or paraphrasing the author’s idea. Here is an example of an in-text citation for a research paper in APA style:

Over 80% of the city’s garbage went into the ocean (Writer, 2020).

If you’re using a direct quote from the work you need to include the page number so the reader can find the quotation. Here is an example:

Maria Writer said, “Over 80% of the city’s garbage is going into the ocean” (2020, p. 8).

Chicago Style

Chicago Style got its name from the University of Chicago, where the style originated. Writers use this format for works in the field of history, but you can also use it for the sciences, social sciences, and humanities.

MLA style has a Works Cited page, APA has References, and Chicago Style differs because it includes a Bibliography. The page comes at the end of your work with a page number in the top right corner. The title, “Bibliography,” is bold and centered at the top.

You will single-space your citations, but you’ll add an extra line between each entry. As with the other reference pages, you’ll left-align the work and use a hanging indent when a citation continues onto a second line.

Having an overview of how to format the bibliography will help you understand the citation styles for a research paper.

Citing a Research Paper in Chicago Style

Citations in Chicago Style are a mix of MLA and APA formats. It’s easiest to follow this template:

Writer, Maria. 2020. “My Research Paper.” Research Journal 3 (4): 7-9. doi:12.34/mfs.12.34.

As with other styles, you can reference an unpublished research paper as a document. Here is an example:

Writer, Maria. 2020. My Research Paper. PDF. http://websiteused.com .

In both instances, if there are multiple authors for a paper, list the rest of the authors in normal format. For example:

Author, Alan, Stanley Sample, and Maria Writer. 2020. “My Research Paper.” Research Journal 3 (4): 7-9. doi:12.34/mfs.12.34.

In-Text Citations for a Research Paper in Chicago Style

An in-text citation in Chicago Style is much simpler than both MLA and APA formats. You only need to include the last name of the author and year of publication in parenthesis with no comma in between them. For example:

Almost 80% of the city’s garbage goes into the ocean (Writer 2020).

You’ll include the page number for specificity if you’re quoting the author. Here’s an example:

Maria Writer said, “Over 80% of the city’s garbage is going into the ocean” (2020, 8).

You can also use endnotes in Chicago Style. A citation refers the reader to your source, but an endnote includes a bit of an explanation of why you used it. The information included in an endnote would disrupt the flow of your paper, but it’s still something you want the reader to know.

Make Text Citations Easy

Knowing when you need to cite a source helps you manage your research. Anytime you find information that you’re going to paraphrase, summarize, or quote in your work, you need to cite the source. The full citation will go on your reference page, but you’ll need an in-text citation where you use the information in your paper.

When you’re stating something that is common knowledge , there’s no need to make a citation. Common knowledge is something that your reader would believe without needing proof. You can check if something is common knowledge by searching for it and finding it mentioned, without a citation, in at least five sources.

Once you learn the basics about citing a research paper in MLA, APA, and Chicago Styles, you’ll feel more confident in your work. The important thing is to pay attention to small details, like capitalization, italics and the use of abbreviations. But there’s no need to do it all on your own—Quetext has a citation assistant waiting to help. Give Quetext citation generator a try on your next project.

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Introduction
Finding sources

Evaluating sources

Integrating sources

Citing sources

Tools and resources, a quick guide to working with sources.

Working with sources is an important skill that you’ll need throughout your academic career.

It includes knowing how to find relevant sources, assessing their authority and credibility, and understanding how to integrate sources into your work with proper referencing.

This quick guide will help you get started!

Finding relevant sources

Sources commonly used in academic writing include academic journals, scholarly books, websites, newspapers, and encyclopedias. There are three main places to look for such sources:

Research databases: Databases can be general or subject-specific. To get started, check out this list of databases by academic discipline . Another good starting point is Google Scholar .
Your institution’s library: Use your library’s database to narrow down your search using keywords to find relevant articles, books, and newspapers matching your topic.
Other online resources: Consult popular online sources like websites, blogs, or Wikipedia to find background information. Be sure to carefully evaluate the credibility of those online sources.

When using academic databases or search engines, you can use Boolean operators to refine your results.

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In academic writing, your sources should be credible, up to date, and relevant to your research topic. Useful approaches to evaluating sources include the CRAAP test and lateral reading.

CRAAP is an abbreviation that reminds you of a set of questions to ask yourself when evaluating information.

Currency: Does the source reflect recent research?
Relevance: Is the source related to your research topic?
Authority: Is it a respected publication? Is the author an expert in their field?
Accuracy: Does the source support its arguments and conclusions with evidence?
Purpose: What is the author’s intention?

Lateral reading

Lateral reading means comparing your source to other sources. This allows you to:

Verify evidence
Contextualize information
Find potential weaknesses

If a source is using methods or drawing conclusions that are incompatible with other research in its field, it may not be reliable.

Integrating sources into your work

Once you have found information that you want to include in your paper, signal phrases can help you to introduce it. Here are a few examples:

Function	Example sentence	Signal words and phrases
You present the author’s position neutrally, without any special emphasis.	recent research, food services are responsible for one-third of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions.	According to, analyzes, asks, describes, discusses, explains, in the words of, notes, observes, points out, reports, writes
A position is taken in agreement with what came before.	Recent research Einstein’s theory of general relativity by observing light from behind a black hole.	Agrees, confirms, endorses, reinforces, promotes, supports
A position is taken for or against something, with the implication that the debate is ongoing.	Allen Ginsberg artistic revision …	Argues, contends, denies, insists, maintains

Following the signal phrase, you can choose to quote, paraphrase or summarize the source.

Quoting : This means including the exact words of another source in your paper. The quoted text must be enclosed in quotation marks or (for longer quotes) presented as a block quote . Quote a source when the meaning is difficult to convey in different words or when you want to analyze the language itself.
Paraphrasing : This means putting another person’s ideas into your own words. It allows you to integrate sources more smoothly into your text, maintaining a consistent voice. It also shows that you have understood the meaning of the source.
Summarizing : This means giving an overview of the essential points of a source. Summaries should be much shorter than the original text. You should describe the key points in your own words and not quote from the original text.

Whenever you quote, paraphrase, or summarize a source, you must include a citation crediting the original author.

Citing your sources is important because it:

Allows you to avoid plagiarism
Establishes the credentials of your sources
Backs up your arguments with evidence
Allows your reader to verify the legitimacy of your conclusions

The most common citation styles are APA, MLA, and Chicago style. Each citation style has specific rules for formatting citations.

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Knowledge Base : Explore hundreds of articles, bite-sized videos, time-saving templates, and handy checklists that guide you through the process of research, writing, and citation.

USC Libraries
Research Guides

Organizing Your Social Sciences Research Paper

11. Citing Sources
Purpose of Guide
Design Flaws to Avoid
Independent and Dependent Variables
Glossary of Research Terms
Reading Research Effectively
Narrowing a Topic Idea
Broadening a Topic Idea
Extending the Timeliness of a Topic Idea
Academic Writing Style
Applying Critical Thinking
Choosing a Title
Making an Outline
Paragraph Development
Research Process Video Series
Executive Summary
The C.A.R.S. Model
Background Information
The Research Problem/Question
Theoretical Framework
Citation Tracking
Content Alert Services
Evaluating Sources
Primary Sources
Secondary Sources
Tiertiary Sources
Scholarly vs. Popular Publications
Qualitative Methods
Quantitative Methods
Insiderness
Using Non-Textual Elements
Limitations of the Study
Common Grammar Mistakes
Writing Concisely
Avoiding Plagiarism
Footnotes or Endnotes?
Further Readings
Generative AI and Writing
USC Libraries Tutorials and Other Guides
Bibliography

A citation is a formal reference to a published or unpublished source that you consulted and obtained information from while writing your research paper. It refers to a source of information that supports a factual statement, proposition, argument, or assertion or any quoted text obtained from a book, article, web site, or any other type of material . In-text citations are embedded within the body of your paper and use a shorthand notation style that refers to a complete description of the item at the end of the paper. Materials cited at the end of a paper may be listed under the heading References, Sources, Works Cited, or Bibliography. Rules on how to properly cite a source depends on the writing style manual your professor wants you to use for the class [e.g., APA, MLA, Chicago, Turabian, etc.]. Note that some disciplines have their own citation rules [e.g., law].

Citations: Overview. OASIS Writing Center, Walden University; Research and Citation. The Writing Lab and The OWL. Purdue University; Citing Sources. University Writing Center, Texas A&M University.

Reasons for Citing Your Sources

Reasons for Citing Sources in Your Research Paper

English scientist, Sir Isaac Newton, once wrote, "If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.”* Citations support learning how to "see further" through processes of intellectual discovery, critical thinking, and applying a deliberate method of navigating through the scholarly landscape by tracking how cited works are propagated by scholars over time and the subsequent ways this leads to the devarication of new knowledge.

Listed below are specific reasons why citing sources is an important part of doing good research.

Shows the reader where to find more information . Citations help readers expand their understanding and knowledge about the issues being investigated. One of the most effective strategies for locating authoritative, relevant sources about a research problem is to review materials cited in studies published by other authors. In this way, the sources you cite help the reader identify where to go to examine the topic in more depth and detail.
Increases your credibility as an author . Citations to the words, ideas, and arguments of scholars demonstrates that you have conducted a thorough review of the literature and, therefore, you are reporting your research results or proposing recommended courses of action from an informed and critically engaged perspective. Your citations offer evidence that you effectively contemplated, evaluated, and synthesized sources of information in relation to your conceptualization of the research problem.
Illustrates the non-linear and contested nature of knowledge creation . The sources you cite show the reader how you characterized the dynamics of prior knowledge creation relevant to the research problem and how you managed to effectively identify the contested relationships between problems and solutions proposed among scholars. Citations don't just list materials used in your study, they tell a story about how prior knowledge-making emerged from a constant state of creation, renewal, and transformation.
Reinforces your arguments . Sources cited in your paper provide the evidence that readers need to determine that you properly addressed the “So What?” question. This refers to whether you considered the relevance and significance of the research problem, its implications applied to creating new knowledge, and its importance for improving practice. In this way, citations draw attention to and support the legitimacy and originality of your own ideas and assertions.
Demonstrates that you "listened" to relevant conversations among scholars before joining in . Your citations tell the reader where you developed an understanding of the debates among scholars. They show how you educated yourself about ongoing conversations taking place within relevant communities of researchers before inserting your own ideas and arguments. In peer-reviewed scholarship, most of these conversations emerge within books, research reports, journal articles, and other cited works.
Delineates alternative approaches to explaining the research problem . If you disagree with prior research assumptions or you believe that a topic has been understudied or you find that there is a gap in how scholars have understood a problem, your citations serve as the source materials from which to analyze and present an alternative viewpoint or to assert that a different course of action should be pursued. In short, the materials you cite serve as the means by which to argue persuasively against long-standing assumptions promulgated in prior studies.
Helps the reader understand contextual aspects of your research . Cited sources help readers understand the specific circumstances, conditions, and settings of the problem being investigated and, by extension, how your arguments can be fully understood and assessed. Citations place your line of reasoning within a specific contextualized framework based on how others have studied the problem and how you interpreted their findings in support of your overall research objectives.
Frames the development of concepts and ideas within the literature . No topic in the social and behavioral sciences rests in isolation from research that has taken place in the past. Your citations help the reader understand the growth and transformation of the theoretical assumptions, key concepts, and systematic inquiries that emerged prior to your engagement with the research problem.
Underscores sources that were most important to you . Your citations represent a set of choices made about what you determined to be the most important sources for understanding the topic. They not only list what you discovered, but why it matters and how the materials you chose to cite fit within the broader context of your research design and arguments. As part of an overall assessment of the study’s validity and reliability , the choices you make also helps the reader determine what research may have been excluded.
Provides evidence of interdisciplinary thinking . An important principle of good research is to extend your review of the literature beyond the predominant disciplinary space where scholars have examined a topic. Citations provide evidence that you have integrated epistemological arguments, observations, and/or the methodological strategies from other disciplines into your paper, thereby demonstrating that you understand the complex, interconnected nature of contemporary research topics.
Supports critical thinking and independent learning . Evaluating the authenticity, reliability, validity, and originality of prior research is an act of interpretation and introspective reasoning applied to assessing whether a source of information will contribute to understanding the problem in ways that are persuasive and align with your overall research objectives. Reviewing and citing prior studies represents a deliberate act of critically scrutinizing each source as part of your overall assessment of how scholars have confronted the research problem.
Honors the achievements of others . As Susan Blum recently noted,** citations not only identify sources used, they acknowledge the achievements of scholars within the larger network of research about the topic. Citing sources is a normative act of professionalism within academe and a way to highlight and recognize the work of scholars who likely do not obtain any tangible benefits or monetary value from their research endeavors.

*Vernon. Jamie L. "On the Shoulder of Giants." American Scientist 105 (July-August 2017): 194.

**Blum, Susan D. "In Defense of the Morality of Citation.” Inside Higher Ed , January 29, 2024.

Aksnes, Dag W., Liv Langfeldt, and Paul Wouters. "Citations, Citation Indicators, and Research Quality: An Overview of Basic Concepts and Theories." Sage Open 9 (January-March 2019): https://doi.org/10.1177/2158244019829575; Blum, Susan Debra. My Word!: Plagiarism and College Culture . Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 2009; Bretag, Tracey., editor. Handbook of Academic Integrity . Singapore: Springer Singapore, 2020; Ballenger, Bruce P. The Curious Researcher: A Guide to Writing Research Papers . 7th edition. Boston, MA: Pearson, 2012; D'Angelo, Barbara J. "Using Source Analysis to Promote Critical Thinking." Research Strategies 18 (Winter 2001): 303-309; Mauer, Barry and John Venecek. “Scholarship as Conversation.” Strategies for Conducting Literary Research, University of Central Florida, 2021; Why Cite? Poorvu Center for Teaching and Learning, Yale University; Citing Information. The Writing Center. University of North Carolina; Harvard Guide to Using Sources. Harvard College Writing Program. Harvard University; Newton, Philip. "Academic Integrity: A Quantitative Study of Confidence and Understanding in Students at the Start of Their Higher Education." Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education 41 (2016): 482-497; Referencing More Effectively. Academic Skills Centre. University of Canberra; Using Sources. Yale College Writing Center. Yale University; Vosburgh, Richard M. "Closing the Academic-practitioner Gap: Research Must Answer the “SO WHAT” Question." H uman Resource Management Review 32 (March 2022): 100633; When and Why to Cite Sources. Information Literacy Playlists, SUNY, Albany Libraries.

Structure and Writing Style

Referencing your sources means systematically showing what information or ideas you acquired from another author’s work, and identifying where that information come from . You must cite research in order to do research, but at the same time, you must delineate what are your original thoughts and ideas and what are the thoughts and ideas of others. Citations help achieve this. Procedures used to cite sources vary among different fields of study. If not outlined in your course syllabus or writing assignment, always speak with your professor about what writing style for citing sources should be used for the class because it is important to fully understand the citation style to be used in your paper, and to apply it consistently. If your professor defers and tells you to "choose whatever you want, just be consistent," then choose the citation style you are most familiar with or that is appropriate to your major [e.g., use Chicago style if you are majoring in history; use APA if its an education course; use MLA if it is literature or a general writing course].

GENERAL GUIDELINES

1. Are there any reasons I should avoid referencing other people's work? No. If placed in the proper context, r eferencing other people's research is never an indication that your work is substandard or lacks originality. In fact, the opposite is true. If you write your paper without adequate references to previous studies, you are signaling to the reader that you are not familiar with the literature on the topic, thereby, undermining the validity of your study and your credibility as a researcher. Including references in academic writing is one of the most important ways to demonstrate your knowledge and understanding of how the research problem has been addressed. It is the intellectual packaging around which you present your thoughts and ideas to the reader.

2. What should I do if I find out that my great idea has already been studied by another researcher? It can be frustrating to come up with what you believe is a great topic only to find that it's already been thoroughly studied. However, do not become frustrated by this. You can acknowledge the prior research by writing in the text of your paper [see also Smith, 2002], then citing the complete source in your list of references. Use the discovery of prior studies as an opportunity to demonstrate the significance of the problem being investigated and, if applicable, as a means of delineating your analysis from those of others [e.g., the prior study is ten years old and doesn't take into account new variables]. Strategies for responding to prior research can include: stating how your study updates previous understandings about the topic, offering a new or different perspective, applying a different or innovative method of data gathering, and/or describing a new set of insights, guidelines, recommendations, best practices, or working solutions.

3. What should I do if I want to use an adapted version of someone else's work? You still must cite the original work. For example, you use a table of statistics from a journal article published in 1996 by author Smith, but you have altered or added new data to it. Reference the revised chart, such as, [adapted from Smith, 1996], then cite the complete original source in your list of references. You can also use other terms in order to specify the exact relationship between the original source and the version you have presented, such as, "based on data from Smith [1996]...," or "summarized from Smith [1996]...." Citing the original source helps the reader locate where the information was first presented and under what context it was used as well as to evaluate how effectively you applied it to your own research.

4. What should I do if several authors have published very similar information or ideas? You can indicate that the topic, idea, concept, or information can be found in the works of others by stating something similar to the following example: "Though many scholars have applied rational choice theory to understanding economic relations among nations [Smith, 1989; Jones, 1991; Johnson, 1994; Anderson, 2003], little attention has been given to applying the theory to examining the influence of non-governmental organizations in a globalized economy." If you only reference one author or only the most recent study, then your readers may assume that only one author has published on this topic, or more likely, they will conclude that you have not conducted a thorough review of the literature. Referencing all relevant authors of prior studies gives your readers a clear idea of the breadth of analysis you conducted in preparing to study the research problem. If there has been a significant number of prior studies on the topic [i.e., ten or more], describe the most comprehensive and recent works because they will presumably discuss and reference the older studies. However, note in your review of the literature that there has been significant scholarship devoted to the topic so the reader knows that you are aware of the numerous prior studies.

5. What if I find exactly what I want to say in the writing of another researcher? In the social sciences, the rationale in duplicating prior research is generally governed by the passage of time, changing circumstances or conditions, or the emergence of variables that necessitate new investigations . If someone else has recently conducted a thorough investigation of precisely the same research problem that you intend to study, then you likely will have to revise your topic, or at the very least, review this literature to identify something new to say about the problem. However, if it is someone else's particularly succinct expression, but it fits perfectly with what you are trying to say, then you can quote from the author directly, referencing the source. Identifying an author who has made the exact same point that you want to make can be an opportunity to add legitimacy to, as well as reinforce the significance of, the research problem you are investigating. The key is to build on that idea in new and innovative ways. If you are not sure how to do this, consult with a librarian .

6. Should I cite a source even if it was published long ago? Any source used in writing your paper should be cited, regardless of when it was written. However, in building a case for understanding prior research about your topic, it is generally true that you should focus on citing more recently published studies because they presumably have built upon the research of older studies. When referencing prior studies, use the research problem as your guide when considering what to cite. If a study from forty years ago investigated the same topic, it probably should be examined and considered in your list of references because the research may have been foundational or groundbreaking at the time, even if its findings are no longer relevant to current conditions or reflect current thinking [one way to determine if a study is foundational or groundbreaking is to examine how often it has been cited in recent studies using the "Cited by" feature of Google Scholar ]. However, if an older study only relates to the research problem tangentially or it has not been cited in recent studies, then it may be more appropriate to list it under further readings .

7. Can I cite unusual and non-scholarly sources in my research paper? The majority of the citations in a research paper should be to scholarly [a.k.a., academic; peer-reviewed] studies that rely on an objective and logical analysis of the research problem based on empirical evidence that reliably supports your arguments. However, any type of source can be considered valid if it brings relevant understanding and clarity to the topic. This can include, for example, non-textual elements such as photographs, maps, or illustrations. A source can include materials from special or archival collections, such as, personal papers, manuscripts, business memorandums, the official records of an organization, or digitized collections. Citations can also be to unusual items, such as, an audio recording, a transcript from a television news program, a unique set of data, or a social media post. The challenge is knowing how to cite unusual and non-scholarly sources because they often do not fit within standard citation rules like books or journal articles. Given this, consult with a librarian if you are unsure how to cite a source.

NOTE: In any academic writing, you are required to identify which ideas, facts, thoughts, concepts, or declarative statements are yours and which are derived from the research of others. The only exception to this rule is information that is considered to be a commonly known fact [e.g., "George Washington was the first president of the United States"] or a statement that is self-evident [e.g., "Australia is a country in the Global South"]. Appreciate, however, that any "commonly known fact" or self-evidencing statement is culturally constructed and shaped by specific social and aesthetical biases . If you have any doubt about whether or not a fact is considered to be widely understood knowledge, provide a supporting citation, or, ask your professor for clarification about whether the statement should be cited.

Ballenger, Bruce P. The Curious Researcher: A Guide to Writing Research Papers . 7th edition. Boston, MA: Pearson, 2012; Blum, Susan Debra. My Word!: Plagiarism and College Culture . Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 2009; Bretag, Tracey., editor. Handbook of Academic Integrity . Singapore: Springer Singapore, 2020; Carlock, Janine. Developing Information Literacy Skills: A Guide to Finding, Evaluating, and Citing Sources . Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan Press, 2020; Harvard Guide to Using Sources. Harvard College Writing Program. Harvard University; How to Cite Other Sources in Your Paper. The Structure, Format, Content, and Style of a Journal-Style Scientific Paper. Department of Biology. Bates College; Lunsford, Andrea A. and Robert Connors; The St. Martin's Handbook . New York: St. Martin's Press, 1989; Mills, Elizabeth Shown. Evidence Explained: Citing History Sources from Artifacts to Cyberspace . 3rd edition. Baltimore, MD: Genealogical Publishing Company, 2015; Research and Citation Resources. The Writing Lab and The OWL. Purdue University; Writing Tutorial Services, Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning. Indiana University; Why Cite? Poorvu Center for Teaching and Learning, Yale Univeraity.

Other Citation Research Guides

The following USC Libraries research guide can help you properly cite sources in your research paper:

Citation Guide

The following USC Libraries research guide offers basic information on using images and media in research:

Listed below are particularly well-done and comprehensive websites that provide specific examples of how to cite sources under different style guidelines.

Purdue University Online Writing Lab
Southern Cross University Harvard Referencing Style
University of Wisconsin Writing Center

This is a useful guide concerning how to properly cite images in your research paper.

Colgate Visual Resources Library, Citing Images

This guide provides good information on the act of citation analysis, whereby you count the number of times a published work is cited by other works in order to measure the impact of a publication or author.

Measuring Your Impact: Impact Factor, Citation Analysis, and other Metrics: Citation Analysis [Sandy De Groote, University of Illinois, Chicago]

Automatic Citation Generators

The links below lead to systems where you can type in your information and have a citation compiled for you. Note that these systems are not foolproof so it is important that you verify that the citation is correct and check your spelling, capitalization, etc. However, they can be useful in creating basic types of citations, particularly for online sources.

BibMe -- APA, MLA, Chicago, and Turabian styles
DocsCite -- for citing government publications in APA or MLA formats
EasyBib -- APA, MLA, and Chicago styles
Son of Citation Machine -- APA, MLA, Chicago, and Turabian styles

NOTE: Many companies that create the research databases the USC Libraries subscribe to, such as ProQuest , include built-in citation generators that help take the guesswork out of how to properly cite a work. When available, you should always utilize these features because they not only generate a citation to the source [e.g., a journal article], but include information about where you accessed the source [e.g., the database].

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Last Updated: May 30, 2024 9:38 AM
URL: https://libguides.usc.edu/writingguide

Home / Guides / Citation Guides / How to Cite Sources

How to Cite Sources

Here is a complete list for how to cite sources. Most of these guides present citation guidance and examples in MLA, APA, and Chicago.

If you’re looking for general information on MLA or APA citations , the EasyBib Writing Center was designed for you! It has articles on what’s needed in an MLA in-text citation , how to format an APA paper, what an MLA annotated bibliography is, making an MLA works cited page, and much more!

MLA Format Citation Examples

The Modern Language Association created the MLA Style, currently in its 9th edition, to provide researchers with guidelines for writing and documenting scholarly borrowings. Most often used in the humanities, MLA style (or MLA format ) has been adopted and used by numerous other disciplines, in multiple parts of the world.

MLA provides standard rules to follow so that most research papers are formatted in a similar manner. This makes it easier for readers to comprehend the information. The MLA in-text citation guidelines, MLA works cited standards, and MLA annotated bibliography instructions provide scholars with the information they need to properly cite sources in their research papers, articles, and assignments.

Book Chapter
Conference Paper
Documentary
Encyclopedia
Google Images
Kindle Book
Memorial Inscription
Museum Exhibit
Painting or Artwork
PowerPoint Presentation
Sheet Music
Thesis or Dissertation
YouTube Video

APA Format Citation Examples

The American Psychological Association created the APA citation style in 1929 as a way to help psychologists, anthropologists, and even business managers establish one common way to cite sources and present content.

APA is used when citing sources for academic articles such as journals, and is intended to help readers better comprehend content, and to avoid language bias wherever possible. The APA style (or APA format ) is now in its 7th edition, and provides citation style guides for virtually any type of resource.

Chicago Style Citation Examples

The Chicago/Turabian style of citing sources is generally used when citing sources for humanities papers, and is best known for its requirement that writers place bibliographic citations at the bottom of a page (in Chicago-format footnotes ) or at the end of a paper (endnotes).

The Turabian and Chicago citation styles are almost identical, but the Turabian style is geared towards student published papers such as theses and dissertations, while the Chicago style provides guidelines for all types of publications. This is why you’ll commonly see Chicago style and Turabian style presented together. The Chicago Manual of Style is currently in its 17th edition, and Turabian’s A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations is in its 8th edition.

Citing Specific Sources or Events

Declaration of Independence
Gettysburg Address
Martin Luther King Jr. Speech
President Obama’s Farewell Address
President Trump’s Inauguration Speech
White House Press Briefing

Additional FAQs

Citing Archived Contributors
Citing a Blog
Citing a Book Chapter
Citing a Source in a Foreign Language
Citing an Image
Citing a Song
Citing Special Contributors
Citing a Translated Article
Citing a Tweet

6 Interesting Citation Facts

The world of citations may seem cut and dry, but there’s more to them than just specific capitalization rules, MLA in-text citations , and other formatting specifications. Citations have been helping researches document their sources for hundreds of years, and are a great way to learn more about a particular subject area.

Ever wonder what sets all the different styles apart, or how they came to be in the first place? Read on for some interesting facts about citations!

1. There are Over 7,000 Different Citation Styles

You may be familiar with MLA and APA citation styles, but there are actually thousands of citation styles used for all different academic disciplines all across the world. Deciding which one to use can be difficult, so be sure to ask you instructor which one you should be using for your next paper.

2. Some Citation Styles are Named After People

While a majority of citation styles are named for the specific organizations that publish them (i.e. APA is published by the American Psychological Association, and MLA format is named for the Modern Language Association), some are actually named after individuals. The most well-known example of this is perhaps Turabian style, named for Kate L. Turabian, an American educator and writer. She developed this style as a condensed version of the Chicago Manual of Style in order to present a more concise set of rules to students.

3. There are Some Really Specific and Uniquely Named Citation Styles

How specific can citation styles get? The answer is very. For example, the “Flavour and Fragrance Journal” style is based on a bimonthly, peer-reviewed scientific journal published since 1985 by John Wiley & Sons. It publishes original research articles, reviews and special reports on all aspects of flavor and fragrance. Another example is “Nordic Pulp and Paper Research,” a style used by an international scientific magazine covering science and technology for the areas of wood or bio-mass constituents.

4. More citations were created on EasyBib.com in the first quarter of 2018 than there are people in California.

The US Census Bureau estimates that approximately 39.5 million people live in the state of California. Meanwhile, about 43 million citations were made on EasyBib from January to March of 2018. That’s a lot of citations.

5. “Citations” is a Word With a Long History

The word “citations” can be traced back literally thousands of years to the Latin word “citare” meaning “to summon, urge, call; put in sudden motion, call forward; rouse, excite.” The word then took on its more modern meaning and relevance to writing papers in the 1600s, where it became known as the “act of citing or quoting a passage from a book, etc.”

6. Citation Styles are Always Changing

The concept of citations always stays the same. It is a means of preventing plagiarism and demonstrating where you relied on outside sources. The specific style rules, however, can and do change regularly. For example, in 2018 alone, 46 new citation styles were introduced , and 106 updates were made to exiting styles. At EasyBib, we are always on the lookout for ways to improve our styles and opportunities to add new ones to our list.

Why Citations Matter

Here are the ways accurate citations can help your students achieve academic success, and how you can answer the dreaded question, “why should I cite my sources?”

They Give Credit to the Right People

Citing their sources makes sure that the reader can differentiate the student’s original thoughts from those of other researchers. Not only does this make sure that the sources they use receive proper credit for their work, it ensures that the student receives deserved recognition for their unique contributions to the topic. Whether the student is citing in MLA format , APA format , or any other style, citations serve as a natural way to place a student’s work in the broader context of the subject area, and serve as an easy way to gauge their commitment to the project.

They Provide Hard Evidence of Ideas

Having many citations from a wide variety of sources related to their idea means that the student is working on a well-researched and respected subject. Citing sources that back up their claim creates room for fact-checking and further research . And, if they can cite a few sources that have the converse opinion or idea, and then demonstrate to the reader why they believe that that viewpoint is wrong by again citing credible sources, the student is well on their way to winning over the reader and cementing their point of view.

They Promote Originality and Prevent Plagiarism

The point of research projects is not to regurgitate information that can already be found elsewhere. We have Google for that! What the student’s project should aim to do is promote an original idea or a spin on an existing idea, and use reliable sources to promote that idea. Copying or directly referencing a source without proper citation can lead to not only a poor grade, but accusations of academic dishonesty. By citing their sources regularly and accurately, students can easily avoid the trap of plagiarism , and promote further research on their topic.

They Create Better Researchers

By researching sources to back up and promote their ideas, students are becoming better researchers without even knowing it! Each time a new source is read or researched, the student is becoming more engaged with the project and is developing a deeper understanding of the subject area. Proper citations demonstrate a breadth of the student’s reading and dedication to the project itself. By creating citations, students are compelled to make connections between their sources and discern research patterns. Each time they complete this process, they are helping themselves become better researchers and writers overall.

When is the Right Time to Start Making Citations?

Make in-text/parenthetical citations as you need them.

As you are writing your paper, be sure to include references within the text that correspond with references in a works cited or bibliography. These are usually called in-text citations or parenthetical citations in MLA and APA formats. The most effective time to complete these is directly after you have made your reference to another source. For instance, after writing the line from Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities : “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…,” you would include a citation like this (depending on your chosen citation style):

(Dickens 11).

This signals to the reader that you have referenced an outside source. What’s great about this system is that the in-text citations serve as a natural list for all of the citations you have made in your paper, which will make completing the works cited page a whole lot easier. After you are done writing, all that will be left for you to do is scan your paper for these references, and then build a works cited page that includes a citation for each one.

Need help creating an MLA works cited page ? Try the MLA format generator on EasyBib.com! We also have a guide on how to format an APA reference page .

2. Understand the General Formatting Rules of Your Citation Style Before You Start Writing

While reading up on paper formatting may not sound exciting, being aware of how your paper should look early on in the paper writing process is super important. Citation styles can dictate more than just the appearance of the citations themselves, but rather can impact the layout of your paper as a whole, with specific guidelines concerning margin width, title treatment, and even font size and spacing. Knowing how to organize your paper before you start writing will ensure that you do not receive a low grade for something as trivial as forgetting a hanging indent.

Don’t know where to start? Here’s a formatting guide on APA format .

3. Double-check All of Your Outside Sources for Relevance and Trustworthiness First

Collecting outside sources that support your research and specific topic is a critical step in writing an effective paper. But before you run to the library and grab the first 20 books you can lay your hands on, keep in mind that selecting a source to include in your paper should not be taken lightly. Before you proceed with using it to backup your ideas, run a quick Internet search for it and see if other scholars in your field have written about it as well. Check to see if there are book reviews about it or peer accolades. If you spot something that seems off to you, you may want to consider leaving it out of your work. Doing this before your start making citations can save you a ton of time in the long run.

Finished with your paper? It may be time to run it through a grammar and plagiarism checker , like the one offered by EasyBib Plus. If you’re just looking to brush up on the basics, our grammar guides are ready anytime you are.

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Clip Art or Stock Image References

There are special requirements for using clip art and stock images in APA Style papers.

Common sources for stock images and clip art are iStock, Getty Images, Adobe Stock, Shutterstock, Pixabay, and Flickr. Common sources for clip art are Microsoft Word and Microsoft PowerPoint.

The license associated with the clip art or stock image determines how it should be credited.

Sometimes the license indicates no reference or attribution is needed, in which case writers can reproduce the image without any reference, citation, or attribution in an APA Style paper.
Other times, the license indicates that credit is required to reproduce the image, in which case writers should write an APA Style copyright attribution and reference list entry.

Follow the terms of the license associated with the image you want to reproduce. The guidelines apply regardless of whether the image costs money to purchase or is available for free. The guidelines also apply to both students and professionals and to both papers and PowerPoint presentations.

Although for most images you must look at the license on a case-by-case basis, images and clip art from programs such as Microsoft Word and Microsoft PowerPoint can be used without attribution. By purchasing the program, you have purchased a license to use the clip art and images that come with the program without attribution.

This page contains examples for clip art or stock images, including the following:

Image with no attribution required
Image that requires an attribution

1. Image with no attribution required

If the license associated with clip art or a stock image states “no attribution required,” then do not provide an APA Style reference, in-text citation, or copyright attribution.

For example, this image of a cat comes from Pixabay and has a license that says the image is free to reproduce with no attribution required. To use the image as a figure in an APA Style paper, provide a figure number and title and then the image. If desired, describe the image in a figure note. In a presentation (such as a PowerPoint presentation), the figure number, title, and note are optional.

Figure 1 A Striped Cat Sits With Paws Crossed

Note. Participants assigned to the cute pets condition saw this image of a cat.

2. Image that requires an attribution

If the license associated with clip art or a stock image says that attribution is required, then provide a copyright attribution in the figure note and a reference list entry for the image in the reference list. Many (but not all) images with Creative Commons licenses require attribution.

For example, this image of a sled dog comes from Flickr and has a Creative Commons license (specifically, CC BY 2.0). The license states that the image is free to use but attribution is required.

To use the image as a figure in an APA Style paper, provide a figure number and title and then the image. Below the image, provide a copyright attribution in the figure note. In a presentation, the figure number and title are optional but the note containing the copyright attribution is required.

The copyright attribution is used instead of an in-text citation. The copyright attribution consists of the same elements as the reference list entry, but in a different order (title, author, date, site name, URL), followed by the name of the Creative Commons License.

Figure 1 Lava the Sled Dog

Note . From Lava [Photograph], by Denali National Park and Preserve, 2013, Flickr

( https://www.flickr.com/photos/denalinps/8639280606/ ). CC BY 2.0.

Also provide a reference list entry for the image. The reference list entry for the image consists of its author, year of publication, title, description in brackets, and source (usually the name of the website and the URL).

Denali National Park and Preserve. (2013). Lava [Photograph]. Flickr. https://www.flickr.com/photos/denalinps/8639280606/

To cite clip art or a stock image without reproducing it, provide an in-text citation for the image instead of a copyright attribution. Also provide a reference list entry.

Parenthetical citation : (Denali National Park and Preserve, 2013)
Narrative citation : Denali National Park and Preserve (2013)

Clip art or stock images are covered in the seventh edition APA Style manuals in the Publication Manual Sections 12.14 to 12.18 and the Concise Guide Section 10.12

IMAGES

APA citation guide: How to cite a blog APA
Research Paper Citing Help
🎉 How do you cite a blog in mla. 4 Ways to Cite Blogs. 2022-11-08
3 Ways to Cite a Blog in APA
How to Cite a Research Paper in APA (with Pictures)
How To Cite a Research Paper: Citation Styles Guide

VIDEO

ML Research Paper Explained
Can you cite some methods from the Stream API?
How to turn your scientific journal article into a blog post
BLOGGER: HOW TO CITE AN IMAGE ON A BLOG POST
Can you cite using footnotes?
cite image on blog post wordpress

COMMENTS

Citing Blogs as Reference Sources
Citing Blogs as Reference Sources. This guidance (PDF version available here) addresses the use of blogs as reference sources in academic publishing, including:. Quotation from blogs; Use of ideas that originated in a blog. This page does not address best practice in research into blogs, the practice of blogging or bloggers themselves (i.e. the blog or blogger as the subject of research).
How to Cite a Blog Post in MLA, APA, or Chicago
Use the following structure to cite a blog post in MLA 9: Author's Last Name, Author's First Name. "Title of Post.". Blog Name, Publisher (only include this information if it is different than the name of the blog site), date blog post was published, URL. Column or section name (if applicable).
How to Cite a Blog Post in APA Style
In the first example below, the post was credited to just "Freakonomics" (a screen name for the author or authors of the blog by the same name). If a byline is not evident, look at the beginning or end of the post for wording like "posted by.". "when": Blog posts generally provide the year, month, and date. Include these within the ...
Blogs: is it acceptable to cite them as reference sources?
How to Cite Blogs. Because of the potential for unreliability, the citing of blogs requires more detail than a reference, for example, to The Lancet or Nature. The author of a paper should give the name of the blogger, or the group name under which the blog is posted, the title of the individual blog and of the series to which it belongs.
How to Cite a Blog Post in APA
To cite a blog post in APA style, it is important that you know some basic information such as the name of the blogger, title of the post, blog title, published date of the blog post, and URL (Uniform Resource Locator). The templates for in-text citation and reference list entry of a blog post, along with examples, are given below:
How to Properly Cite a Blog in Your Essay
Here's how to properly cite a blog in Harvard, MLA, Chicago and APA referencing. Want to reference an academic blog but not sure how to do it? Here's how to properly cite a blog in Harvard, MLA, Chicago and APA referencing. ... So that we can show you the most relevant information, please select the option that most closely relates to you ...
Blog Post and Blog Comment References
Cite the person who left the comment as the author using the format that appears with the comment (i.e., a real name or a username). The example shows a username. Provide the comment title or up to the first 20 words of the comment; then write "Comment on the blog post" and the full title of post on which the comment appeared (in quotation ...
Research Guides: APA Citation Style, 7th edition: Blog post
Blog Post. Tip! Include the title of the blog message post as well as the URL. You do not italicize the titles for items in online communities such as blogs, newsgroups or forum. If the author's name is not available, provide the screen name. General Format. In-Text Citation (Paraphrase):
How to Cite a Blog Post in MLA
Author's Last Name, Author's First Name. "Title of Post.". Blog Name, Publisher (only include this information if it is different than the name of the blog site), date blog post was published, URL. Column or section name (if applicable). Note: MLA 9 does not require the access date for online articles. (This is the day that the article ...
How to Cite a Blog Post in APA
When citing a blog post within the text of your work, there are two primary methods: parenthetical citation and narrative citation. Parenthetical Citation: Place the author's name and the publication year within parentheses at the end of the sentence containing the cited information. Example. (Lowe, 2024) Structure.
How to Cite a Blog Post in Harvard Referencing
The key in all cases is making sure your reader can find the post you've cited. Citing a Blog Comment in Harvard Referencing. You can also cite a comment on a blog post. For an in-text citation, use the commenter's surname or username and the comment date in brackets: One commenter described this as 'blinkered' (Rapier, 2021).
How to Cite Sources in a Blog
You can also cite your sources in a dedicated "Footnotes" or "References" section at the end of your blog post. This citation method is very useful when you need to cite academic authors, as the names of research papers or scientific articles and the journals in which they are published can be very long and can disruptive to the flow of ...
can I cite a blog post?
This way you ensure that the blog post you are citing can be retrieve even once the original URL stops working. In the reference section of the paper you may even provide the link to the archived version instead of to the normal version (unfortunately I cannot post an example link here).
Is citing a blog post allowed in a research project?
This is fine. Citing someone's opinion is different from reusing someone's results as long as the former is clearly separated from the latter. Find a way to distinguish both kinds of citations in your essay. The former is the data on which you operate, after all. If your advisor insists of such a separation, consider using footnotes, endnotes ...
APA Style (7th Edition)
Learn how to format and cite your paper in APA style with Purdue OWL's comprehensive guide on general guidelines, major sections, and resources.
How to Cite a Website
Citing a website in MLA Style. An MLA Works Cited entry for a webpage lists the author's name, the title of the page (in quotation marks), the name of the site (in italics), the date of publication, and the URL. The in-text citation usually just lists the author's name. For a long page, you may specify a (shortened) section heading to ...
How to Cite Sources
At college level, you must properly cite your sources in all essays, research papers, and other academic texts (except exams and in-class exercises). Add a citation whenever you quote, paraphrase, or summarize information or ideas from a source. You should also give full source details in a bibliography or reference list at the end of your text.
Citing a Website in APA
Enter the website's URL into the search box above. You'll get a list of results, so you can identify and choose the correct source you want to cite. It's that easy to begin! If you're wondering how to cite a website in APA, use the structure below. Structure: Author Last Name, First initial.
Reference examples
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 ...
Overview
Citing a source means that you show, within the body of your text, that you took words, ideas, figures, images, etc. from another place. Citations are a short way to uniquely identify a published work (e.g. book, article, chapter, web site). They are found in bibliographies and reference lists and are also collected in article and book ...
Understanding Plagiarism (and when to cite)
The golden rule for citing ideas or opinions is that If you had to look it up then you need to cite it. Furthermore, plagiarism can occur by improperly citing a resource. For example, if you improperly cited a research publication, author, or other important information, this would be a type of plagiarism. Having improper or misleading citations
Appropriate level of citation
Figure 8.1 in Chapter 8 of the Publication Manual provides an example of an appropriate level of citation. The number of sources you cite in your paper depends on the purpose of your work. For most papers, cite one or two of the most representative sources for each key point. Literature review papers typically include a more exhaustive list of ...
How To Cite a Research Paper: MLA, APA, and Chicago Style
The paper's title follows, then the title of the journal in italics. You also include the journal volume, issue number, and page numbers. As with MLA citations, include a DOI if you found the research paper online. Here is an example of a published research paper cited in APA format: Writer, M. (2020).
Free Citation Generator
Citation Generator: Automatically generate accurate references and in-text citations using Scribbr's APA Citation Generator, MLA Citation Generator, Harvard Referencing Generator, and Chicago Citation Generator. Plagiarism Checker: Detect plagiarism in your paper using the most accurate Turnitin-powered plagiarism software available to students.
11. Citing Sources
7. Can I cite unusual and non-scholarly sources in my research paper? The majority of the citations in a research paper should be to scholarly [a.k.a., academic; peer-reviewed] studies that rely on an objective and logical analysis of the research problem based on empirical evidence that reliably supports your arguments.
How To Cite a Research Paper in 2024: Citation Styles Guide
There are two main kinds of titles. Firstly, titles can be the name of the standalone work like books and research papers. In this case, the title of the work should appear in the title element of the reference. Secondly, they can be a part of a bigger work, such as edited chapters, podcast episodes, and even songs.
APA Sample Paper
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.
How to Cite Sources
The Chicago/Turabian style of citing sources is generally used when citing sources for humanities papers, and is best known for its requirement that writers place bibliographic citations at the bottom of a page (in Chicago-format footnotes) or at the end of a paper (endnotes). The Turabian and Chicago citation styles are almost identical, but ...
Welcome to the Purdue Online Writing Lab
Mission. The Purdue On-Campus Writing Lab and Purdue Online Writing Lab assist clients in their development as writers—no matter what their skill level—with on-campus consultations, online participation, and community engagement. The Purdue Writing Lab serves the Purdue, West Lafayette, campus and coordinates with local literacy initiatives.
Clip art or stock images references
Common sources for stock images and clip art are iStock, Getty Images, Adobe Stock, Shutterstock, Pixabay, and Flickr. Common sources for clip art are Microsoft Word and Microsoft PowerPoint. The license associated with the clip art or stock image determines how it should be credited. Sometimes the license indicates no reference or attribution ...