What Every College Student Should Know About Citations

What Every College Student Should Know About Citations Regardless of your course of study, an inevitable aspect of your college studies will involve composing papers and essays. In order to successfully compose these essays, its key to properly cite your sources. However, this involves more than simply giving credit where credit is due. Its about joining an academic conversation that you, a student, are as much a part of as these established scholars. As a college student, its important to understand citation styles, note the varying types of citations, and learn how to use citations throughout the entirety of the writing process. Looking to gain a better understanding of citations? Keep reading to learn what every college student should know about citations. Distinguish in-text citations from reference lists/works cited pages In academic writing, there are two general types of citations that you will utilizein-text and references/works cited. Each type possesses different attributes, and its important to fully understand both styles. In-text citations These citations are placed within the text. In-text citations often require you to cite a page number (if applicable) or publication year for paraphrased texts, as well as quotations. You may not need to restate the authors name in the in-text citation if its clear who youre referring tofor example, if youve already mentioned the author in the same sentence. References/works cited On a works cited page, include full citations for every source youve used in your paper, listed on a separate page at the end of your paper. A works cited page requires you to include specific information, such as the title of the source, as well as other details like the publisher and publication date. Each type of source offers slightly different information, and therefore, a slightly different format is necessaryfor example, a book citation will differ from a podcast or film citation. [RELATED: How Students Can Improve Their Research Skills] Understand that citation styles vary by discipline There are several different citation styles that you must use depending on your discipline, each of which look different on paper. Of these, three important styles include Modern Language Association (MLA), American Psychological Association (APA), and Chicago style. MLA is used by the humanities, while APA is generally used by disciplines in education, psychology, and the social sciences. Youll generally use Chicago style in business, history, and the fine arts. Your professor will often let you know before your first paper what style to use. Additionally, you may have a school handbook or required textbook that will tell you what style to use and how exactly to format citations to match your institutions standards. [RELATED: The Importance of Writing Skills] Actively utilize citations throughout the writing process Citations are often the most tedious of tasks when writing a paper. To minimize the headaches, stay organized in terms of sources and page numbers. The last thing youll want to do at the end of writing a long paper is spend hours locating page numbers or exact sources that you used throughout. If youre using a source that you own or can borrow for an extended period of time, keep it organized with your other sources. If you must return the source to the library, be sure to document all the important information you need to know for the full citation. [RELATED: Top 10 Essay Editing Tips] Using and writing citations can be an intimidating process, but it doesnt have to be. There are numerous online resources that offer examples of citations when youre in need of guidance. If you still have unanswered questions, check in with a classmate, a writing tutor, or your professor. As you get more and more familiar with citations, youll become more comfortable in your citation abilities. Any topics you want to know more about? Let us know! The Varsity Tutors Blog editors love hearing your feedback and opinions. Feel free to email us at blog@varsitytutors.com.