Intro to College Research

A citation is a phrase that refers to another book or article, saying where your information came from. In most research papers that you write in high school and college, you will be required to cite the sources where you got your information.

A citation is made up of 2 parts: an in-text citation and a full citation.

An in-text citation, also called a parenthetical citation, appears in the body of your research paper. It is very short, including only the author's last name, and the page number or year.

Example in APA Style:

A recent study (Campbell, 2018) found that exercise can improve mood in people with mild depression.

Example in MLA Style:

Students are better able to remember information when reviewing it at regular spaced intervals (Williams 104).

A full citation appears at the end of your research paper. It is part of a list, called either "References" or "Works Cited," that provides all the details about each source you used.

Example of an article cited in APA Style:

Campbell, B. (2018). The relationship between physical and mental health. Modern Health, 25(2), 19-35.

Example of an article cited in MLA Style:

Williams, Ashley. "Best Study Techniques For Students." High School Teaching, vol. 81, no. 4, 2017, pp. 104-110.

Do you prefer to use a citation generator when making your Works Cited list?

The Niagara University Library subscribes to an easy-to-use citation generator and note taking platform called NoodleTools. Watch this short video for the basics:

Not familiar with creating citations? Check out the Online Writing Lab (OWL) at Purdue University. This site provides you with an online citation manual for MLA, APA and Chicago styles. Check your assignment in order to figure out which is required for you to use. The styles guides are located on the right side of the homepage. 

OWL at Purdue