Citation Basics
Review the list and image below, which both outline how the in-text citation in your essay connects to the larger reference page of your work.
(click on image to enlarge)
(click on image to enlarge)
- Place in-text citations in the body of the paper to acknowledge the source of your information. This is meant to be a shortened version of the full citation that appears on the final page of your paper.
- Place full citations for all your sources on the last page entitled References or Works Cited (different citation styles require different titles). Full citations are meant to provide readers with enough information so that they can locate the source themselves.
- APA or MLA are citation styles. Each has different guidelines for how source information (author, title, year...etc.) should be formatted and punctuated for both in-text citations and for the References or Works Cited pages
Consult a guide for the specific citation style you are using: