A citation is a formal reference to a published or unpublished source that supports your research. Whether you’re quoting, paraphrasing, or summarizing, citing sources correctly ensures academic honesty and helps readers trace your references.
There are three primary types of in-text citations used in research and technical writing; parenthetical, note, and numeric citations. The choice of style often depends on your academic discipline and publication requirements.
1. Parenthetical Citation
Parenthetical citations place the source reference within parentheses in the text. This type is commonly used in APA and MLA styles. It usually includes the author’s last name, publication year, and page number.
Key Rules:
- Use a parenthetical citation whenever you quote, paraphrase, or summarize another author’s work.
- Each in-text citation must correspond to a full reference in the Works Cited or References list.
- MLA format uses the author-page style (e.g., Field 122).
- APA format uses the author-date style (e.g., Field, 2005, p. 14).
Examples:
- “Quotations are effective in research papers when used selectively” (Gibaldi 109).
- Within the paper, quotations will have more impact when used judiciously (Gibaldi 109).
If a source has no page numbers, use paragraph numbers:
- Example: (Pangee, pars. 12–18).
If the author is unavailable, cite the title:
- Example: (“Asthma Rates Increasing” 29).
Special Cases:
- Indirect sources: Use qtd. in if you didn’t read the original source.
Example: (qtd. in Bertram 124). - Multiple works by the same author: Add a shortened title after the author’s name.
- Omitting or altering quotes: Use ellipses (…) for omissions or square brackets [ ] for changes.
2. Note Citation
Note citations, often used in the Chicago Notes and Bibliography system, use footnotes or endnotes to provide detailed source information. Superscript numbers in the text correspond to numbered notes at the bottom of the page or end of the paper.
Example (Chicago Style):
- Alistair Bruce and Rodion Skovoroda, Bankers’ Bonuses and the Financial Crisis: Context, Evidence and the Rhetoric–Policy Gap, Business History 55 (2013): 139–160, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00076791.2012.715283.
- Bruce and Skovoroda, 143.
- Bruce and Skovoroda, 155–160.
Why Use Note Citations?
- Allows adding explanatory comments or source details without cluttering the main text.
- Ideal for history, law, and humanities research, where context and commentary matter.
3. Numeric style
Numeric citation styles use numbered references in the text that correspond to a numbered reference list at the end of the document. Each source is assigned a unique number, used consistently throughout the paper.
How It Works:
- When citing, place the reference number in brackets or superscript (e.g., [1] or ¹).
- The reference list is ordered numerically, not alphabetically.
Common Numeric Styles:
| Citation Style | Discipline | Type of Citation |
|---|---|---|
| MLA | Humanities | Parenthetical (author-page) |
| APA | Psychology, Social Sciences | Parenthetical (author-date) |
| Chicago A | History, Humanities | Notes |
| Chicago B | Sciences, Social Sciences | Parenthetical (author-date) |
| Harvard | Economics | Parenthetical (author-date) |
| Vancouver | Medicine | Numeric |
| IEEE | Engineering, IT | Numeric |
| AMA | Medicine | Numeric |
| ACS | Chemistry | Numeric or Notes |
| OSCOLA | Law | Notes |
| NLM | Medicine | Numeric |
Numeric systems like Vancouver and IEEE are especially popular in scientific, engineering, and medical fields, where brevity and precision are essential.
Conclusion
Choosing the right citation style depends on your field of study and publication guidelines. Whether you use parenthetical, note, or numeric citations, accuracy and consistency are key to maintaining academic integrity.
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