7 Things To Know About The Research Paper Citing Format

Citing formats for any academic writing can seem confusing, particularly if you have never used them before. They are, however, extremely important to get right, since they are relatively easy marks to get: just put in a little bit of extra effort to understand how they work first, and then the rewards will reap themselves! Here are 7 key things to know and remember about citing formats for research papers.

1. Many universities and colleges choose a citation method

Many academic institutions choose a format that they want their students to use in their research papers (and other academic pieces). The name of this should be clearly presented along with other information about essays, so check there, first!

2. Check online for examples

There are plenty of examples of different sorts of methods of citation online. All you need to do is type the name into a search engine - for example Google - and follow the instructions given there.

3. Order matters!

Although you might think, it doesn’t matter to put the date first and the name last, as long as all the information is there, it does actually matter. Make sure you follow the guidelines exactly.

4. Check citations for books, websites, and papers

Different types of publications require different citation formats in different styles. Always check at least the main three: books, papers, and websites.

5. Ask your tutor

Your tutor will know exactly how these things are supposed to be since they’ll have written lots of research papers before! If you don’t know quite how something should be completed, check with them before you submit anything, just to be sure you’ve got it right!

6. Compare your work to other students’ work

If you are still unsure whether your citations are correct or not, and your tutor is too busy to respond to your inquiries, compare your bibliography to that of other students. Together you can work out exactly what is expected of you, and you both get the added benefit of being able to correct mistakes that the other person may have pointed out.

7. Check your work!

However well you think you know your research paper citing method, it is always worth proofreading your bibliography and your references. And if you learn how to do it great now, you'll be able to get proofreading jobs online then. This is best done while you are going through the rest of your writing. Don’t just skip over these important parts, because silly, preventable mistakes will cost you valuable marks!