Step 10 – Final Paper and Citation Style Guides
Key Points
- Citing is the process of giving credit to the sources you use in writing a paper.
- Know when and how to cite your sources.
- Use the citation style required by your instructor, or choose one appropriate to your field of study.
This is it—you’re almost done. It’s time to put the final polish on your paper with these last-minute checks:
- Grammar. Do not rely on the spelling and grammar checker that came with your word processing software. Read your paper through one more time to make sure your sentences are grammatically correct.
- Spell check. Once again, don’t trust your spell checker! Make sure you don’t have “their” when you mean “there”.
- Word count. Did your assignment require a certain number of pages or words? Make sure you’ve written enough.
Citations
Cite your references! This is the most crucial check of all. As previously mentioned, you must cite a work in two places in your paper: In the text when you refer to another author's work and at the end of the paper in the References, Bibliography, or Works Cited page.
There are many citations styles but the three main ones that you are likely to see are the APA, MLA, or Chicago Style. It is important to correctly use one of these guides to reference your paper properly.
APA (American Psychological Association)
| For social science disciplines such as psychology, anthropology and sociology. |
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Example of in-text citation: … twenty percent of the students needing help (Varela, 2008, p. 3). |
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Example of reference page citations: Young-Bruehl, E. (1988). Anna Freud: A biography. New York: Summit Books. Jorna, K. (2002). Educating information professionals in a multicultural information society. Library Review, 51 (3/4), 157-163. |
APA Citation Help
Visit the library guide below for additional examples of how to cite your resources in the APA style:
MLA (Modern Language Association)
For English and some humanities courses.
| For English and some humanities courses. |
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Example of in-text citation: … the author missed important behaviors in the character (O’Sullivan 26). |
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Example of work cited page citations: Albom, Mitch. The Five People You Meet in Heaven. New York: Hyperion, 2003. Huang, Alexander. “Shakespeare, Performance, and Autobiographical Interventions.” Shakespeare Bulletin, vol. 24, no.2,2006, pp.41-50. Project MUSE, doi:10.1353/shb.2006.0027. Accessed 27 May 2009. |
MLA Citation Help
Visit the websites below for additional examples of how to cite your resources in the MLA style:
Chicago Style
| For history and some humanities courses. |
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Example of in-text citation: Footnote or Endnote 6. Alton Pryor, Classic Tales in California History (Roseville, CA: Stagecoach, 2000) 57. |
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Example of Reference citations: Pryor, Alton. Classic Tales in California History. Roseville, CA: Stagecoach, 2000. |
Chicago Style Citation Help
Visit the websites below for additional examples of how to cite your resources in the Chicago style:
Additional Citation Help
- The Writing Center and Peer Connections can assist you with your final grammar and punctuation check
- Many journal databases like EBSCO, ProQuest and CSA generate citations in the style you choose. However, their citation generators are good, not perfect. Always double-check the citations they create for you
- Librarians at the King Library can help you with your citation questions. You can phone, text, email or drop by the 1stFloor help desk
- Books in the King Library. Search in the library catalog to find the most recent editions of these titles:
- AMA - American Medical Association Manual of Style
- APA - Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association
- Chicago - Chicago Manual of Style
- MLA - MLA Handbook
- Citation managers format citations and create bibliographies. Read about Zotero and Paperpile on this library guide and learn how to install and use them.
You’re Done!
Congratulations! You made it through the steps and improved your research and writing skills. It’s time to celebrate!
“Step 10—Final Paper and Citation Style Guide” was adapted from: The Assignment Research Calculator by the Henry Madden Library, California State University, Fresno at https://www.csufresno.edu/library/ARC2/index.php .