How to Do References in a Formal Essay

Modern citation styles are more efficient than earlier versions, which required footnotes, but they are as necessary as ever to build knowledge and to give credit where credit is due. When in doubt, cite. If you cite something unnecessarily, there is probably no harm in it, but if you inadvertently fail to cite an idea that is not your own, you are guilty of plagiarism, which can have serious consequences. Providing a bibliography enables readers to further study the topic.

Things You'll Need

  • Style guide
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Instructions

    • 1

      Compile all your sources and source notes.

    • 2

      Make in-text attributions as you write. Whenever you quote someone, add "according to" or a similar phrase to give credit to the speaker or writer. If you paraphrase someone, do the same. If you summarize or mention someone else's idea, you may attribute with a citation or use only a parenthetical citation -- a citation that appears within parenthesis immediately after the sentence containing referenced material.

    • 3

      Add parenthetical citations whenever you attribute, mention a little-known fact or refer to an idea that is not your own. To do so, use the appropriate citation style. It might be the Modern Language Association, or MLA, style; the American Psychological Association, or APA, style; or another less-common style. Your instructor or corporate policy will tell you which one to use. A parenthetical citation generally lists the last name of the author or speaker, unless you mentioned it in the reference. For APA style, it also lists the year the resource was published or interviewed. In MLA style, you list the number of the bibliographic entry instead of the year.

    • 4

      Construct a bibliography that lists every source you used or consulted. Carefully observe proper formatting, which, again, varies with citation style.

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