I. Introduction
When writing an academic paper, proper citation of existing research results is an important aspect that proves the academic value of the article. However, choosing the right reference format is crucial to avoid plagiarism and improve the pass rate. Here, we will explain in detail and demonstrate the correct usage of several common reference formats.
II. Scope of Application and Differences
1. APA format: Applicable to essays, reports and studies in the field of social sciences. The citation should include the author’s surname and the year of publication.
2. MLA format: mainly used in humanities, such as history. The citation should include the author’s last name and page number. All citations should be sorted alphabetically by author’s last name. If the author’s name is not available, the first letter of the title of the article or book may be used instead.
3. Harvard format: Widely used for natural and social science papers. Include the author’s last name and the year of publication. When citing a part of a book, include the author’s last name, first name in capital letters, year, book title (in italics), edition number, publisher’s address, and page number.
4. Chicago format: mainly used in the humanities and natural sciences. The citation may be in footnote or author-year format. Footnotes are located at the bottom of the citation page, four lines from the last line of the text; endnotes need to be in the text after another page, according to the order of citation. The footnote should contain the author’s name, title of the work, and publication information (for books, the place of publication, publisher, year of publication, and page number; for articles, the name of the journal, volume or issue number, year of publication, and page number). The notes should be double-spaced.
Examples
The following are specific examples of several common formats:
1. APA format:
Ex: According to Smith (2019), ‘…’
2. MLA format:
Ex: As stated by Johnson (p. 56) in his book, ‘…’
3. Harvard format:
Ex: As per the findings of Brown (2018), ‘…’
4. Chicago format:
Ex: As mentioned by Smith (2019), ‘…’ (Note: This citation is a footnote.)
IV. Summary.
Using the correct reference format is one of the key aspects of academic paper writing. Understanding and mastering the use of the above several common formats will help improve the quality of your paper and enhance your academic credibility. We hope that this guide will be helpful to you.
