Hi, I'm a high school junior preparing for college. I know I'm going to have to write a lot of essays and papers. I'm slightly nervous about the whole citation thing. What is the most popular way to cite in college papers? Is there a method that most professors prefer? Thanks!
There are several citation styles that you might come across in college, and the one you'll use depends largely on the discipline of the class you're taking. Overall, there are three primary citation styles that you will likely come across and these are APA, MLA, and Chicago. They all differ in some ways - from how the citations are constructed, to where the citations are placed within a paper.
The American Psychological Association (APA) style is commonly used for papers in the social sciences like Psychology, Sociology, and Education. It's known for its use of parenthetical in-text citations that include the author's last name and the year of publication, with full details in the reference list at the end of your paper.
The Modern Language Association (MLA) style is typically used for papers in the humanities, particularly in English and Literature classes. MLA uses parenthetical in-text citations that include the author's last name and page number. Again, the full citation details are included in a "Works Cited" list at the end.
The Chicago style (sometimes referred to as Turabian) is often used for papers in History as well as some of the fine arts and humanities. It's unique in its flexibility, offering two citation methods: The Notes-Bibliography System, where citation information is provided in footnotes or endnotes and a bibliography, and the Author-Date System, similar to APA style, uses in-text parenthetical citations and a reference list.
Remember, the most crucial part of citation is to be consistent with whichever style you choose or is required for your class. It's also always a good idea to verify the required citation style with your professors, as they'll often provide guidance on their preferences for their individual classes. To make your life easier, there are plenty of online citation generators and tools which can help to format citations correctly, and also your college library is a superb resource for citation guidance.
CollegeVine’s Q&A seeks to offer informed perspectives on commonly asked admissions questions. Every answer is refined and validated by our team of admissions experts to ensure it resonates with trusted knowledge in the field.