Citation Styles

Michele Kirschenbaum
This article explains the three most common citation styles used in research papers with an example for each.

There are many different citation styles to choose from to create citations. Your teacher or instructor will tell you which style to use for your project or assignment.

The three most common citation styles used throughout the world are:

  • Harvard Referencing
  • MLA
  • APA

Harvard Referencing

This is the most common citation style used in the UK and Australia. If you live in this area of the world, your teacher might ask you to create your citations in Harvard Referencing style.

Here’s an example of how a citation for a book would look in Harvard Referencing style:

Pelletier, D. (2014). Easy English Step-by-Step for ESL learners. New York: McGraw Hill.

MLA

MLA is an abbreviation for Modern Language Association. This is a popular style used in North America and many other regions of the world. If your project is about languages or literature, you might be asked to create your citations in MLA style.

Here’s an example of how a citation for the same book would look in MLA style:

Pelletier, D. Easy English Step-by-Step for ESL Learners. McGraw Hill, 2014.

For more help with MLA formatting and citations, visit this page.

APA

APA is an abbreviation for American Psychological Association. This is a popular style used in North America and many other regions of the world. If your project is a science topic, you might be asked to create your citations in APA style.

Here’s an example of how a citation for the same book would look in APA style:

Pelletier, D. (2014). Easy English Step-by-Step for ESL learners. New York, NY: McGraw Hill.

For more help with APA citations, click here.

Written by Michele Kirschenbaum for EnglishClub.com
Michele Kirschenbaum is the in-house librarian at EasyBib and an elementary school librarian in New York City. Michele is an executive board member in the New York City School Library Association.
© EnglishClub.com

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