General Guidelines On How To Cite Sources In A Research Paper

Many students find research writing problematic and this is attributed to a number of factors. To some, writing a good term paper is simply troubling given the many issues involved such as formatting, referencing and data analysis. To others, the actual process of going out to collect or gather information and date is costly and time consuming. But come to think of it, do you want to fail your exams simply because you don’t want to learn simple concepts of academic writing or there is something you can do to redeem yourself from eminent failure? Well, academic writing is mandatory undertaking. Every student must partake on it. However, when things seem quite difficult, there is always a way out. Because a lot has been written on many subjects and in many different fields of study, you can always take a look at some of them in order to catch a glimpse of what is expected of you. For example, how are you supposed to cite your sources in academic?

Well, when it comes citing your sources in a research paper, there is a way it should be done. Out there, you will come across plenty of literary materials written by different scholars shedding some light into this. The question is, which one are you supposed to trust and apply in your writing? Without citing your sources, you will be committing academic crime often referred to as plagiarism. In this post, we take you through some guidelines on how you are supposed to cite your sources and rest assured of good grades, so read further for better understanding.

Order of alphabet

Well, citation is an integral part of academic paper writing without which your paper would count and copied then pasted. However, to a student who seeks credibility and good grades in academia, rules of citation should always be followed to the letter. For example, scholars’ advice that your sources should be cited alphabetically and this fundamentally denotes the initial letters of author’s name which must follow in the order of alphabets throughout your writing.

Academic writing styles

This is very important to citation. When citing your sources, it is always important to take into account the writing style you are using so that your sources are cited in line with that. Never make the mistake of mixing two different styles of academic writing in a single piece. To stay safe, find out what your institution recommends.