When writing your next paper, you may need to choose between a number of citation formats. But what are they, and how should you choose one? 

A citation format is a set of rules for how to cite sources in academic writing to give credit to the authors whose works you cite and to avoid plagiarism. Using the correct writing and citation format is also important because failing to use it can detract from your grade, or be excluded from the paper or journal you want to contribute to.

Writing formats vs citation formats

Writing format is the appearance or style of your document. It includes a title page, overall layout, fonts, line spacing, text justification, heading styles, headers, footers, and more.

Citation format dictates the way you reference other works or thoughts of reputable authors, researchers, and experts within your document.

There are several types of citation formats and which one you use depends on the academic discipline in which you are writing. Some of the most common writing/citation formats are described below. 

APA style 

APA is the academic referencing style required by the American Psychological Association. Students or researchers in the fields of psychology, education, or social sciences are required to use the APA citation format.

The APA citation format is also called the Author-Date system because its style guide requires that in the body of the text, a reference to the author and publication date must be included in addition to the full referenced list at the end of the paper.

The APA writing style includes the following parts:

  • Title or cover page – Contains the page header, title, author name, and school name. It should be no more than 50 characters including spaces.
  • Abstract – Sometimes called the introduction, this is a 150–250-word summary of the paper.
  • Main body – For an essay, this will be the essay itself and may include an analysis or the main arguments. For a lab report, this will be broken into several sections such as an introduction, methods, results, and discussion or conclusion.
  • References – A list of all sources you cited. A few rules for the APA references page rules are:
    • Begin reference section on a new page.
    • Page title to be “References” and center-aligned at top of the page.
    • Entries are in alphabetical order and double-spaced.
    • Each first line of a new reference is to be flush against the left margin and additional lines of that reference are to be indented with a single tab.

MLA style

MLA is the academic referencing style required by the Modern Language Association, considered to be the authority on research and writing. MLA style citation formation is mostly used by humanities students, especially in language or literature.

MLA citation format uses brief parenthetical citations within the text. These citations are then listed alphabetically as works cited at the end of the paper. The in-text citations can be as brief as the author’s last name and the page number where the full citation is found in the list at the end of the paper.

The MLA writing style includes the following parts:

  • Title or cover page – In MLA style, a title page is not required unless specified by your professor.
  • Header – If you decide to include a title page, a header can be placed there. Otherwise, it must be placed at the top of the first page of your paper. An MLA header must be double line spaced with one-inch margins from all sides of the page and include the following parts in this order:
    • Author’s full name
    • Instructor’s name
    • Class or course name, or section number
    • Project’s deadline or assignment due date with assignment name on the next line
  • Body – In MLA style there are rules for headings, subheadings, margins, paragraphs, spacing, abbreviations, and even font size in the body of the paper.
  • Works cited – This is a list of all sources you cited in the body of the paper. Some of the rules for an MLA referencing style (works cited page) are:
    • Begin this section on a new page.
    • Page title to be “Works Cited” and center-aligned at top of page
    • Entries are in alphabetical order and double-spaced.
    • Each first line of a new reference is to be flush against the left margin and additional lines of that reference are to be indented 0.5 inches.
    • The format of entries can vary depending on the type of source.

Chicago / CMS style

CMS, the Chicago Manual of Style, or simply Chicago, is an academic referencing style originally published in 1906 by the Chicago University Press. It was shaped for professionals and researchers in the humanities and social sciences, particularly in literature, history, or the arts.

The Chicago citation format utilizes two systems: Note-Bibliography or Author-Date. Each system is favored by different groups of scholars, so deciding between them depends on the subject matter and sources cited, as follows:

  • In Note-Bibliography, a numbered footnote is placed in the text with a shortened version of the citation at the bottom of the page. Full citations are listed on a bibliography page at end of the paper. This citation method is favored in the humanities.
  • In Author-Date, a parenthetic citation is placed in the body of the text after a quotation or other referenced information. This citation must include the author’s last name, year published, and the page number where the full citation is found in a Reference list at the end of the paper. This citation method is favored in the sciences and social sciences.

The Chicago format includes the following parts:

  • Title or cover page – The title of the paper or article is placed one-third below the top of the page and centered. Several lines below the title are placed the author’s name, class information, and date, all double-spaced. 
  • Body – Citations in the body of the paper are based on which citation methods are used. The Chicago style does not have strict rules on the format of headings and subheadings but does provide some recommendations.
  • Bibliography – A list of all sources you cited in the body text or the footnotes at the bottom of each body page. Some of the rules for a Chicago referencing style:
    • Begin this section on a new page.
    • The title should be centered at the top of the page and read “Bibliography” for Note-Bibliography method or “References” for Author-Date method.
    • Entries in alphabetical order. 

Harvard style

The Harvard Referencing Style, or simply Harvard, is primarily used to cite sources for academic papers in universities. It is most commonly used in the humanities, behavioral sciences, and philosophy.

Like Chicago and APA, the Harvard citation format uses the in-text Author-Date citation method and a reference list.

The Harvard style format includes the following parts:

  • Title or cover page – The paper’s title should be in all caps, centered, and approximately one-third of the way down from the top of the page. The author’s name is centered about halfway down the page. Centered two-thirds from the top of the page is the course name and number, with the professor’s name, university name, and date, on successive lines.
  • Body – There are various rules on different types of in-text citations as well as on headings in the body of a Harvard-style paper.
  • Reference List – A list of all sources cited. Some of the rules for the Harvard referencing style are:
    • Begin this section on a new page.
    • Each entry starts on a new line that is left aligned and the entry is not indented.
    • Entries are in alphabetical order and double-spaced.

Choosing a citation format

If you’re a student, then the citation format you use for your paper will most often be dictated by your professor or by your course’s academic department, so it’s best to confirm with your course or module leader.

If you’re getting paid for writing academic content as a freelancer, you should choose the citation style that best fits your audience and aligns with your academic topic’s most common format.

Want to develop your writing skills? Consider taking a writing course online to learn from the best!