Citing correctly protects you from accidental plagiarism and shows your reader where your ideas come from.
APA 7
uses author and date in the text, for example (Smith, 2023). It is common in psychology, education and the social sciences.
MLA 9
uses author and page, for example (Smith 45). You will see it in literature and the humanities.
Chicago
uses footnotes or author and date, and is the usual choice in history.
Whichever style you use, keep a running list of sources as you research and check each entry against the style guide. Our free citation generator and APA quick reference can help you get started.
