A citation is a way of identifying and giving credits to others' published works that you used to support your own research. Citations can also be used to locate sources of works, as well as avoid plagiarism.
A citation consists of two parts: in-text citation and reference list. In-text citations are brief references of sources within the text of the paper, while reference list is a complete list of references at the end of the paper.
A citation style defines the necessary information for a citation, how the information is ordered, and what format citations should follow.
Generally, the citation style you use depends on your research area. Check with your instructor or supervisor if you are not sure which style you should use for your assignment. Some commonly used styles for different faculties are listed in the table below.
Citation: A (Very) Brief Introduction - NC State University Libraries [1:54]
Note: Always check with your instructor/supervisor on citation style and if style variations are required.
APA style follows an author-year format in referencing. A citation contains two parts:
1. In-text citation
Chan (2016, p. 15) claimed that ".................................................."
Couple of studies reported similar results (Chan, 2016; Smith & Booth, 2018; Gorman, Reese, & Smith, 2019)............................etc.
The article.......................................... as stated in its annual report (Hong Kong Polytechnic University, 2017).
2. References
To cite sources not listed here, check out a detailed citation guide compiled by the PolyU's English Language Centre.