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How Citations Are Structured

A citation is a formatted reference that tells readers exactly where a piece of information came from. Different academic disciplines use different citation styles, but all citations contain the same core information — arranged in different order with different punctuation.

The four core elements:

1. Who — Author(s)
2. When — Publication year
3. What — Title of the work
4. Where — Publisher or source

APA format (Author-Date):

Last, F. M. (Year). Title of work: Capital letter also for subtitle. Publisher.

Example:

Smith, J. A. (2021). The science of habit formation. Academic Press.

MLA format (Author-Page):

Last, First. Title of Work. Publisher, Year.

Example:

Smith, John. The Science of Habit Formation. Academic Press, 2021.

Chicago format (two styles):

Notes style (used in humanities):

First Last, Title of Work (City: Publisher, Year), page number.

Author-Date (used in social sciences):

Last, First. Year. Title of Work. City: Publisher.

Website citation (APA example):

Last, F. (Year, Month Day). Title of page. Website Name. https://url

In-text citation comparison:

Quick rule: If your field is psychology, education, or science → use APA. Literature and humanities → use MLA. History and some arts → use Chicago. Business → check if APA or Harvard is preferred.

Always verify with your institution’s style guide, as minor variations are common.