Paper Formats
Paper Formats
Paper Formats
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Academic Paper Formats
The most common format of papers we use in academic writing are: MLA, APA, Chicago / Turabian, Harvard,
some papers may require ASA, RACE format
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APA style
APA (American Psychological Association) style is most commonly used
to cite sources within the social sciences.
For the comprehensive guide on APA style, please, follow the link
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APA style / In-text citations: the basics
If you summarize, paraphrase, or directly quote someone’s ideas always include in-text citations in parentheses.
Important! If you mention the author’s name in the sentence do not put it in parentheses = provide only
(publication year) or (publication year + page number) .
Example: According to Jones (1998), APA style is a difficult citation format for first-time learners.
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APA style / References
Sample of APA
Reference page
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MLA style
MLA (Modern Language Association) style is used to write papers and cite sources within the liberal arts and
humanities;
For the comprehensive guide on MLA style, please, follow the link
Sample
Page 1
in MLA
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MLA style: In-text citations: the basics
If you summarize, paraphrase, or directly quote someone’s ideas ALWAYS include IN-TEXT CITATIONS in
parentheses.
Summary / paraphrase / directly quoting someone’s ideas = (the author + page number).
Example: Romantic poetry is characterized by the "spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings" (Wordsworth 263).
Wordsworth extensively explored the role of emotion in the creative process (263).
If the author is unknown, use a shortened title of the work instead of an author’s name. Place the title in
quotation marks if it is “a short work” (such as an article) or italicize it if it is a longer work (e.g. plays, books,
television shows, entire Web sites) and provide a page number.
Example: We see so many global warming hotspots in North America likely because this region has "more readily
accessible climatic data and more comprehensive programs to monitor and study environmental change . . ."
("Impact of Global Warming" 6).
For a source with three or fewer authors, list the authors' last names in the text or in the parenthetical
citation
Example: The authors state "Tighter gun control in the United States erodes Second Amendment rights" (Smith,
Yang, and Moore 76).
For a source with more than three authors, provide the first author's last name followed by et al. or list all the9
last names. Example: Legal experts counter Smith, Yang, and Moore's argument by noting that the current spike in
MLA style / Works Cited
The Chicago Notes and Bibliography (NB) system is often used in the humanities and provides writers with a system
for referencing their sources through footnote or endnote citation in their writing and through bibliography pages.
In the NB system, the footnote or endnote itself begins with the appropriate number followed by a period and
then a space.
In Chicago/Turabian we do not use direct in-text citations; footnotes are required in this type of format.
For the comprehensive guide and sample on Chicago / Turabian style, follow the link
or check Writing Guide in your profile.
All text editors (MS Word, LibreOffice) have in-built function of making foot/endnotes. Do not try to
format them on your own! Go to ‘insert’ → ‘endnote/footnote’
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Harvard style
Harvard Style. While APA is primarily used in the USA, Harvard referencing is the most well used referencing style in
the UK and Australia, and is encouraged for use with the humanities.
Like APA, Harvard presupposes using author name / year of publication when citing books, articles and other
documents.
For the comprehensive guide on Harvard, please, follow the link or check Writing Guide in your profile.
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ASA style
ASA style is one more format that is used by the world's universities and was presented by American Sociological
Association.
If an abstract is needed, it should be on a separate page, immediately after the title page, with the title of the
document as the heading. On the same page as the abstract, include a list of three to five words that help to
identify main themes in the manuscript.
Use subheadings to organize the body of the manuscript. Usually, three different levels of headings should be
sufficient.
Footnotes and endnotes are used to cite materials of limited availability, expand upon the text, or to add
information presented in a table. You can generate citations either by yourself, or by means of link choosing
APA format.
Pages should be numbered consecutively (1, 2, 3...) starting with the title page and including the references
page(s), or as specified by journal or course instructor.
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RACE format
RACE Format does not require some specific formatting or citations, however, it deals with different kinds of revealing
information. RACE format helps to deliver information with a help of reliable evidence to particular audience.
RACE format requires the next steps:
1. State the question.
2. Restate the question using key words already used in it. You can add such phrases as “I think...”, “I believe...”
3. Assertion. Identify what is your answer to the prompt? Add supportive evidence. For instance, “I think …
because...”
4. Citations. The evidence should be cited, and that is the main proof of your answer. This part may start from “In the
reading passage...”, “In the work used...”, “In the article/book mentioned, Mr.X states …”
5. Explain how the quote helps to answer the question. In this section you should use your own words to explain the
issue.
6. The last part includes summing up. This statement is the closing one, so there is no need to restate the question,
just make a conclusion to the issue.
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Long Quotes / General rules
Long direct quotes = those that are longer than 40 words (or more than 3 lines) must be cited differently!
General guidelines:
put the quote in a freestanding block of typewritten lines, and omit quotation marks. Start the quotation on a new line,
indented 1/2 inch from the left margin, i.e., in the same place you would begin a new paragraph. Type the entire
quotation on the new margin, and indent the first line of any subsequent paragraph within the quotation 1/2 inch from the
new margin. Maintain double-spacing throughout. The parenthetical citation should come after the closing punctuation
mark.
Example:
Jones's (1998) study found the following:
Students often had difficulty using APA style,
especially when it was their first time citing sources. This
difficulty could be attributed to the fact that many students failed
to purchase a style manual or to ask their teacher for help. (p. 199)
For the comprehensive guide on how to incorporate long direct quotes in APA style, follow the link
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in MLA style, follow the link
Important Notes for APA and MLA style
Italicize or underline the titles of longer works such as books, edited collections, movies, television series,
documentaries, or albums: The Closing of the American Mind; The Wizard of Oz; Friends.
Put quotation marks around the titles of shorter works such as journal articles, articles from edited collections,
television series episodes, and song titles: "Multimedia Narration: Constructing Possible Worlds"; "The One Where
Chandler Can't Cry."
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Thank you for your attention!
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