How to Cite Sources in an Essay
Complete guide on how to cite sources in an essay. Learn APA, MLA, and Chicago citation formats with examples. Plus, use our free auto-citation tool.
Why Citing Sources Matters
Improper citations lead to plagiarism accusations, lost points, and academic integrity violations. Each citation style has different rules that are hard to memorize.
APA Citation Format
Learn the basics of APA, MLA, and Chicago citations — then use our automatic citation generator to handle the formatting. Focus on your writing, not on comma placement.
MLA Citation Format
Determine which citation style your professor requires
Understand the basic format (in-text + reference list)
Use our auto-citation tool to generate properly formatted citations
Include in-text citations where you reference sources
Build your reference list/Works Cited/bibliography
See It in Action
Example
APA in-text: (Smith, 2024, p. 45) | MLA in-text: (Smith 45) | Chicago footnote: 1. John Smith, *Title* (Publisher, 2024), 45.
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Automatic APA Citation Generator
Generate APA citations automatically as you write. Free citation generator for students — supports journals, books, websites, and more. No manual formatting needed.
Read moreFree MLA Citation Generator
Generate MLA citations for free. Automatic formatting for books, websites, journals, and more. Perfect for college essays and research papers.
Read moreChicago Citation Generator
Auto-generate Chicago-style citations. Supports Notes-Bibliography and Author-Date formats. Free for students — just paste your source and get instant citations.
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