How to cite a source in a essay

Citing sources properly in your essay is an important part of good academic writing. You must give credit to the original author for their ideas, theories, words, and data. Moreover, by citing sources you are demonstrating your understanding of the material you have studied and its context.

The best way to cite a source in an essay is by using the author-date style. This involves including the author's last name and publication year in parentheses at the end of a sentence that includes information from the source. For example, if you were citing information from John Smith's 2019 article, your sentence might look like this: John Smith (2019) argued that

If your essay is a long one, you may also want to include a list of all sources cited at the end. This is called a works cited or bibliography page and should be formatted according to the style guide being used (e.g. MLA, APA). When including a source in the bibliography, you should include the author's name, title of the work, publication date, and relevant page numbers.

When citing sources in your essay, it is also important to include in-text citations. These are brief references that indicate where you have used information from other sources. The in-text citation should include the authors last name and the year of publication of the source. For example, if you were citing information from John Smith's 2019 article, your in-text citation might look like this: (Smith, 2019).

Finally, always double-check with your professor or instructor which citation style they prefer you to use in your essay. Following the correct style ensures that your essay has a professional and consistent appearance. With practice, citing sources will become an integral part of your academic writing process.