Correct Citation Style for Dissertations

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Correct Citation Style for Dissertations

Each citation style has its own set of rules for how to format citations and references. Here’s a brief guide on how to apply the correct citation style for your dissertation:

1. APA (American Psychological Association)

  • Common Fields: Used in social sciences, psychology, and education.

  • In-Text Citations: Author-date format (e.g., Smith, 2020). Direct quotes require the page number (Smith, 2020, p. 15).

  • Reference List: Books, journal articles, and other sources are formatted with the author’s last name, first initial, year of publication, title in italics, publisher, and additional publication details. Example:

    • Book: Smith, J. D. (2020). Research Methods in Social Science. Academic Press.

    • Journal Article: Smith, J. D. (2020). The role of technology in education. Journal of Education Research, 22(4), 234-245.

2. MLA (Modern Language Association)

  • Common Fields: Primarily used in the humanities, including literature, philosophy, and the arts.

  • In-Text Citations: Author-page format (e.g., Smith 23). No comma is used between the author’s name and page number.

  • Works Cited List: Citations follow a similar pattern but with more focus on the title of the source. Example:

    • Book: Smith, John. Research Methods in Literature. Academic Press, 2020.

    • Journal Article: Smith, John. “The Impact of Modern Technology.” Journal of Literary Studies, vol. 32, no. 4, 2020, pp. 45-60.

3. Chicago Style

  • Common Fields: Frequently used in history, business, and some social sciences.

  • Footnotes/Endnotes: Chicago style often uses footnotes or endnotes for in-text citations. For example: John Smith, Research Methods in History (Chicago: Academic Press, 2020), 45.

  • Bibliography: Books and articles are listed in the bibliography with full details. Example:

    • Book: Smith, John. Research Methods in History. Chicago: Academic Press, 2020.

    • Journal Article: Smith, John. “The Digital Age: Implications for Business.” Business Journal 32, no. 4 (2020): 101-110.

4. Harvard Style

  • Common Fields: Often used in the UK, Australia, and other countries for a variety of disciplines.

  • In-Text Citations: Author-date system, similar to APA (e.g., Smith, 2020). For direct quotes, include the page number (Smith, 2020, p. 23).

  • Reference List: Similar to APA but with slight variations in punctuation and formatting. Example:

    • Book: Smith, J. (2020) Research Methods in Social Sciences. London: Academic Press.

    • Journal Article: Smith, J. (2020) ‘The role of technology in education’, Journal of Education Research, 22(4), pp. 234-245.

5. Other Styles

  • Choose the Correct Style: Your department or institution may have specific guidelines for which citation style to use. Be sure to check with your supervisor or dissertation guide.

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