Knowing how to properly cite references in your writing and research papers can save you a lot of issues and keep your work free of plagiarism. When writing, there are many styles to choose from, the most common being the American Psychological Association (APA) and the Modern Language Association (MLA) styles. To properly cite the ideas of an author who you have paraphrased in two or more sentences in a row, you will need to include a reference to the author and the appropriate parenthetical citation at the end of the last paraphrased sentence.
APA Style
Begin your first paraphrased sentence with a reference to the author, such as, "According to John Doe...".
Continue paraphrasing for up to four sentences. If you are going to paraphrase for more than four sentences, add another reference to the author, such as, "John Doe also believes..." at the beginning of the fifth sentence.
Include a parenthetical citation at the end of the last paraphrased sentence that includes the date of publication, such as "...(1993)."
MLA Style
Begin your first paraphrased sentence with a reference to the author, such as, "According to John Doe...".
Continue paraphrasing for up to four sentences. If you are going to paraphrase for more than four sentences, add another reference to the author, such as, "John Doe also believes..." at the beginning of the fifth sentence.
Include a parenthetical citation at the end of the last paraphrased sentence that includes the page number(s) you are citing from, such as "...(56-58)." If you have more than one book by the same author in your references, include a shortened title in your citation to differentiate the source, such as "...("Title" 56-58)."
Note
Know which writing style you are expected to use to make the task of completing your citations and reference list easier.
Properly document and cite all of your references in a bibliography or reference list to avoid issues with plagiarism.