Any source used within a written text requires an appropriate citation format to properly indicate that another person's work is being used. However, a non-traditional source, such as a student paper, may require different methods in order to correctly cite. As a student paper falls into the category of an unpublished work, use the corresponding format to properly cite such a text.
Step 1
Cite a student paper using the format for an unpublished work. American Psychological Association (APA) style recommends using specific information for this type of format, as follows: Author's Name. (Year Written). Paper title. Unpublished manuscript. University, City, State.
Step 2
Write the author's name in the last name, first initial format, with a comma separating the two. Place the year the paper was written in parentheses, and italicize the paper's title. Also, only capitalize the first word of the title. Indicate that the paper is unpublished, and include a university and the city and state of the university, if available.
Step 3
Format an in-text citation for a student paper by using the author's last name and the year the student paper was written. Place the name and year in parentheses, separated by a comma.