SCI 101: NatureHood Assignment Guide

Watch the following short video to help you cite your sources.

Generating Citations Through Quick Search

Learn how to use Quick Search tools to generate citations for your project. (Remember: auto-generated citations can be inaccurate, so always double-check them!)

Academic Citation Styles

MLA (which stands for Modern Language Association) and APA (which stands for American Psychological Association) citation styles differ in how they present information, reflecting the conventions of their respective disciplines.

While MLA, used in the humanities, emphasizes authorship and the work's title, listing the author’s full name and capitalizing all major words in titles, APA, used in the social sciences, focuses on the date of publication to highlight the timeliness of the research. These different emphases are reflected in how MLA places the publication date at the end of the citation, while APA places it right after the author’s name.

Remember that for your NatureHood project, you are using APA style.

Explore the activity below to learn more about these subtle differences between the two styles. Both examples illustrate what a citation entry looks like in a Works Cited list (for MLA-style papers) and in a References list (for APA-style papers).  

In-Text Citations

In-text citations are brief references within the body of your text that direct the reader to the full citation in your bibliography, references, or works cited page. They provide information about the source of a quote, idea, or data, typically including the author’s name and either the page number (MLA) or publication year (APA). In-text citations are essential for giving credit to the original authors and avoiding plagiarism, while also allowing readers to locate the sources of your information. 

While you're using APA style for your NatureHood assignment, learning the differences between MLA and APA style in-text citations is helpful. Read on:

MLA Style Mechanics

1. Direct Quotation

   • "Climate change has drastically altered migration patterns of various bird species" (Johnson 112).
   • Explanation: The author’s last name, “Johnson,” is followed by the page number, “112,” where the quoted text can be found in the source. There is no comma between the author’s name and the page number, and the year of publication is not included in MLA style.

2. Paraphrase

   • Johnson argues that many bird species have shifted their migration routes in response to changing climate conditions (112).
   • Explanation: The paraphrase includes the author’s last name, “Johnson,” within the sentence, making it clear who the idea belongs to. The page number, “112,” is placed in parentheses at the end to indicate where the information can be found. Again, no year is provided in MLA style.

APA Style Mechanics

1. Direct Quotation

   • "Climate change has drastically altered migration patterns of various bird species" (Johnson, 2020, p. 112).
   • Explanation: In APA, the author’s last name, “Johnson,” is followed by the publication year, “2020,” separated by a comma. The page number, “p. 112,” is used to show where the quoted material can be found in the source. APA emphasizes the recency of the research by including the year.

2. Paraphrase (paginated source)

   • Johnson (2020) suggests that many bird species have adjusted their migration routes due to shifts in climate patterns (p. 112).
   • Explanation: The author’s last name, “Johnson,” and the publication year, “2020,” are included in the narrative. This format highlights the timeliness of the source. While page numbers are not required for paraphrases in APA, including them is encouraged to help readers locate the specific part of the source where the idea is discussed.

3. Paraphrase (Non-paginated Source)

   • According to Smith (2021), community gardens can significantly impact local biodiversity (para. 4).

   • Explanation: For sources without page numbers, like websites, use the paragraph number indicated as “para.” This provides a clear reference point within non-paginated sources.

Additional Resources

• APA Direct Quotations
• APA Paraphrasing