Identification

• Citing a source means telling readers exactly where you found information that contributed to your paper or your ideas, according to the University of California, Berkeley.
  
  

Features

• There are several formats for properly citing sources. The most commonly used are the MLA (Modern Language Association) style, the Chicago style (University of Chicago) and the APA style (American Psychological Association), according to Duke University. The standard citation includes the name of the author, the title of the publication, the name of the publisher and location and the date of the work, according to Duke University.
  
  

Placement

• Sources are cited within the text, usually with the phrase "according to" or with a parenthetical reference. Citations can also be placed at the bottom of a page as footnotes or as end notes at the end of a section. All sources are cited in a compilation called a "Works Cited" page at the end of the work