The method and format you choose for citation will depend on your professor's preferences. They may require you to use a particular "citation style." They may also say, "use what you like, but be consistent."
Being consistent means choosing a style and staying with it through the whole paper. Don't guess or improvise. It seems tedious, but remind yourself, that you are participating in a scholarly process and taking part in a conversation. This comes with a set of practices and expectations.
Each discipline has a citation style. Common styles include:
If you are choosing your own style, choosing one of these three will ensure that you have all of the documentation you need to provide in-text citations and to create your bibliography using the right elements and formatting.
Guides:
The Excelsior Online Writing Lab is an option for finding examples for the most up-to-date guidelines for these citation styles
