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.
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.
The Purdue OWL is a good source for finding examples for the most up-to-date guidelines for these citation styles
