Effective Essay Structure and Citation Standards

Essay Structure

Introduction

The introduction should tell the reader what to expect in the essay. It should make clear to the reader the focus of the essay, the scope of the research (in particular, an indication of the sources to be used), and an insight into the line of argument to be taken.

Body

The body should be presented in the form of a reasoned argument. The form varies with the subject, but as the argument develops, it should be clear to the reader what relevant evidence has been discovered, where and how it has been discovered, and how it supports the argument.

Citation Formats for Various Sources

• Book: Author – Title – Institution, Publisher, and City – Publication Date – Edition (if applicable).
• Chapter from Book: Author – Title – Chapter, Article, and Page Title – Institution, Publisher, and City – Publication Date – Page Number – Edition (if applicable) – Editor (if applicable).
• Online Book: Author – Title – Institution, Publisher, and City – URL, DOI – Publication Date – Edition (if applicable).
• E-Book: Author – Title – Institution, Publisher, and City – Publication Date – E-reader Device – Edition (if applicable).
• Newspaper, Magazine, Article: Author (if available) – Chapter, Article, Page Title – Periodical Name – Publication Date – Page Number.
• Journal Paper: Author – Chapter, Article, Page Title – Periodical Name – Publication Date – Volume, Issue Number – Page Number.
• Electronic Newspaper, Magazine Article: Author (if available) – Chapter, Article, Page Title – Periodical Name – Publication Date – Page Number (if available) – Database Name (if applicable) – E-reader Device (if applicable).
• Electronic Journal Paper: Author – Chapter, Article, Page Title – Periodical Name – URL, DOI – Publication Date – Volume, Issue Number – Page Number (if available) – Database Name (if applicable) – E-reader Device (if applicable).
• Internet, Web Page: Author (if available) – Chapter, Article, Page Title – Title – Institution, Publisher, and City (if applicable) – URL, DOI – Publication Date (if available) – Date Accessed (usually).
• Internet Site: Author (if available) – Title – Internet, Publisher, and City (if applicable) – URL, DOI – Publication Date (if available) – Date Accessed.
• Image, Graph, Graphic: Author (if available) – Title – Institution, Publisher, City (if applicable) – URL, DOI (if applicable) – Publication Date (if available) – Date Accessed (if applicable).
• Video: Author (if available) – Title – Institution, Publisher, City (if applicable) – URL, DOI (if applicable) – Publication Date (if available) – Date Accessed (if applicable).
• Blog: Author – Chapter, Article, Page Title – Title – URL, DOI – Publication Date (if available) – Date Accessed.