24 Placing Your Citations
Where do I place citations in my writing?
Placing the citations
It is very important that you clearly distinguish your own ideas from those of others by putting your citations in the appropriate places. The two most common ways to put your citation are:
- right after the borrowed information
- APA uses in-text citations and the author/date information in parentheses:
Example:
There is also the argument that ….. (Mitchell, 1996)
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- MLA uses in-text citations and the author/page information in parentheses:
Example:
There is also the argument that …… (Mitchell 225)
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- Chicago uses footnotes indicated by a superscript number like this1. The footnote contains the full citation information.
Example:
There is also the argument that …….1
- using the author information in an introductory phrase
- APA
Example: Mitchell (1996)argues…
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- MLA
Example: Mitchell states …….. (225).
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- Chicago
Example: Mitchell suggests ……..1
Can you show me an example?
Have a look at the following paragraphs in the three different citation styles. The student’s own ideas are shown in purple, the borrowed ideas are in green, and the citations are in red. The first two citations follow the borrowed idea, while the third citation uses the author information in an introductory phrase.
Where do I place AI citations and disclosures?
For traditional AI citations (when treating AI as a source):
- Follow your citation style’s guidelines for AI tools
- Include the AI tool name, version if known, date of access, and prompt used
- Place citations immediately after AI-generated content
For AI disclosures:
- Inline disclosure: “The following paragraph was generated with AI assistance”
- Footnote disclosure: Use superscript numbers to indicate specific AI assistance
- End-of-paper disclosure: Comprehensive statement about all AI use
Example of proper AI integration with citation:
Your original writing can incorporate AI assistance transparently. According to AI analysis¹, “the integration of technology in education requires careful consideration of pedagogical goals” (ChatGPT, personal communication, March 15, 2025). This perspective aligns with current educational research on technology adoption.
¹Content in this sentence was generated using ChatGPT in response to the prompt “How should technology be integrated in education?” The response was edited for clarity and factual accuracy.
