Understanding Information
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Citing Your Sources

 

Why it is important to use & cite sources 

  • Information can be used to support your ideas and arguments.  Use multiple sources to form your own unique opinion and conclusions.  
  • Give credit to original author
  • to avoid plagiarism

When to cite

  • When using ideas other than your own, even if you are paraphrasing.  Rewording someone else’s ideas does not eliminate the need to document the source.
  • If using exact words, quotation marks must be used and the source identified.

In Text Citations 

  • When referring to another source, include the author or source in the text of your paper.  The full documentation will come at the end of the paper in the Reference List. 

According to _________  (1997), it is clear that….    OR
It is clear that _______.  (author, 1997). 

Reference List

  • The reference list appears at the end of the paper and must match exactly with the in text citations. 

  • Listings are alphabetical by author's last name.

  • Citations allow readers to locate original information.

How to cite

  • There are a number of different styles used in writing and documenting sources and they vary by the subject being studied.
  • Two of the most common styles are APA (American Psycological Association), and MLA (Modern Language Association). 
  • The Style Manuals listed on the library web site provide instructions and examples for citing your sources. 
  • More complex issues can be addressed by consulting the APA Style Manual, 5th ed., 2001; or the MLA Handbook, 6th ed., 2003.  Both are available in the library.