Criminology & Criminal Justice

When doing research and writing for your college courses, you will be expected to cite your sources. To learn more about citing sources visit our Citing Sources Guide.

1. What does it mean to "cite my sources"?

A citation is a reference to a published source. In other words, in your paper, you are acknowledging that you found this information published somewhere, by someone.

2. Why do I have to cite my sources?

Citing your sources is important for three reasons:
  1. It gives credit to the person whose idea it is you are referencing
  2. It leads readers to your sources
  3. It helps you avoid plagiarism.
When you find information in another source, whether it is a newspaper, magazine, academic journal, or from an online resource, someone else has published it, which means that essentially that person "owns" the information and the ideas (intellectual property). Not giving that person credit when you borrow their ideas or words is called plagiarism, and that is a very serious academic infraction. For more information, see the tab about plagiarism.

3. Why type of citation style should I use?

The type of citation style that is best for your assignment depends on several factors, including which discipline your course is in, and also your instructor's preferences. Certain majors or professional fields use certain styles. Your instructor should be able to give you an idea of which style would be most appropriate for your assignment.

The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association describes the rules used to write papers following APA style. This style is used in psychology, sociology, business, economics, nursing, social work, and criminology. Information about using APA style can be found in the following places: