When doing research and writing for your college courses, you will be expected to cite your sources. To learn more about citing sources and to see a list of free citation managers, 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.
3. Which citation style should I use?
The 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; for instance, Nursing normally uses APA. Your instructor should be able to give you an idea of which style would be most appropriate for your assignment.
The library's Service Desk has copies of the latest editions of several major style manuals, including the APA, MLA, and Chicago guides.
4. How can I avoid plagiarism?
Often one of the most difficult aspects of writing a paper is knowing how to properly integrate your sources into your paper. Many cases of plagiarism are unintentional and happen because the writer is unaware of how to properly incorporate and cite sources in the text of a paper. The following steps can help you make certain you have all the information you need to compile proper citations.
Most databases have citation help and suggested formatting built-in. With any tool that generates a citation for you, always check the suggested formatting, particularly for things like capitalization and punctuation. Some database citations need minor corrections to comply with style requirements.
If you have trouble, please ask a librarian for help.