Citing Sources  

What is a citation?

• A description of published work (art, papers, books, articles, speeches, graphs, pictures...)
• It includes, at minimum, the author/creator, title, publisher and date of publication

When should you cite a source?

When writing for academic purposes, it's important that you cite your sources - basically, provide a listing of where you found the information you used in your paper (or speech, poster, PPT, etc.).  By citing your sources you:

• Give credit to the author/creator of the original source.
• Provide your reader with a location where they can find additional information.
• Avoid plagiarizing.
• Provide valid support for your arguments.
• Demonstrate your familiarity with the field or discipline you're writing in.

Include a citation when you...

• Quote an author's exact words
• Include a graph or image from another work
• Summarize (put into your own words) someone else's thoughts

When (or what) NOT to cite?

• When you're including facts that are common knowledge (if you've found the same information in at least 3-5 sources).

OR

• If you're including your own opinions, conclusions or observations.

Before you begin your works cited/reference/bibliography, you should:

1. Select the citation style you'll be using.
2. Determine the type of source(s) you want to cite.
3. Alphabetize your sources by primary author/editor's last name
   (or by title if no author/editor is present).
   

The tabs in this guide provide some basic information about the most commonly used citation styles and sources including: books, print & electronic articles and encyclopedia articles.  If you have questions, please contact a librarian or refer to the appropriate style manual for more detailed citation assistance.