Summary

Remember to always cite sources when you refer to someone else's words or ideas, whether found in books, articles, speeches, interviews, movies or websites.

You do not have to cite facts, events, dates or concepts that are considered to be common knowledge.

Citing your sources:

• Helps you avoid plagiarism by acknowledging sources.
• Provides enough details for the reader to track down the original source.
• Adds credibility to your statements, opinions and ideas.
• Demonstrates the depth and breadth of the research you have done.

Cite within your paper with an in-text citation.

Cite at the end of your paper with a works cited list/reference list/bibliography.

There are many different citation styles, including MLA, APA, IEEE and Chicago. These style guides provide a list of guidelines and formatting instructions.

When quoting directly from a source, be sure to place quotation marks ("...") around exact words taken from that source.

When paraphrasing, rewrite an author's idea using your own words, without modifying the original meaning, and then cite the source.

Use Google Scholar to help identify a source if the citation is incomplete.

Use citation management tools to download citations and organize your sources.