RefWorksEndnoteZoteroDiigo
This is the "Why Cite Sources" page of the "Citing Sources" guide.
Alternate Page for Screenreader Users
Skip to Page Navigation
Skip to Page Content

Admin Sign In 

Citing Sources  

A quick guide to citing sources and avoiding plagiarism
Last update: Nov 3, 2011 URL: http://ilstu.libguides.com/cite  Print Guide   RSS Updates ShareThis

Why Cite SourcesPrint Page
  Search: 
 
 
 

Reasons to Cite Sources

When you research a topic you may use information from articles, books, or the Internet to support your ideas. However, you must credit the original authors of these sources by citing them. To cite means that you state where you found the information so that others can find the exact item again. In this way we build upon the ideas and knowledge of other people.

Tips for researching and citing:
  • Take clear, accurate notes about where you found specific ideas.
  • Write down the complete citation information for each item you use.
  • Use quotation marks when directly stating another person's words.
  • Always credit original authors for their information and ideas.

 

Comments (0)
 

When to cite

So how do you know when to cite? A few basic rules apply.

1. If you quote a resource, cite it.

2. If you paraphrase someone else's idea or statement, cite it.

3. If you state a fact that is not common knowledge, cite it.

For example, the statement "the Internet has brought many changes to the field of journalism" does not need a citation because most people are aware of this. The statement "newspaper circulation has dropped by 20 percent because of the Internet" does need a citation because a specific fact has been stated that is not common knowledge. Furthermore, readers may want to know where this information came from so that they can evaluate it to see how reliable it is.

4. If you're unsure, cite it.

Comments (0)
 

Parts of a Citation

In general, any citation will include the

  • author(s) name,
  • the complete title of the work,
  • publication information, and
  • the date of publication.

Different types of sources will dictate the inclusion of different elements in the citations.

Examples

Books
Author(s) name. Title of book. Place of Publication [city]: Publishing company, Year. [Example of MLA Citation Style]

Author(s) name. (Year) Title of book. Place of Publication [city]: Publishing company. [Example of APA Citation Style]

Articles
Author(s) name. "Title of article." Journal / magazine / newspaper title, Volume / Issue number Date of publication: Page numbers. [Example of MLA Citation Style]

Author(s) name. (Date of publication) "Title of article." Journal / magazine / newspaper title, Volume / Issue number, Page numbers. [Example of APA Citation Style]

Comments (0)
Description

Loading  Loading content... please wait