Using Sources The Rights and Wrongs of Citation

When do you have to cite?

Cite:

When it is not YOUR work or thoughts

Which includes: • When paraphrasing or summarizing anything • When using direct "quotes" • When stating someone else's opinions,

thoughts, or research • When using an image or work that someone

else created (even if you modified it)

Don’t have to cite:

Your thoughts and interpretations Your work/images/media creations Common knowledge

So what is common knowledge?

Go to the Common Knowledge page of the LibGuide.

Common Knowledge

It doesn't necessarily mean that most people would know it offhand. And sometimes it's a judgment call because what seems like common knowledge to one person isn't to another. Here are good rules of thumb:

• If you can find the same information in multiple places, stated in relatively the same way, it's common knowledge.

• Generally, it is said that you should find the information in at least three to five sources.

• If most people are aware of this fact, or if it's general reference, it's common knowledge

When in doubt,

How do you cite?

Citation Styles

Why are there different citation styles? Which styles are most common? What are the differences between them?

Citation Styles

Citation styles provide consistent directions for formatting your papers and the information about your sources.

MLA

• Modern Language Association

• Used for humanities – English, Writing, Literature, History

APA

• American Psychological Association

• Used for social sciences – Business, Education, Health Sciences, Psychology, Sociology

Two Most Popular Citation Styles:

So what are the differences between MLA and APA?

See the examples on the handout provided.

Main Differences

• Order of citation information • Capitalization • Punctuation • Required Information

Similarities

Each style has a manual or handbook with directions and examples to follow Each style requires in-text AND bibliography citation for every source

In-Text Citation

In-text citation acknowledges the source at the point of use (source pg#). If you are using the exact words from a source (direct quoting), these words should be placed in quotation marks.

Summarizing & Paraphrasing

Summarize: takes a broad overview of the source material and highlights only the most critical main points Paraphrase: includes important supporting details that pertain directly to the topic of your paper

Let’s practice …

Go to the In-Text Citation page of the LibGuide.

Good Tips to Remember

• You want the text/resource to be familiar and fresh in your mind

• If you are looking directly at the text, you are going to be likely to borrow their exact wording. Set it aside when trying to summarize and paraphrase

• Summarizing and paraphrasing still gives you the ability to select what to highlight or include about your text. If five people summarize the same thing, it will be different every time

• Anytime you are writing a direct quotation down, put it immediately into quotation marks so you remember that it was taken word for word

Works Cited/ References

The Works Cited or Reference page acknowledges all sources that were used within the paper.

Let’s practice …

First, look at the reverse side of the handout provided. Then go to the Works Cited page of the LibGuide.

Bring it all together: Why do we cite?

Cite because …

The original author/creator deserves credit for his/her work

People are more likely to believe what you are saying if you support your claims with research and credible sources

Success in college (and real life) requires it

Let’s talk about:

Plagiarism is …

Dictionary: an act or instance of using or closely imitating the language and thoughts of another author without authorization and the representation of that author's work as one's own, as by not crediting the original author. Source: Plagairism. (n.d.). In Dictionary.com. Retrieved from http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/plagiarism

On college campuses …

Academic Integrity Policy • Campus definition

• Normally includes info on cheating and self-plagiarism

• Consequences

Bottom line:

To avoid plagiarizing, you must change both the sentence structure and the words of the original text.