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Why do we cite?

To avoid plagiarism

If you quote or paraphrase words and ideas used by another author, you must cite this information; otherwise, we assume they are your own

To allow the reader to check your sources

If your reader is interested in your research or wants to double check your facts and ideas, they can easily do so if you have cited correctly

To show you have done research

Just including the research isn’t enough. You must also cite the outside information

To be a responsible scholars

Giving credit to other authors and scholars and acknowledging their ideas is the responsible thing to do.

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When are citations not needed?

Familiar proverbs, well-known quotations, or common knowledge do not need to be cited.
Common knowledge

Will vary based on audience. For example, common knowledge in a biology class is different from common knowledge in a literature class
Facts or information that are found in many different sources
Facts or information that many different people are expected to be familiar with e.g. historical facts, dates, or generally accepted ideas such as “exercise promotes health”

Always use good judgment when deciding whether or not to cite common knowledge, information, or quotes. When in doubt, cite!

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Two Ways to Incorporate Research into Your Essay

Quoting: using the author’s exact words, placed inside quotation marks
Paraphrasing: using your own words to express an author’s idea
Both quoting AND paraphrasing require a citation in your essay
Your paper should be in your own words as much as possible, so generally you should paraphrase unless you have a good reason to quote
Choose a quotation over paraphrase when you want to:

Show that an authority supports your point
Maintain the language of the original text because it is significant in tone or style
Present an especially well-stated passage that would lose meaning or effectiveness if you paraphrased it.

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Blending ideas from your sources into your paper

I.C.E

Introduce the idea from the source

A single phrase lets the reader know that you are brining in an outside sources and ensures a smooth transition. Example: An editorial in The Christian Century explains, “...” (32).

Cite - here, cite means reproduce the sources idea; this may be a quotation or paraphrase
Elaborate or Explain how the source’s idea relates to your point (the topic of the paragraph)

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Blending ideas into your paper - Example

As Laurel realizes what her father meant by this as she relays his explanation to her troop, and as she remembers that he did not thank the Mennonites. Laurel says she "suddenly knew there was something mean in the world that I could not stop." (Packer, 1995). While most of the other girls on the bus find humor and oddity in these Mennonites, Laurel instead looks at the motivation of her father and learns of the cyclical, useless nature of hatred. Due to this new understanding, Laurel proves to be a thoughtful character.

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MLA vs. APA - Basic in-text citation

MLA	APA
Gladwell stated: “The relationship between success and IQ works only up to a point” (79). It has been shown that “[t]he relationship between success and IQ works only up to a point” (Gladwell 79) Gladwell explored the limitations of IQ as it relates to success (79).	Gladwell (2005, p.79) stated: “The relationship between success and IQ works only up to a point”. It has been shown that “[t]he relationship between success and IQ works only up to a point” (Gladwell, 2005, p.79) Gladwell explored the limitations of IQ as it relates to success (Gladwell, 2005).

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MLA vs. APA - Books citations

MLA	APA
In-text: (Gibaldi)	In-text: (Gibaldi, 2003)
Works Cited Gibaldi, Joseph. MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. 6th ed. New York: MLA, 2003.	References Gibaldi, J. (2003) MLA handbook for writers of research papers. 6th ed. New York: MLA.

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MLA vs. APA - Website citations

MLA	APA
In-text: (eHow) (WebMD)	In-text: (Bernstein 2002) (“Athlete’s Foot”, 2014)
Work Cited Bernstein, Mark. "10 Tips on Writing the Living Web." A List Apart: For People Who Make Websites, 16 Aug. 2002, alistapart.com/article/writeliving. Accessed 4 May 2009. No Author: "Athlete's Foot - Topic Overview." WebMD, 25 Sept. 2014, www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/tc/athletes-foot-topic-overview.	Reference Bernstein, M. (2002). 10 tips on writing the living Web. A List Apart: For People Who Make Websites, 149. Retrieved from http://www.alistapart.com/articles/writeliving No author: "Athlete's Foot - Topic Overview." (2014), WebMD. Retrieved from www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/tc/athletes-foot-topic-overview.

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MLA vs. APA - YouTube citations

MLA	APA
In-text: (Crazy Russian Hacker) (McGonigal)	In-text: (Norton 2006) (pewdiepie 2010)
Work Cited “8 Hot Dog Gadgets put to the Test.” YouTube, uploaded by Crazy Russian Hacker, 6 Jun. 2016, www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBlpjSEtEL s. If the author is different from the person that uploaded the video, cite the author’s name before the title. McGonigal, Jane. “Gaming and Productivity.” YouTube, uploaded by Big Think, 3 July 2012, www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkdzy9bWW3E.	Reference Norton, R. (2006, November 4). How to train a cat to operate a light switch [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vja83KLQXZs pewdiepie (2010, March 3). Sup bros [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vja83KLQXZs

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Resources

For more detailed examples goto the following links to see full examples:

MLA full example: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/13/
APA full example: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/18/
Chicago Style full example: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/717/11/

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