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Citation

What Is Citation?

What Is Citation?

Citation is a way to tell your readers:

  • which ideas in your paper were borrowed from other sources.
  • the information necessary to find each source.

Why Cite?

Why Cite?

  • To base your ideas and arguments on the work of experts.
  • To help your reader understand which ideas are your own and which ideas are from other sources.
  • To allow readers to look up your sources to verify your claims and learn more about the topic.
  • To give others credit for their work and avoid plagiarism.
  • Failing to do so, even by accident, is considered an act of academic dishonesty.

How Do I Cite?

How Do I Cite?

  • Know what your instructor expects
    • They may ask you to use:
      • official format guidelines of the Modern Language Association (MLA).
      • official guidelines of the American Psychological Association (APA).
      • another official format.
      • their own method.
  • Provide in-text citations
    • An in-text citation is a short note in the text of your paper which:
      • immediately indicates information taken from another source.
      • refers your reader to the matching entry in a full list of your sources.
        • Example: (Barnes, 2020).
    • See MLA or APA Quick Format in this guide for details.
  • Provide a list of sources
    • The list provides all the information required to locate each source noted in your in-text citations.
      • In MLA format this is called the list of Works Cited. 
      • In APA format it is called the list of References.
    • See MLA or APA Quick Format and Citation Examples in this guide for details.  
  • Follow format guidelines
    • Use this guide and Purdue OWL for format rules and examples.
    • When in doubt, consult the official MLA or APA manual or ask Kalamazoo Valley Libraries for help.