I. Paraphrasing
II. Quoting
III. Referencing
Useful Links
Easybib - For generating references and in-text citations in MLA format
Purdue University page on MLA formatting
MLA Format Official Page
Turn It In - A site for generating reports on issues of plagiarism
Taken directly from the IBO document "Effective Citing and Referencing":
Why cite?
Proper citation is a key element in academic scholarship and intellectual exchange. When we cite we:
show respect for the work of others
help a reader to distinguish our work from the work of others who have contributed to our work
give the reader the opportunity to check the validity of our use of other people’s work
give the reader the opportunity to follow up our references, out of interest
show and receive proper credit for our research process
demonstrate that we are able to use reliable sources and critically assess them to support our work
establish the credibility and authority of our knowledge and ideas
demonstrate that we are able to draw our own conclusions
share the blame (if we get it wrong).
What to cite?
As creators/authors, we are expected to acknowledge any materials or ideas that are not ours and that have been used in any way, such as quotation, paraphrase or summary. The term “materials” means written, oral or electronic products, and may include the following.
Text
Visual
Audio
Graphic
Artistic
Lectures
Interviews
Conversations
Letters
Broadcasts
Maps
Basic and common knowledge within a field or subject does not need to be acknowledged. However, if we are in doubt whether the source material is common knowledge or not, we should cite!
When to cite?
When we acknowledge the use of materials or ideas that are not ours, the reader must be able to clearly distinguish between our own words, illustrations, findings and ideas and the words and work of other creators.
Style guides give us advice for documenting our sources in written work, but they are less helpful with other formats and mediums. Nevertheless, we can be honest and we can be helpful to our audience(s)—for assessment purposes, this is an expectation.
In written work, we should cite in the text where we have used an external source. The inclusion of a reference in a bibliography (works cited/list of references) at the end of the paper is not enough.
In other forms of work (music, video, artistic pieces), we are expected to acknowledge use of external sources appropriately.
In presentations we can provide our audience with a handout of our references, or list our sources on the final slide(s).
During an oral presentation, we can acknowledge the sources we are using by the use of phrases, for example, “As Gandhi put it …” or “According to …”. We can show a direct quotation by saying “Quote … Unquote” or by signalling with “rabbit’s ears” or “air quotes”. In a presentation supported by posters or slides, we can include short or full references on the slides; if short references are made on the slides, then we should again provide a full list of references on a handout or on the final slide(s).
We can include references or acknowledgments of other people’s work in the final credits of a film. A piece of music can be accompanied by programme notes indicating influences and direct sources. Art on display can be labelled or captioned.
Definitions
The words listed here are often used, sometimes interchangeably, in textbooks and in style guides. To support understanding, the terminology in this guide uses the following definitions.
Documentation
Documentation is the stylized process of indicating sources in the text (citation) and giving full details (references) to enable another reader to locate the sources.
Style guide
A style guide is a published manual that gives guidance on citation and references to help ensure that our documentation is expressed consistently, and that we include all the elements needed for our sources to be identified.
Some style guides offer more than one set of choices or sub-styles; if we use a particular sub-style, we must be sure to use the same sub-style throughout our work.
As well as advice on citations and referencing, many published style guides give advice on spelling, abbreviations, punctuation, and so on. Many also give guidance on research and on the general writing process.
Style guides in common use in the academic world include the following.
MLA (Modern Language Association)
APA (American Pyschological Association)
Harvard
Chicago/Turabian
CSE (Council of Science Editors)
ISO 690 (International Organization for Standardization)
Note local variations between style guides; writers should be sure to follow a single style guide consistently. When consulted sources are accessed online, the IB prefers the use of URLs (uniform resource locators) or DOIs (digital object identifiers), even if the published style guide makes them optional.
Owing to different editions of style guides, the variety of languages in which members of the IB community complete their work, and diverse subject areas, the IB does not endorse any particular style guide. This choice is left to the discretion of the authors/creators, or their advisers.
For assessment purposes, IB students are not expected to show faultless expertise in referencing but are expected to acknowledge all uses of other people’s work.
Citation
A citation is an indication (signal) in the text that this (material) is not ours; we have “borrowed” it (as a direct quote, paraphrase or summary) from someone or somewhere else. The citation in the text can be:
in the form of an introductory phrase, or
at the end of the statement, or
indicated by a superscript or bracketed number that leads to a similarly numbered footnote or endnote.
Every citation should be given a full reference that enables the reader to locate the exact source used.
Reference
A reference gives full details of the source cited in the work; the parts or elements of the reference should be noted in a consistent order. Use of a recognized style guide will help ensure consistency, and will also ensure that all required elements are included.
Every reference should be given a citation in the text. If we have looked at a source but not mentioned or cited it in the text, then we do not include it as a reference.
Bibliography/references/works cited
Most style guides require a list of references at the end of the work. This is usually a list, in alphabetical order, of the authors (last name first), whose words and works have been cited in the work. The title of this section varies from one style guide to another.
Each entry in the list of references includes the full information (or as much of it as can be found), expressed in a consistent fashion, which will allow an interested reader to track down exactly where you found the material you have used and cited.
Paraphrase
In writing an essay, we often use our own words to put over someone else’s thoughts and ideas. While there are some words that we cannot change (especially the names of people, places, chemicals, and so on), we should use our own words for as much as we can of the rest of the passage. We should also aim to change the structure of the passage, perhaps by reordering the thoughts and ideas.
When we paraphrase, we need to make it very clear where the original author’s ideas start and where they finish. If we include our own examples, we should make it clear that these are our thoughts and not those of the original author.
Summary
A summary is a much-shortened summing up of someone else’s work. We might summarize a chapter or academic paper, or perhaps even a book, in two or three sentences. Again, although we are using our own words, we must still cite the original source used.
Summaries are often used in a review of the literature—when we sum up what other writers have said or done in investigating a topic or theme.
Quotation
When we use someone else’s exact words, we quote that original author, and we show this is a quotation by using quotation marks. Longer quotations may be indicated by the use of an indented paragraph (without quotation marks). As well as indicating the words quoted, we must also acknowledge the author by using an in-text citation, the citation in turn linking to a full reference.
Quotations should normally be used sparingly and carefully; essays on literary subjects or from historical documents might include more quotations than other essays.
"Effective Citing and Referencing." Effective Citing and Referencing. International Baccalaureate Organization, n.d. Web. 27 Feb. 2015. <https://ibpublishing.ibo.org/server2/rest/app/tsm.xql?doc=g_0_malpr_sup_1408_1b_e&part=1&chapter=1&IBVal=O1CG1MOB9TACEHKF1P8H&CFID=699224&CFTOKEN=20477406&jsessionid=bc3059fe3bcac195b29c337e36433c635773>.