Citations

WHY CITE YOUR SOURCES?

Citing your sources is part of being a responsible researcher. Citing gives credit to others for their ideas or research, avoiding both accidental or intentional plagiarism. It also lends credibility to your writing, showing the reader that you have taken the time to locate high quality information. An interested reader can learn more about your topic by tracking down the sources you list in your Works Cited (MLA), Reference list (APA) or bibliography.

Source: MIT Libraries

Citation styles

Many teachers will want you to format your papers and citations in MLA 8. Purdue OWL is an excellent resource for you with sample papers and works cited pages, as well as tips on how to cite anything, including YouTube videos. If your teacher wants you to format your paper in APA or another style, start at Purdue OWL.

Citation from a database

The library's databases will generate a citation for any article you find. You will need to copy and paste the citation into a Google Doc, and double check the formatting before turning in your assignment. Punctuation (periods or commas), italics, and capitalization matter for each citation.

Citation from a citation generator

If you are citing a website, a book, or another non-database source, you may want to use a citation generator. zBib.org is easy to use and ad-free. You will need to copy and paste the citation into a Google Doc, and double check the formatting.

In-text (Parenthetical) Citation

Every time you quote, paraphrase, summarize, or refer to a source in your paper, you need to include an in-text citation. In-text citations are also called parenthetical citations, because the quote or paraphrase is followed by a short citation in parentheses, followed by a period.

Example: One of the most memorable quotes from Slaughterhouse Five is the gravestone carved with "everything was beautiful and nothing hurt" (Vonnegut 156).

Every source you cite in-text should have a corresponding longer entry on the Works Cited page. See the Purdue OWL page, MLA In-Text Citations: The Basics.

Works Cited Page

Docs now includes a citation tool that will make your life a little bit easier!