Citing helps ensure we are practicing ethical research as well as…
Gives credit to the original creator
Provides credibility to your paper
Shows your evidence
Helps the reader track down your sources
Shows you as an authority on your topic
And to prevent PLAGIARISM
APA Style can be utilized by any discipline. However, traditionally, APA is most frequently used by writers and students in:
Be sure to check with your professor to ensure you are using the right citation style!
MLA Style can be utilized by any discipline, However, traditionally, MLA is most frequently used by writes and students in:
Formatting Resources
How to do a hanging indent in Microsoft Word
How do a hanging indent in Google Docs
How to download Microsoft products
What are we citing and why?
We use sources to add credibility, complexity, and to support our research. How we use the information from those sources depends on what your needs are, sources are not meant to make your point for you but to SUPPORT a point you are making. Here are a few ways you can use your sources to support your paper and when to use them.
| Quoting | This is when you are directly, word for word, using the author's EXACT phrasing in your paper |
| Paraphrasing | This is when you restate IN YOUR OWN WORDS, with great detail, what the author is saying. The wording should be mostly your own but the author's meaning and purpose should remain clear and the same. |
| Summarizing | This is similar to paraphrasing. You are restating the author's work in your own words. However, this would be summarizing the MAIN IDEAS, not the specific details like in paraphrasing. Summaries keep the main idea but do not need all the specifics. |
When should I use quotes?
Using direct quotes is the easiest way to use your sources BUT SHOULD BE USED SPARINGLY. Only use quotes for the following reasons:
Avoid having a paper that is full of quotes!
When should I paraphrase?
You will want to paraphrase or summarize most of your sources, especially if the meaning of the source is more important than the exact wording. You may use the paraphrase often for the following reasons:
