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Writing

This Guide was created as a joint project of the Academic Resource Center and the William H. Hannon Library.

Using and Citing Sources

What is citing and citations?

  • Citations can be a quotation from or reference to a book, paper, or author, especially in a scholarly work - OED Online

  • Citing a source means that you show, within the body of your text, that you took words, ideas, figures, images, etc. from another place - MIT Libraries

  • Citations are a short way to uniquely identify a published work (e.g. book, article, chapter, web site).  They are found in bibliographies and reference lists and are also collected in article and book databases - MIT Libraries

Why cite sources? (From Arizona State University)

  • Citations credit the author of the original work who provided you with the information or idea

  • Citations allow your audience to identify and find the source material in order to learn more about your topic

  • Citations give your paper more credibility because it shows you're supporting your arguments with high-quality sources

  • Citations help you avoid plagiarism & demonstrate your integrity as a responsible researcher and participant in your field of study