You'll need to cite the sources you've used in your projects. Here's an example of citations in the text of a paper.

As you research be sure to:

• Read carefully
• Find new search terms as you explore a topic more thoroughly
• Take notes as you read
• Write down your search terms in a notebook
• Document all your sources as you read so you don't have to find them all over again when it's time to put together your bibliography

• Lets others know where you found your information
• Proves you've done the work required of your project
• Gives credit to the author of an idea
• Shows the validity/acceptability of your sources
• Helps you use information ethically and legally
• Helps you find your own sources later on when it's time to create a bibliography

We've talked about why to cite, so what about how to cite?

Quote

• When you use the exact words of someone else.

Paraphrase

• When you state someone else's idea in your own words.

Whether you quote or paraphrase, you must cite the source or else it is considered plagiarism.

Ideas that are common knowledge do not have to be cited. For example:

• Google is a popular search engine.
• The Olympic Games are held every four years.
• Windows is one of the most common operating systems for personal computers.

Different citation styles are used in different areas of study. The style you use depends on the instructions from your professor, your boss, or the journal to which you are submitting for publication.

Three of the major styles are APA (American Psychological Association), MLA (Modern Language Association) and Chicago Manual (Chicago University Press).

APA

MLA

Chicago

You will be citing sources in the body of your paper or presentation and at the end in a list of references, also called a bibliography or a list of works cited. Below are the in-text citations, or footnote for Chicago, paired with the bibliography citations.

APA

One scholar argues persuasively that "the records and statistics of any person testing positive for a banned substance should no longer be recognized as valid by the MLB" (Tynes, 2006, p. 508).

MLA

One scholar argues persuasively that "the records and statistics of any person testing positive for a banned substance should no longer be recognized as valid by the MLB" (Tynes 508).

Chicago

One scholar argues persuasively that "the records and statistics of any person testing positive for a banned substance should no longer be recognized as valid by the MLB".¹

Footnote:

Bibliography:

SearchBox - If you locate your book, article, or media using SearchBox, you can easily get assistance in formatting the citation according to your chosen style. Note: since this is automatically generated, you will need to double check it.

There are a variety of citation managers that will help you collect and organize your citations.

RefWorks - the Library has a subscription to this research management, writing and collaboration tool designed to help researchers at all levels easily gather, organize, store and share all types of information and to instantly generate citations and bibliographies
Zotero - a popular, free browser tool that collects, manages, and cites research sources
Mendeley - a free reference manager that can help you store, organize, note, share and cite references and research data