English III Summer 2007

James, Megan, Corey and Greg

When do we use citations?

What do we cite?

When do we use citations?

Although scholars in various disciplines may differ on the particulars of when to cite and when not to cite sources, you should always cite in the following cases.

Cite sources

• Cite sources for all verbatim quotations of two or more consecutive words.

Readers expect to know the original source of any quotation, whether for the purpose of checking its accuracy or using it in their own work.

Cite sources

• Cite sources from which you paraphrase or summarize facts or ideas.

Whenever you rely on another's information or ideas, you should cite your source, even if you do not use a verbatim quotation.

Cite sources

• Cite sources for ideas or information that could be regarded as common knowledge but which you think your reader might still find unfamiliar.

In general you need not cite the source of information that seems part of our common stock of knowledge.

• For example, you can assume that your readers know that the atomic structure of water is H2O; or that Martin Luther King, Jr. was a leading figure in the U.S. civil rights movement.

Cite sources

• Cite sources for materials that you might not normally consider as "texts" because they are not written.

Your sources might include materials such as public lectures, architecture, laboratory procedures, musical compositions, films, audio or visual tapes, works of art, maps, Web pages, statistical tables, or electronic databases.

Cite sources

Cite sources for non-interchangeable computer programs and software.

Computer applications with unique features that influence the results of a calculation or analysis should be cited, along with the technique used with the program to obtain the result described in your paper. Such applications might include:

• Geographic Information Systems (GIS) programs• Computer algebra programs• Data analysis programs• Calculation programs• Three-dimensional visualization software

Cite sources

• Cite sources that add relevant information to the particular topic or argument of your work.

How to Avoid Plagiarism

Give Credit Where Credit's Due

• Plagiarism—the attempt to pass off the ideas, research, theories, or words of others as one's own—is a serious academic offense.

• Most students know when they are intentionally plagiarizing, for example copying an entire essay out of a book or buying a paper off the Internet.

• However, many people are tripped up by unintentional plagiarism—not giving proper credit for others' quotes, facts, ideas, or data.

When in Doubt, Give Credit

A good rule of thumb is to always give credit for any ideas that aren't yours by citing your sources.

Exploring what to cite

What to cite?

You need to cite anything that you found in outside sources, whether the source is from a printed or online source, or directly from an interview with someone who is providing data for your paper. When in doubt, cite.

What do I have to cite?

In Conclusion• Whenever you directly copy the words

of another author (quoting) or put their ideas into your own words (paraphrasing) you must acknowledge that you have done so, or you are plagiarizing their work.

• You must reference another author's ideas, factual material, graphs or tables of data and pictures and diagrams, software programs and music or any other form of intellectual property.

Citation Flowchart

Is it a quote?

Is it a paraphrase

Is it another’s

idea / theory?

Should I cite?

There is no need to cite if it is common knowledge or

your own thoughts

Cite it

Cite it

Cite it and place double quotation

marks around the text

Yes

Yes

Yes

Presentation Citations • Citation and Style Guides. Concordia

University Libraries, Montreal. 7 Feb. 2006. <http://library.concordia.ca/help/howto/citations.html>.

• Delaney, Robert . MLA Citation Style. MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, 6th edition. 1/3/2006. Long Island University. 13 Jun 2007 <http://www.liu.edu/CWIS/CWP/library/workshop/citmla.htm>.

• "How to Avoid Plagiarism." College Success. 13 Jun 2007 <http://www.collegeboard.com/student/plan/college-success/10314.html>.

• "Citing Sources." Tutorials. University of Connecticut. 13 Jun 2007 <http://www.lib.uconn.edu/using/tutorials/instruction/citing.html>.