CitationsCitations

Created by Cat Gomez, Librarian 11-09Created by Cat Gomez, Librarian 11-09

What Is a Citation? What Is a Citation?

A citation contains important pieces of A citation contains important pieces of information about a primary or secondary information about a primary or secondary source. source.

These pieces of information, called These pieces of information, called elementselements, , include items such as the name of the author, include items such as the name of the author, the title of an article, the title of a book or the title of an article, the title of a book or magazine, the publisher, the place of magazine, the publisher, the place of publication, and the date of publication. publication, and the date of publication.

The citation identifies the source and enables a The citation identifies the source and enables a reader to locate it.reader to locate it.

Check Your Citations Check Your Citations Be consistent when citing. Include source information Be consistent when citing. Include source information each time you quote, paraphrase, or use someone each time you quote, paraphrase, or use someone else's words or ideas. For more information see When else's words or ideas. For more information see When Should I Cite? Should I Cite?

When you have finished writing your paper, go through it When you have finished writing your paper, go through it and check all parenthetical references or footnotes. and check all parenthetical references or footnotes. Make sure that each parenthetical reference has a Make sure that each parenthetical reference has a corresponding entry in your Works Cited or References corresponding entry in your Works Cited or References list. Make sure that each footnote has a corresponding list. Make sure that each footnote has a corresponding entry at the end of the page. entry at the end of the page.

If you are using endnotes, make sure that each note has If you are using endnotes, make sure that each note has a corresponding entry in your Notes or Footnotes page. a corresponding entry in your Notes or Footnotes page. Remember that including false citation information is Remember that including false citation information is also considered plagiarismalso considered plagiarism

What Is a Bibliography? What Is a Bibliography?

Your bibliography is an alphabetical list of sources Your bibliography is an alphabetical list of sources you used when researching and writing your you used when researching and writing your paper. Each entry on the list of sources is called a paper. Each entry on the list of sources is called a citation. Depending on which citation style you citation. Depending on which citation style you use, your bibliography may be titled by a different use, your bibliography may be titled by a different name such as:name such as:

Works Cited Works Cited (a list of sources you cited in text) (a list of sources you cited in text) Annotated Bibliography Annotated Bibliography (a bibliography, which (a bibliography, which

also contains a short descriptive and evaluative also contains a short descriptive and evaluative paragraph on each source) paragraph on each source)

Works Consulted Works Consulted (a list of all sources you used (a list of all sources you used when writing your paper) when writing your paper)

Selected Bibliography Selected Bibliography List of References List of References (a list of sources you cited in (a list of sources you cited in

text) text)

Why Do I Need to Cite? Why Do I Need to Cite?

Citations are needed:Citations are needed:To acknowledge the source of information To acknowledge the source of information for any ideas, quotations, or pictures that for any ideas, quotations, or pictures that you used. Claiming that another person's you used. Claiming that another person's ideas are your own or failing to acknowledge ideas are your own or failing to acknowledge sources that you used is called plagiarism. sources that you used is called plagiarism. For more information see Avoiding For more information see Avoiding Plagiarism. Plagiarism. To provide enough information about the To provide enough information about the source you used to help a reader easily find source you used to help a reader easily find it. it. To show that you have read information To show that you have read information about your topic and have conducted about your topic and have conducted research. research. To protect your own original ideas and To protect your own original ideas and words. When you cite others' work, it is very words. When you cite others' work, it is very easy to see which ideas are yours and which easy to see which ideas are yours and which came from other sources. came from other sources.

When Should I Cite? When Should I Cite?

In general, you should include citations when you:In general, you should include citations when you:

Quote. If you are quoting more than two consecutive Quote. If you are quoting more than two consecutive words from another source, place the words or phrase words from another source, place the words or phrase in quotes and include a citation. For example, the in quotes and include a citation. For example, the following quote is taken from an article in following quote is taken from an article in Issues & Issues & ControversiesControversies: :

"Critics of international adoption argue that there are "Critics of international adoption argue that there are better ways of helping children in poor countries that better ways of helping children in poor countries that do not involve taking them abroad. Providing financial do not involve taking them abroad. Providing financial support to children's communities allows relatives and support to children's communities allows relatives and other local caregivers to look after them, opponents other local caregivers to look after them, opponents say" ("International Adoption"). say" ("International Adoption").

The information in parentheses at the end of the quote is The information in parentheses at the end of the quote is a a parenthetical reference and points the reader to the and points the reader to the complete corresponding entry in your bibliography. complete corresponding entry in your bibliography.

ParaphraseParaphrase

Paraphrase. If you use an idea or fact from Paraphrase. If you use an idea or fact from another source and put it into your own another source and put it into your own words, you should include a citation. For words, you should include a citation. For example, you should include a citation if you example, you should include a citation if you paraphrased the quotation above as follows: paraphrased the quotation above as follows:

Opponents of international adoption claim Opponents of international adoption claim

that adoption is not the best way to help that adoption is not the best way to help children in poor countries. They argue that children in poor countries. They argue that financial support would help children more as financial support would help children more as it allows relatives to look after them. it allows relatives to look after them. ("International Adoption"). ("International Adoption").

Use unfamiliar informationUse unfamiliar information

You do not need to cite facts if they are considered "common You do not need to cite facts if they are considered "common knowledge" or facts that people take for granted. For knowledge" or facts that people take for granted. For example, you do not need to cite the fact that the Empire example, you do not need to cite the fact that the Empire State Building is in New York City. However, if you use State Building is in New York City. However, if you use information that you think is unfamiliar, you should cite the information that you think is unfamiliar, you should cite the source. source.

For example, you should cite the fact that the Empire State For example, you should cite the fact that the Empire State Building was built on the location of the first Waldorf-Astoria Building was built on the location of the first Waldorf-Astoria Hotel (Hotel (Empire State BuildingEmpire State Building). ).

If you are not sure whether a certain fact is common knowledge If you are not sure whether a certain fact is common knowledge or not, assume that it is unfamiliar and cite the source. or not, assume that it is unfamiliar and cite the source.

Use non-text sourcesUse non-text sources

If you include photographs, graphs, If you include photographs, graphs, tables, maps, audio material, film, tables, maps, audio material, film, material from Web sites, or other material from Web sites, or other formats, make sure to include a formats, make sure to include a citation.citation.

Notes:Notes:

If no author is shown, begin the citation with If no author is shown, begin the citation with the article title and alphabetize it by title in the the article title and alphabetize it by title in the Works Cited list. Works Cited list.

If the article title begins with A, An, or The, If the article title begins with A, An, or The, ignore it when you are alphabetizing your ignore it when you are alphabetizing your Works Cited list. Works Cited list.

Abbreviate the name of all months Abbreviate the name of all months exceptexcept May, June, and July when listing the date of May, June, and July when listing the date of publication and date of access. Abbreviations publication and date of access. Abbreviations are: Jan., Feb., Mar., Apr., Aug., Sept., Oct., are: Jan., Feb., Mar., Apr., Aug., Sept., Oct., Nov., and Dec. Nov., and Dec.

URLs:URLs:

The MLA advises supplying the full URL for a Web publication The MLA advises supplying the full URL for a Web publication if your readers are unlikely to be able to locate the source if your readers are unlikely to be able to locate the source without it. Some instructors require this information as part of without it. Some instructors require this information as part of a citation, so the examples that follow include it; however, it is a citation, so the examples that follow include it; however, it is not a requirement of the MLA for every citation. not a requirement of the MLA for every citation. URLs that take more than one line should be broken after URLs that take more than one line should be broken after single or double slashes, without introducing a hyphen single or double slashes, without introducing a hyphen between lines. between lines.

"Government Bailouts." "Government Bailouts." Issues & Controversies On FileIssues & Controversies On File: n. pag. : n. pag. Issues & ControversiesIssues & Controversies. Facts On File News Services, 30 . Facts On File News Services, 30 Mar. 2009. Web. 26 June 2009. Mar. 2009. Web. 26 June 2009. <http://www.2facts.com/article/i1300470>.<http://www.2facts.com/article/i1300470>.

BibliographyBibliography

"Avoiding Plagiarism." "Avoiding Plagiarism." Issues & Issues & ControversiesControversies. Facts On File News . Facts On File News Services, n.d. Web. 17 Nov. 2009. Services, n.d. Web. 17 Nov. 2009. <http://www.2facts.com/article/ircs00000001>.<http://www.2facts.com/article/ircs00000001>.