When to Cite
Citing Sources of Information
You, like other scholars, must
cite the sources of information you use. Citing others' work fulfills a number
of purposes:
- it can be a way of
recognizing the contributions of pioneers in a field
- it identifies the
original publications in which an idea or concept was first presented
- it provides access to
other readings on the topic of the work at hand
- it can be used to
identify theory, philosophy or methodology
- it is a way to refer
to work of one's own or others that is being critiqued or corrected
Guidelines for deciding when to cite:
|
You
don't need to cite if: |
you use
information that seems to be common, background knowledge (Example: The
vast majority of birds have functional
wings.) |
|
You
DO need to cite if: |
you refer
to or describe specific information that you have taken from a source (The
Galapagos flightless cormorant has rudimentary, non-functional wings.) |
|
you refer
to a theory or idea from a source |
|
|
you want
to incorporate a figure, table, or photograph from another source |
Avoid plagiarism in scholarly writing:
Never
|
do NOT
cut and paste text from an electronic source with the intention of paraphrasing
the text after copying it -- this practice makes it easy to accidentally
plagiarize by following the original text too closely |
|
Always |
THINK
about the information that you're using from another source and when you
understand it sufficiently, you'll be able to say it IN YOUR OWN WORDS |
|
Special
note for Scientific Writing |
do NOT
use direct quotations; in scientific writing, you express the information and
ideas you have taken from other sources IN YOUR OWN WORDS, rather than how
the author says it |
Written by Sara Penhale
General Resources
- Documentation Guidelines: Citing Sources Within Your Paper
Guide to citing sources and avoiding plagiarism. (Duke University) - Sources: Their Use and Acknowledgement (Dartmouth College)
Cite it right : the SourceAid guide to citation, research, and avoiding plagiarism Lilly Library Ready Reference Shelf: PN171.F56 F69 2007
Includes chapters on Writing Ethics (plagiarism defined, when to cite sources), Research (choosing a topic, gathering sources), and Writing.
Subject Guide |
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