Why do we cite sources? Well, there's more than one good reason.
When you were taught how to do math equations, you were likely told to "show your work," in academic writing, citations function in a similar way. Citations let your readers know where you got your information, when, and from whom.
If you've ever had someone ask you for your "receipts" following a claim (or you've asked them for theirs when the roles are reversed), then you've asked or been asked, in an informal situation, for sources to be cited.
Citing your sources does more than just show where you got your information—it tells your readers when that information entered the scholarly conversation and helps them evaluate its relevance. In many fields, research can have a sort of "expiration date," meaning a source may be "debunked" or lose relevance, popularity, or validity as new discoveries are made and older methods are replaced. Without a citation, your readers wouldn’t know whether you’re referencing current thinking or outdated ideas. (For a fun example, check out this video where Dr. Mike breaks down once-popular medical treatments that are no longer considered valid. Or, consider past ideas on the function of the solar system-- namely the idea that the Sun orbits the Earth. While once an idea that was believed to be true beyond reproach, this theory became 'expired' as we learned more about our solar system).
Citations also provide important context by showing how your ideas relate to those of other scholars. Have you ever heard someone talking on the phone in public, but could only hear their side of the conversation? Citing your sources allows for others to "hear" the other end of the conversation you're having with other scholars through your paper and even follow the trail back to those original sources.
And finally, not citing your sources and claiming the ideas of those whose work you used to inform your argument as your own is plagiarism. You can avoid violating Chapman University policy and also violating good scholarly practice by simply giving credit where credit is due by citing your sources.
In short, citing sources is an essential part of responsible research and writing. It helps you:
Different subjects use different citation styles. The two most common for undergraduates are:
Each style has rules for how to format both in-text citations and full references at the end of your paper.
Using the right style:
Once you’re familiar with a citation style, you can quickly recognize sources and decide if you want to follow up on them.
Let's look at how the same source is cited slightly differently in MLA vs. APA style.
To help you see how different styles work, let’s use the same example source across both: Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss. Here’s how it would look in MLA vs. APA style:
For example:
In his landmark piece, Green Eggs and Ham, Dr. Seuss, also known as Theodore Geisel, asks us to consider where we may eat the titular green eggs and ham (5).
"Would you eat them in a box?" (Seuss 5).
Later, Seuss asks us to consider who we would eat such a culinary delight with (1960).
"Would you eat them with a Knox?" (Seuss, 1960).
In the "Works Cited" section (which could also be called "References" or "Bibliography"), where all the sources from the paper are listed together, sources should be listed alphabetically in the format below:
MLA:
Seuss, Dr. Green Eggs and Ham. Random House, 1960.
APA:
Seuss, Dr. (1960). Green eggs and ham. Random House.
Note that we're citing a book in this instance. The citation will change slightly based on the type of source you're citing (book, journal article, film, etc.)
| Element | MLA (9th ed.) | APA (7th ed.) |
|---|---|---|
| In-Text Citation | (Author page) → (Seuss 5) | (Author, Year) → (Seuss, 1960) |
| Author in Sentence | Seuss, in his landmark piece, Green Eggs and Ham,… (5). | Seuss in his landmark piece, Green Eggs and Ham, … (1960). |
| Final Citation | Seuss, Dr. Green Eggs and Ham. Random House, 1960. | Seuss, Dr. (1960). Green eggs and ham. Random House. |
| Title Capitalization | Title Case | Sentence case |
You can find much more information on our Citations Styles guides, which are excerpted below:
The Oxford English Dictionary defines plagiarism as the following:
The action or practice of taking someone else's work, idea, etc., and passing it off as one's own; literary theft.
In other words, plagiarism includes:
· If so, you must use quotation marks around the copied text and citations to show proper attribution.
· If so, put quotation marks only around the words and phrases that you copied. Make sure to include citations to show proper attribution.
· If you change any of the words (e.g., to improve clarity, or flow of language), use [brackets] to show which words you changed.
· Make sure to give credit to the source of the idea using a citation.
· You may also consider using a signal phrase to add extra clarity about where the ideas came from. For example, "According to Peter Burkholder, Charles Ives was all made of tunes because..."
· This is a bad idea! It's a very common form of unintentional plagiarism.
· If you do this, it will still be plagiarized even if you use a signal phrase and a citation.
· You must make it clear to your reader when the words are your own or when they are borrowed from someone else.
· A better practice is to either use quotes or use paraphrasing. Don't try to be sneaky and mix them together!
Test yourself with this activity provided by Chapman's Academic Integrity Committee.
For more information on plagiarism and other academic integrity issues, see Chapman University's Academic Integrity Committee's page.
In this brief video, you will learn more about how plagiarism is an issue for professionals, not just students. You'll also hear about strategies to avoid making mistakes that lead to plagiarism.
Closed captions are available on the video (click the "cc" button on the video to turn them on).
Transcript
Whether you're in the academic, creative, or professional world, plagiarism is all too common. But what is it exactly?
According to the Oxford Dictionary, plagiarism is the practice of taking someone else's work or ideas and passing them off as one's own.
Let's say you're writing something for the company newsletter, and you find a great article online that's full of useful information. So you take several parts of that article, change a few words around, and submit it without giving credit to the original author. That's plagiarism, and it can lead to serious consequences.
In school, taking credit for someone else's work could mean you fail an assignment or class, or face disciplinary action. In the workplace, it could result in damage to your reputation, legal repercussions, or even losing your job.
Even if you accidentally do it—such as forgetting to cite a source or misquoting someone—it can quickly get you in trouble.
Luckily, we know a few strategies that will help you avoid plagiarism.
First, always cite your sources. Showing where you found your information gives credit to the original authors and helps reinforce the legitimacy of your content.
If you're quoting from a source, always quote the source's exact words. When inserting one into your work, place quotation marks around it, and be sure to include the author's name in the same sentence.
When you want to discuss information from a source without quoting it directly, it's important you rewrite that information in your own words along with citing the source. Use different language and sentence structures, and explore the source's ideas from your own perspective. This strategy can help you say something new, original, and plagiarism-free.
Plagiarism can seem like an easy shortcut that'll save you time and effort, but it will only hurt you in the long run. Be clear and upfront about where you get your information, and you'll be free to create original content you can be proud of.
Check your understanding of Citing Sources by completing the practice quiz below.
You may also open the quiz in a new tab or window using this link: Citing Sources - FFC Practice Quiz
The following explains the general format of in-text (parenthetical) and works cited citations in the humanities documentation system of the Modern Language Association (MLA). We will also cover a few helpful web resources for MLA style.
In-Text (Parenthetical) Citation Basics
When you paraphrase or directly quote another author’s work in your paper, MLA format requires the use of parenthetical citations. These citations include the author’s last name and a page reference. The author's name may appear either in the sentence itself or in parentheses following the quotation or paraphrase, but the page number(s) should always appear in the parentheses.
The following examples show three ways that in-text citations could appear for citing this resource:
Wordsworth stated that Romantic poetry was marked by a "spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings" (263).
Romantic poetry is characterized by the "spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings" (Wordsworth 263).
Wordsworth extensively explored the role of emotion in the creative process (263).
Example of a journal article in MLA:
Gillespie Rouse, Amy, et al. “Writing-to-Learn in Elementary Classrooms: A National Survey of U.S.
Teachers.” Reading and Writing, vol. 34, Apr. 2021, pp. 2381–415. SpringerLink, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11145-021-10148-3.
In-Text (Parenthetical) Citation Basics
When you paraphrase or directly quote another author’s work in your paper, APA format requires the use of in-text citations, also called parenthetical citations. These citations include the author’s last name and the year of publication for the source, e.g. (Smith, 2008). When using a direct quotation, the page number is also included (preceded by “p.”), as in the following examples.
Direct quotation with author’s name as part of the narrative:
According to Jones (1998), "Students often had difficulty using APA style, especially when it was their first time" (p. 199).
Direct quotation with parenthetical citation:
Jones (1998) found "students often had difficulty using APA style" (p. 199).
Paraphrase or summary of information from another author:
APA style is a difficult citation format for first-time learners (Jones, 1998).
When citing multiple authors
Any reference with more than three authors can now be shortened to the first author followed by et al.
Two authors: Giving credit to another author's work by citing the text is an essential part in writing papers (Johnson and Williams, 2009).
Three or more authors: The humanities has a positive effect on well-being of individuals, communities, and societies (Vaziri et al. 2018).
This is an example of a journal article cited in APA:
Janzen, L. A. (2010). The evolution of clinical child neuropsychology. The Clinical Neuropsychologist, 24(2), 358-360. https://doi.org/10.1080/13854040903381420.