Citing sources used in your research process is important for three reasons:
Handouts summarizing the APA and MLA styles are available in the reference room. Find links to online style guides on this page.
If you feel like you need some practice with citations, try this Tic-Tac-Toe citation game from James Madison University.
If you are unsure whether or not to cite something, cite it. It is better to cite something you don't have to than to not cite something you should.
*Below are some resources to help you with citations.*
Purdue's Online Writing Lab Resources:
You can now cite tweets and Facebook posts! Follow the links below for the APA and MLA formats.
To avoid plagiarism, you must give credit whenever you use
There are three ways of incorporating other writers’ work into your own writing.
Quotation: using someone's words. When you quote, place the passage you are using in quotation marks, and document the source according to a standard documentation style.
Paraphrase: using someone's ideas, but putting them in your own words. Although you use your own words to paraphrase, you must still acknowledge the source of the information.
Summary: should be shorter than the original passage. The summary should keep the author's original message in mind. Make sure your summary does not change the intent of the piece.