Most academic writing draws, to some extent, upon ideas and research previously published by others. It is important to research thoroughly to learn as much information about your topic as possible, and crediting your sources is an essential step in the research process. Citing sources benefits you as well as the authors whose work you have used in your research.
How citing sources benefits you:
Citing sources that support your own ideas gives your paper authority and credibility.
Citations act as proof that you have researched your topic thoroughly.
Giving credit to the sources you have used protects you from charges of plagiarism.
A strong Works Cited or References list can be a useful record for further research.
To avoid the potential for plagiarism, a good rule of thumb is to provide a citation for any idea that is not your own. This includes:
Direct quotation
Paraphrasing of a quotation, passage, or idea
Summary of another's idea or research
Specific reference to an obscure fact, figure, or phrase
You do not need to cite widely-accepted common knowledge (e.g. "George Washington was the first President of the United States."), proverbs, or common phrases unless you are using a direct quotation.
When in doubt, avoid the possibility of plagiarism and cite your source.
Different academic disciplines prefer different citation styles. Two of the most common are APA Style and MLA Style. Check with your instructor for details about the preferred citation style for assignments.
Note: Both APA and MLA have recently updated their style manuals. Make sure that any resources you consult reference MLA 7th edition or APA 6th edition for the most current information.
APA Style was developed by the American Psychological Association and is primarily used by scholars in the social sciences. Disciplines that might use APA style include:
MLA Style was developed by the Modern Language Associaion and is primarily used by scholars in the humanities and liberal arts. Disciplines that might use MLA style include:
Many other citation styles exist in addition to APA and MLA. Other citation manuals include Chicago/Turabian, AAA, AP, and more. Ask your instructor or stop by the library if you have questions about using additional citation styles.
MLA Handbook by Here are some common features you should try and find before citing electronic sources in MLA style. Not every Web page will provide all of the following information. However, collect as much of the following information as possible both for your citations and for your research notes:
Author and/or editor names (if available)
Article name in quotation marks.
Title of the website, project, or book in italics.
Any version numbers available, including editions (ed.), revisions, posting dates, volumes (vol.), or issue numbers (no.).
Publisher information, including the publisher name and publishing date.
Take note of any page numbers (p. or pp.) or paragraph numbers (par. or pars.).
URL (without the https://) DOI or permalink.
Date you accessed the material (Date Accessed)—While not required, it is highly recommended, especailly when dealing with pages that change frequently or do not have a visible copyright date.
Remember to cite containers after your regular citation. Examples of containers are collections of short stories or poems, a television series, or even a website. A container is anything that is a part of a larger body of works.
Use the following format:
Author. Title. Title of container (self contained if book), Other contributors (translators or editors), Version (edition), Number (vol. and/or no.), Publisher, Publication Date, Location (pages, paragraphs and/or URL, DOI or permalink). 2nd container’s title, Other contributors, Version, Number, Publisher, Publication date, Location, Date of Access (if applicable).
It is a good idea to list your date of access because web postings are often updated, and information available on one date may no longer be available later. When using the URL, be sure to include the complete address for the site except for the https://.
Editor, author, or compiler name (if available). Name of Site. Version number, Name of institution/organization affiliated with the site (sponsor or publisher), date of resource creation (if available), URL, DOI or permalink. Date of access (if applicable).
The Purdue OWL Family of Sites. The Writing Lab and OWL at Purdue and
Purdue U, 2008, owl.english.purdue.edu/owl. Accessed 23 Apr. 2008.
Felluga, Dino. Guide to Literary and Critical Theory. Purdue U, 28 Nov. 2003,
www.cla.purdue.edu/english/theory/. Accessed 10 May 2006.
For an individual page on a Web site, list the author or alias if known, followed by an indication of the specific page or article being referenced. Usually, the title of the page or article appears in a header at the top of the page. Follow this with the information covered above for entire Web sites. If the publisher is the same as the website name, only list it once.
“Athlete's Foot - Topic Overview.” WebMD, 25 Sept. 2014, www.webmd.com/skin-
problems-and-treatments/tc/athletes-foot-topic-overview.
Lundman, Susan. “How to Make Vegetarian Chili.” eHow,
www.ehow.com/how_10727_make-vegetarian-chili.html. Accessed 6 July 2015.
(from Purdue OWL, MLA Works Cited: Electronic Sources Web Publications https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/08/)
From EasyBib, Citation Guides, How to Cite a Journal Article in an Online Database in MLA 8:
Basic Structure:
Author’s Last name, First name. “Title of the article.” Title of the journal, First name Last name of any other contributors (if applicable), Version (if applicable), Numbers (such as a volume and issue number), Publication date, Page numbers. Title of the database, URL or DOI.
Examples:
Brian, Real, et al. “Rural Public Libraries and Digital Inclusion: Issues and Challenges.” Information and Technology Libraries, vol. 33, no. 1, Mar. 2014, pp. 6-24. ProQuest,
ezproxy.nypl.org/login?url=https://search.proquest.com.i.ezproxy.nypl.org/docview/1512388143?accountid=35635.
Asafu-Adjaye, Prince. “Private Returns on Education in Ghana: Estimating the Effects of Education on Employability in Ghana.” African Sociological Review, vol. 16, no. 1, 2012, pp. 120-138. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/24487691.
From Purdue OWL, MLA Works Cited Page: Electronic Source, A Page on a Web Site:
Basic Structure:
Last name, First name. "Title of Webpage." Title of Website, Publication Day Month Year, URL. Accessed date.
Examples:
"Athlete's Foot - Topic Overview." WebMD, 25 Sept. 2014, www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/tc/athletes-foot-topic-overview.
Lundman, Susan. "How to Make Vegetarian Chili." eHow, www.ehow.com/how_10727_make-vegetarian-chili.html. Accessed 6 July 2015.
From Purdue OWL, MLA Works Cited Page: Electronic Sources, A YouTube Video:
Basic Structure:
Last name, First name. "Title of Video." Title of Website, uploaded by Uploader's Name(s), Publication Date, Video URL.
Examples:
“8 Hot Dog Gadgets put to the Test.” YouTube, uploaded by Crazy Russian Hacker, 6 June 2016, www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBlpjSEtELs.
McGonigal, Jane. “Gaming and Productivity.” YouTube, uploaded by Big Think, 3 July 2012, www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkdzy9bWW3E.
*Note: If the author’s name is the same as the uploader, only cite the author once. If the author is different from the uploaded, cite the author’s name before the title.