Subject Guides: Library Research 101: How to Get Started: How do I cite?

Why do I need to cite my sources?

When you work on assignments for your classes, your instructors will require you to cite your sources. Generally, you should cite sources you use in your work:

To avoid plagiarism and maintain academic integrity
To acknowledge the work of others
To provide credibility to your work and place your work in context
To help your future researching self and others easily locate the sources you used

When do I need to cite my sources?

Things you MUST cite:

• Words or ideas presented in a magazine, book, newspaper, song, TV program, movie, Web page, computer program, letter, advertisement, or any other medium

• Information you gain through interviewing or conversing with another person, face to face, over the phone, or in writing

• When you copy the exact words or a unique phrase

• When you reprint any diagrams, illustrations, charts, pictures, or other visual materials

• When you reuse or repost any electronically-available media, including images, audio, video, or other media

Things you do not have to cite:

• Writing your own lived experiences, your own observations and insights, your own thoughts, and your own conclusions about a subject

• When you are writing up your own results obtained through lab or field experiments

• When you use your own artwork, digital photographs, video, audio, etc.

• When you are using "common knowledge," things like folklore, common sense observations, myths, urban legends, and historical events (but not historical documents)

• When you are using generally-accepted facts, e.g., pollution is bad for the environment, including facts that are accepted within particular discourse communities, e.g., in the field of composition studies, "writing is a process" is a generally-accepted fact.

source: Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL)

Think you know all about plagiarism?

Take this quiz to test your knowledge!

QUIZ: Is It Plagiarism?

Ok, but HOW do I cite my sources?

Citing your sources requires at least two things: in-text citations and a bibliography or reference list. The in-text citations provide a little information to the reader without taking up a lot of space on your page and lead the reader to a corresponding complete citation in your reference list or bibliography.

There are many styles of citations that all have different formats. However, they will all have a format for in-text citations and full citations for the reference list or bibliography. The most common ones are listed below; if you need to use a citation style not listed here, see our Citation Help Research Guide or contact a librarian for help.

Modern Languages Association (MLA) Format

MLA Style Center (MLA)
MLA Formatting and Style Guide (Purdue Online Writing Lab)

American Psychological Association (APA) Format
Note: APA 7th ed. came out recently. Check with your instructor about using the 6th or 7th edition, as there are differences.

APA Style Guide: References & In-Text Citations
Santa Fe College APA 7 Citation Guide

Chicago (Turabian) Format

Ohio State University Guides to Chicago Style: Author-Date System, Notes-Bibliography System
Turabian Quick Guide (U of Chicago Press)
Chicago-Style Citation Quick Guide (Chicago Manual of Style Online)

Council of Science Editors (CSE) Format
Note: This style has both Name-Year & Numerical formats. Check with your instructor on which format to follow.

Council of Science Editors Name-Year Style (Colorado State)
Council of Science Editors Numerical Style (Colorado State)
Council of Science Editors (CSE) Style Guide (Ohio State University)