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Frederick E. Berry Library and Learning Commons

Geography

Guides to Using Style Manuals

Citation Management Systems

EndNote Basic, Zotero, and Mendeley are three citation management systems that collect, store, and format citations.  They make the research and citation process much easier, and they are free!  See the link below for information on how to use them.

Why Cite Sources

  • To acknowledge where you found your ideas
  • Lend credibility to your ideas
  • Allow others to verify your facts
  • Provide your readers with a link to additional sources on the topic

When do you cite sources?

  • Quoting  - using another's exact words.  Put them in quotation marks

  • Paraphrasing - re-stating another's ideas in your own words

  • Summarizing - summing up a lengthly passage in one or two sentences of your own

All sources used, whether quoted, prarphrased, or summarized must be cited using the appropriate citation method.

Strategies for avoiding plagiarism

  • Start research early, so you are not rushed at the end

  • Take good notes

  • Keep track of your sources/citations to works consulted

  • Know what you need to cite, what you don't, and how to do it

  • Use the appropriate style manual

  • Ask for help!