Skip to main content
Citing Sources
Citation is a method of attribution that indicates your work came from another source (acknowledging the source). It is important to cite sources to avoid plagiarism, but it is also important to cite sources so readers can learn more about your topic or research background. Citation also lets readers know how much effort you put into the research for your paper. Citing other's ideas also lends credibility to your ideas. It is also important to "distinguish" your ideas from others, and to know that they are supported or differentiated from other's ideas.
Purdue OWL Guides for tips on APA format, MLA format and more!
Citation - Reflects the information needed to locate a particular source.
Bibliography - Lists citations for all of the relevant resources.
Annotated Bibliography - Each citation is followed by a brief note that describes and/or evaluates the source.
In-text citation - Consists just enough information to correspond to a source's full citation in a works cited list. Requires a page number(s) showing exactly where relevant information was found in the original source.
AMA - (American Medical Association). Used in medicine, health, and biological sciences.
APA - (American Psychological Association). Used in social science disciplines, like psychology and education.
Chicago - Used with all subjects in the "real world" by books, magazines, newspapers, and other non-scholarly publications.
MLA - (Modern Language Association). Used in literature, arts and humanities disciplines.
