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Citation Resources

A list of resources to help you cite sources and write more effectively.

Citation Sources & Tools

This guide was created as an introduction to citation styles for students who are interested in learning more about how to cite sources for their assignments. This guide provides tips on the basics of citation styles, as well as helpful tools and resources for citing sources.

What does it mean to "cite my sources"?

A citation is a reference to information found in a resource, such as a book, newspaper, journal article, blog, or website. In a paper or presentation, you include a citation to acknowledge that you found this information published somewhere by someone.

Why do I have to cite my sources?

It's important to cite sources you used in your research for several reasons:

  • To show your reader that you've done research by listing credible information sources

  • To allow your reader to check the sources you used by citing them correctly in your paper
  • To be a responsible scholar by giving credit to other authors and acknowledging their ideas
  • To avoid plagiarism by quoting words and ideas used by other authors

Why type of citation style should I use?

The type of citation style that you should use depends on several factors. Different majors or professional fields use different citation styles. Your instructor should include which citation style he or she wants you to use in the syllabus or assignment instructions.

Citation: A (Very) Brief Introduction

This video was created by NSCU libraries and is published under a Creative Commons 3.0 BY-NC-SA US license.