This guide is intended to help you learn about the various citation styles and includes tutorials and examples. In this guide, you will also learn about how to avoid plagiarism
What is Citation?
A "citation" is the way you tell your readers that certain material in your work came from another source. It also gives your readers the information necessary to find that source again, including:
information about the author
the title of the work
the name and location of the company that published your copy of the source
the date your copy was published
the page numbers of the material you are borrowing.
Why should I cite sources?
Giving credit to the original author by citing sources is the only way to use other people's work without plagiarizing. But there are a number of other reasons to cite sources:
citations are extremely helpful to anyone who wants to find out more about your ideas and where they came from
not all sources are good or right -- your own ideas may often be more accurate or interesting than those of your sources. Proper citation will keep you from taking the rap for someone else's bad ideas
citing sources shows the amount of research you've done
citing sources strengthens your work by lending outside support to your ideas.
When do I need to cite?
Whenever you borrow words or ideas, you need to acknowledge their source. The following situations almost always require citation:
whenever you use quotes
whenever you paraphrase
whenever you use an idea that someone else has already expressed
whenever you make specific reference to the work of another
whenever someone else's work has been critical in developing your own ideas.
Video: Citation-A Very Brief Introduction
The information above about Citation is credited to Plagiarism.org.
