Skip to Main Content

SOAN 300.8 - Community Based Research Project

Why we Cite

Citations allow you to:

  • Allow your readers to find further information on your topic
  • Build the authority of your argument with ideas from numerous sources
  • Be a responsible researcher and avoid plagiarism 

    • When To Cite

    Any time you write something that did not 100% come from your own brain, you need to site where you got the information. This means you will include a citation anytime you use some else's words or ideas in your own work. Including:

    • Direct quotes- full sentences or phrases expressing an idea
    • Paraphrases- when you put someone's ideas into your own words (do not use quotations)
    • Words or terminology specifically related to the author's ideas
    • An author's line of argument or point of view
    • Historical, statistical, or scientific facts. 
    • Graphs, drawings, or images. 

    You do not need to document:

    • Proverbs, axioms, or well know phrases. 
    • Common knowledge
    • If you are not sure, it is better to over cite and under cite. 

    APA (American Psychological Association)

    Online Guides

    Print Guide

    Chicago Style

    Online Guide

    Print Guide

    MLA (Modern Language Association)