This guide contains information on all things citations! In the menu you can find information on:

• How to cite sources and format your paper in three major styles:
  • APA Style
  • MLA Style
  • Chicago / Turabian Style
• How to spot and avoid plagiarism

Without giving proper acknowledgment to those who provided you with information, you are plagiarizing, which means you are claiming someone else's ideas and work as your own. Even if you did not mean to do it, not properly citing is viewed as plagiarism. 

Proper citations are also a way to:

• Strengthen your credibility. By aligning your ideas with existing work, you are building credibility and authority for your own ideas.

• Provide context for readers. Citations help your readers to trace your reasoning, explore further sources, and situate your work in the broader academic context.

• Contribute to knowledge creation. Citations trace a long line of academic conversation, showing where your ideas build on existing ideas and ensuring that future researchers can build even further. 

Always confirm which citation style to use with your professor first!

The chart below shows examples of which styles are typically used in specific academic fields.