Why Do You Need to Cite?
- To give credit to the person who created the idea.
- To allow your readers to locate the sources you used, so they can read and evaluate them for themselves.
- To illustrate which authors and sources you are conversing with (scholarship is like a conversation).
- To avoid plagiarism.
Citation Style Manuals
Your instructor will generally specify the preferred citation style for your class. Commonly used citation styles include: APA (American Psychological Association), Chicago, and MLA (Modern Languages Association).
Full citation style manuals are available in the library and in some cases, online.
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The Chicago Manual of Style by Call Number: Online and in print at Snell Library Reference Stacks Z253 .U69 2017 -
MLA Handbook by Call Number: Snell Library Reference Stacks LB2369 .G53 2016 -
Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association by Call Number: Snell Library Reference Stacks BF76.7 .P83 2010
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APA Style BlogNeed to cite a hashtag, tweet, or a blog comment? Search this blog, which is the official companion to the APA Style Guide.
Citation Management Software
Use citation management software to help you collect and manage your references, import citations for articles and books from databases and the library catalog, and auto-format citations and bibliographies in your papers. The Library supports:
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EndNoteHelps you manage your bibliography and citations, and is installed onto the computer of your choice. You store your citations offline on your computer, and use a Microsoft Word or Mac Pages plugin to automatically create bibliographies.
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MendeleyA free software that will help you manage your research, annotate PDFs, and format citations. It has both a cloud-based and desktop component. There are also free mobile apps available for both iOS and Android.
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RefWorksHelps you manage your bibliography and citations, and can be accessed from any computer connected to the Internet. You store your citations on the RefWorks website, and use a Microsoft Word plugin to automatically create bibliographies.
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ZoteroA research toolbar for Chrome, Firefox, and Safari (or available as a standalone program) to help you collect, organize, cite, and share your research sources. Save a citation of whatever you're viewing on the web to create your own collection of research in one personalized library.
