Why do you need to cite?

  1. To give credit to the person or people who created the idea.
  2. To enable your readers to locate the sources you are engaging with, so they can read and evaluate them as well.
  3. To illustrate which person, people, and/or sources you are conversing with.
  4. To avoid plagiarism.

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 four programs: EndNote, RefWorks, Mendeley, and Zotero. 

Citing AI-generated content

A variety of guidelines are emerging on how to cite or credit the parts of your work generated by artificial intelligence and large language model tools. 

Northeastern offers an Insider's Guide for students (PDF) and an Overview and guide for instructors (PDF) on the responsible use of AI at the University.

Practices and standards for citing and crediting the contribution of AI in your work vary between style guides, so always consult your instructor, advisor, or editor to be sure of expectations for your academic work and research.

Chicago

MLA