What are citations?
If you quoted, paraphrased, or summarized someone else's ideas or work in a written paper, an oral report or a Power Point presentation, you must identify the source of your research. Incorporating information from someone else's work without citing the source means that you are plagiarizing.
What is plagiarism?
Plagiarism is the practice of taking someone else's ideas or work and passing it off as one's own. Plagiarizing can have serious negative ramifications. In college, you can potentially be expelled for plagiarism.
Why is it necessary to cite sources?
MLA (Modern Language Association) style is most commonly used to write papers and cite sources within the liberal arts and humanities. The following online guides are consistent with the revised 8th edition:
On the EasyBib site you can generate your "Works Cited" or "Bibliography" page. Be sure to check if it was correctly generated by going to the MLA Style Center site and checking the guidelines. You can also learn how to format your research paper at this site where precise instructions are given and samples are provided.
Have questions about citations? The Purdue Owl is the premier resource for learning how to cite.