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Boatwright Memorial Library

Citing Sources

Why do we cite? 

  • Avoid plagiarism…intentional OR unintentional, always give credit to original author/creator
  • Leave a “trail of breadcrumbs”  to find information for yourself and the audience
  • Be part of a scholarly conversation- trace the lineage of ideas

What do we cite?

  • Information that isn’t common knowledge or general facts to you/your audience
  • Direct quotations
  • Summarizing or paraphrasing ideas from source

APA (American Psychological Association) Style Guides

Avoid Plagiarism

Proper Paraphrasing