Skip To Main Content

Citation Resources

What is a citation?

Plagiarism.org 

Article Published By: P.org 

A "citation" is the way you tell your readers that certain material in your work came from another source.  It also gives your readers the information necessary to find that source again, including: 

  • information about the author 
  • the title of the work 
  • the name and location of the company that published your copy of the source 
  • the date your copy was published 
  • the page numbers of the material you are borrowing 

Why should I cite sources? 

Giving credit to the original author by citing sources is the only way to use other people's work without plagiarizing.  But there are several other reasons to cite sources: 

  • citations are extremely helpful to anyone who wants to find out more about your ideas and where they came from 
  • not all sources are good or right -- your own ideas may often be more accurate or interesting than the ones of your sources. Proper citation will keep you from taking the rap for someone else's bad ideas 
  • citing sources shows the amount of research you've done 
  • citing sources strengthens your work by lending outside support to your ideas 

Doesn't citing make my work seem less original? 

Not at all. On the contrary, citing sources actually helps your reader distinguish your ideas from those of your sources.  This will actually emphasize the originality of your own work.

When do I need to cite?

Whenever you borrow words or ideas, you need to acknowledge their source.  The following situations always require citation:

  • whenever you use quotes
  • whenever you paraphrase
  • whenever you use an idea that someone else has already expressed
  • whenever you make specific reference to the work of another
  • whenever someone else's work has been critical in developing your own ideas.

Welcome To The Purdue OWL

The foreground displays %22PURDUE UNIVERSITY%22 and %22Purdue OWL%22 with %22ON-CAMPUS WRITING LAB%22 and %22ONLINE WRI%22 text, while the background is a dark banner with the Purdue OWL logo.

We are a globally renowned resource that provides assistance with English to students, teachers, professionals, and organizations across the world.  Our goal is to assist clients in their development as writers - no matter their skill level.

A blue and white logo for the American Psychological Association is displayed on a white background with a subtle shadow.

 

APA Style ~ Write With Clarity, Precision, and Inclusion

APA Style is used by writer in many disciplines around the world for concise, powerful, and persuasive scholarly communication.

MLA Style ~ Modern Language Association of America

The MLA Style Center is the only authorized website on MLA style.  The site provides students and educators with a host of free resources for teaching and learning the MLA's approach to research, writing, and documentation.

The foreground features the letters %22MLA%22 in dark blue against a white background, while the background is adorned with a colorful, overlapping pattern of diagonal lines in shades of purple, blue, and orange.

 

A black and yellow banner with %22IOWA Magid Center for Writing%22 is at the top, with %22Iowa Youth Writing Project%22 written in large white text below.

Prompts and Activities

Prompts for a rainy day…

Bored in the house? In the house, bored? Fear not! We at the IYWP have you covered. Below, you'll find 75 prompts in fiction, nonfiction, and poetry for endless hours of inspiration.

Files: