| Citing Your Sources |
Citing Your Sources
Citing is giving credit for someone else's ideas, words, or work. Each time you use someone else's words, ideas, or work in your research paper you need to document -- or cite -- the source.
Using someone else's words or ideas without credit, even accidentally, is plagiarism. (For more information, see page 38 of the NSCC Student Handbook: "Student Misconduct." Clicking on a link will open the PDF in a different window.)
When to cite
Cite information that is the result of someone's original thinking or work. Example:
According to the City of Seattle's Department of Planning and Urban Development, Seattle's population in 2004 was estimated to be 572,600. [citation necessary]
You do not need to cite information that is general knowledge or that can be easily supported by many resources. Example:
Seattle is located on Puget Sound. [no citation necessary]
Citation styles
Your instructor will ask you to document your research in one of several different styles. The main citation styles are:
- APA (American Psychological Assocation) - for social science research
- AMA (American Medical Association) - for medical research
- Chicago/Turabian - for history research
- MLA (Modern Languages Association) - for humanities research
Each style has its own rules for documenting sources so make sure you have the style guide you need. This page contains links to PDFs and webpages that will help you cite your sources correctly.
Citation tips
- Start your research early to avoid last-minute rushing, cutting & pasting.
- Keep notes on your sources throughout the research process.
Still have questions? Ask a librarian!
