Citing Sources and Avoiding Plagiarism

Citing Sources and Avoiding Plagiarism

Importance of Citing Sources

  • Proper citation is essential for:

    • Academic integrity

    • Credibility of the work

Style Guides

  • Purpose of Style Guides: To ensure a uniform approach to documentation of sources.

  • Common Style Guides:

    • APA (American Psychological Association):

    • Mainly used in fields such as psychology, nursing, education, engineering, and other social sciences.

    • MLA (Modern Language Association):

    • Commonly utilized in the humanities, including English, art, history, and anthropology.

  • Benefits of using MLA for English:

    • Consistent documentation system

    • Helps readers find sources effortlessly

    • Gives credit to original authors

    • Protects against plagiarism accusations

    • Demonstrates research skills and academic integrity

Works Cited Page

  • A Works Cited page is a comprehensive list of all sources cited in the paper.

    • Requirements for the Works Cited page:

    • Sources must be both used and cited within the text to appear on this page.

    • It should appear at the end of the paper on a separate page.

    • Insert a page break before this page.

    • Center the title "Works Cited".

    • Alphabetize sources by the author's last name or the first major word in the citation.

    • Use hanging indentation.

Example Format for Works Cited Page

  • Center Title: Works Cited

  • Sample Entries:

    • Source with no author:

    • "Blueprint Lays Out Clear Path for Climate Action." Environmental Defense Fund, 8 May 2007, www.edf.org/summer2007.pdf.

    • Source with an author:

    • Dean, Cornelia. "Executive on a Mission: Saving the Planet." The New York Times, 22 May 2007, www.nytimes.com/2007/05/22/science/earth/22ander.html?_r=0.

    • Stockett, Kathryn. The Help. Amy Einhorn Books, 2009.

Creating Citations for Books

  • Books with One Author:

    • Format: Last name, First name. Title of Book. Publisher, Publication Date.

    • Example: Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby. Scribner, 2004.

  • Books with Multiple Authors:

    • Format: Last name, First name, and First name Last name. Title of Book. Publisher, Publication Date.

    • Example: Gillespie, Paula, and Neal Lerner. The Allyn and Bacon Guide to Peer Tutoring. Longman, 2000.

Creating Citations for Online Sources 1

  • Website Article:

    • Format: Author's Last name, First name. "Title of Article." Website Name, Publisher (if different), Date of publication, URL.

    • Example: Lundman, Susan. "How to Make Vegetarian Chili." eHow, 6 July 2020, www.ehow.com/how10727make-vegetarian-chili.html.

  • Online Newspaper/Magazine Article with Author:

    • Format: Author's Last name, First name. "Title of Article." Newspaper/Magazine Name, Date of publication, URL.

    • Example: Goldman, Russell. "What We Know and Don't Know About the Coronavirus." The New York Times, 29 Jan. 2020, www.nytimes.com/article/what-is-coronavirus.html.

Creating Citations for Online Sources 2

  • Online Newspaper/Magazine Article without Author:

    • Format: "Title of Article." Newspaper/Magazine Name, Date of publication, URL.

    • Example: "What We Know and Don't Know About the Coronavirus." The New York Times, 29 Jan. 2020, www.nytimes.com/article/what-is-coronavirus.html.

  • Article Accessed Through a Database:

    • Format: Author's Last name, First name. "Title of Article." Journal Name, vol. #, no. #, Date, pp. pages, Database Name, DOI or URL.

    • Example: Alonso, Alvaro, and Julio A. Camargo. "Toxicity of Nitrite to Three Species of Freshwater Invertebrates." Environmental Toxicology, vol. 21, no. 1, 2006, pp. 90-94. Wiley Online Library, doi:10.1002/tox.20155.

Creating Citations for Online Sources 3

  • PDF Document:

    • Format: Author's Last name, First name. Title of Document. Publisher/Organization, Date, URL.

    • Example: Smith, Jane. Healthy People 2020: Understanding and Improving Health. Department of Health and Human Services, 2010, www.healthypeople.gov/2020/about/foundation-health-measures/Disparities.pdf.

  • YouTube Video:

    • Format: Creator's Last name, First name or Username. "Title of Video." YouTube, uploaded by Username (if different), Date, URL.

    • Example: "Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance | Angela Lee Duckworth." TED TALK. YouTube, 9 May 2013, www.youtube.com/watch?v=H14bBuluwB8.

Creating Citations for Online Sources 4

  • Social Media Post:

    • Format: Author's Last name, First name (@username). "Content of post up to first 20 words…" Platform, Date, URL.

    • Example: Obama, Barack (@BarackObama). "Climate change is real, it's affecting our communities right now, and we need to act." Twitter, 12 Jan. 2019, twitter.com/BarackObama/status/1084089979675897856.

Citations for Multiple Authors

  • Two Authors:

    • Format: Last name, First Name, and First Name Last Name. Title of article. Title of periodical/website, Publisher. Date Published. (URL if applicable).

  • More than Two Authors:

    • Format: Last name, First Name, et al. Title of article. Title of periodical/website, Publisher. Date Published. (URL if applicable).

A Note on Titles

  • MLA Title Capitalization Rule:

    • Capitalize all important words in titles.

    • Do not capitalize articles, coordinating conjunctions, or prepositions unless they are the first or last words in the title.

Signal Phrases and Internal Citations

Avoiding Plagiarism

  • Plagiarism Defined:

    • Presenting work or ideas from another source as your own, with or without consent of the original author, by incorporating it into your work without full acknowledgement (University of Oxford).

  • Types of Plagiarism:

    • Direct Plagiarism: Precise word-for-word transcription of someone else’s work, with attribution and/or quotation marks.

    • Self Plagiarism: Submitting prior work without permission from all instructors involved.

    • Mosaic Plagiarism: Borrowing phrases from a source without using quotation marks or substituting words but retaining the original structure and meaning; also known as “patch writing” (Bowdoin University).

    • Accidental Plagiarism: Failing to cite sources, misquoting sources, or unintentionally paraphrasing a source too closely without proper attribution (Bowdoin University).

Plagiarism Pitfalls

  • Common mistakes that lead to plagiarism:

    • Not citing paraphrased material.

    • Changing just a few words from the original source.

    • Incorrect or incomplete citations.

    • Copying and pasting text without modification.

    • Using AI-generated material without proper citations.

Direct Quotes vs. Paraphrasing

  • Direct Quotes (Verbatim Quotes):

    • Use exact wording from a source.

    • Must be enclosed in quotation marks and followed by an internal citation.

    • Use direct quotes when the original wording is memorable or succinct.

  • Paraphrasing:

    • Rephrasing a source’s content in one's own words, often to clarify meaning.

    • No need for quotation marks, but still requires internal citations and signal phrases.

Parenthetical (Internal) Citations

  • Regular Citations: Include author's last name and page number in parentheses.

    • Example: The character's internal conflict represents society's struggle with morality (Johnson 42).

  • Multiple Authors:

    • Two authors: (Smith and Johnson 55)

    • Three or more: (Smith et al. 55)

  • No Author: Use a shortened title in quotation marks: ("Global Warming" 24).

  • Narrative Citations with Signal Phrases: Include the author's name in the sentence with the page number at the end.

    • Example: Johnson argues that the character's internal conflict represents society's struggle with morality (42).

Using Signal Phrases Effectively

  • Purpose of Signal Phrases:

    • Introduce quoted or paraphrased material.

    • Add credibility and integrate sources into writing seamlessly.

  • Common Signal Phrase Verbs:

    • Acknowledge, add, admit, argue, assert, believe, claim, comment, confirm, contend, declare, deny, dispute, emphasize, grant, illustrate, imply, insist, note, observe, point out, reason, refute, reject, report, suggest.

    • Vary your signal phrases to prevent repetition.

  • Examples:

    • According to Smith, "The novel reflects post-war anxieties" (42).

    • Smith observes that “the novel reflects post-war anxieties” (42).

    • “The novel reflects post-war anxieties,” Smith argues, “while also celebrating resilience” (42-43).

    • Note: No page number? No citation required at the end.

Issues to Avoid When Integrating Sources

  • Common Mistakes:

    • Dropping quotes without context:

    • No: Morrie values relationships above all else. “Without love, we are birds with broken wings” (92).

    • Yes: Morrie emphasizes the importance of human connection, explaining that “without love, we are birds with broken wings” (Albom 92).

    • Not using signal phrases effectively:

    • No: The author says, “Technology can isolate people from the world around them.”

    • Yes: In the article “Digital Communication Pros and Cons,” Dr. Neal Patel argues that “technology can isolate people from the world around them.”

    • Failing to explain how the information supports your argument:

    • No: Social media can have negative effects on teenagers. According to a recent study, “teens who spend more than three hours a day online report higher levels of anxiety and depression.”

    • Yes: Social media can have negative effects on teenagers. According to a recent study by Harvard University researcher Dr. Alice Smith, “teens who spend more than three hours a day online report higher levels of anxiety and depression.” This suggests that excessive screen time may replace healthier activities like in-person friendships or sleep, leading to increased emotional stress.