Chapter 7.3 Citing Sources
Learning Objectives
Understand the concept of style in academic writing and presentations.
Recognize the disciplines that commonly use APA versus MLA styles.
Cite sources using the 6th edition of the American Psychological Association (APA) style manual.
Cite sources using the 7th edition of the Modern Language Association (MLA) style manual.
Explain the three steps for citing sources within a speech.
Differentiate between direct quotations and paraphrases in a speech.
Understand ethical source usage in a speech.
Explain 12 strategies for avoiding plagiarism.
Importance of Citing Sources
Citing enables readers to locate the original sources of information.
Failure to cite sources properly constitutes plagiarism.
Ethical considerations necessitate giving credit to original authors.
APA and MLA are the two most common citation styles in public speaking.
APA vs. MLA Source Citations
Style pertains to the form of expression, including language, punctuation, citations, and endnotes, rather than content.
APA and MLA are the most common style guides in academia.
Social sciences (e.g., psychology, communication, business) typically use APA style.
Humanities (e.g., English, philosophy, rhetoric) typically use MLA style.
APA and MLA styles differ significantly, requiring dedicated learning.
APA Citations
The sixth edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association was published in July 2009.
APA Style website: http://www.apastyle.org
It provides guidance on citing Internet sources.
MLA Citations
The Modern Language Association published the seventh edition of the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers in March 2009.
MLA Style website: http://www.mla.org/style
The seventh edition offers comprehensive advice on citing online sources and new media.
Citing Sources in a Speech: A Three-Step Process
Set up the citation:
Provide one or two general sentences that introduce the topic from the source.
Example: "Workplace bullying is becoming an increasing problem for US organizations."
Give the citation:
Present the source information, whether as a direct quotation or a paraphrase.
Direct quotation: Citing the exact words from a source.
Paraphrase: Condensing a source's idea into your own words.
Example:
Direct Quotation: "In a 02/2009 report titled Bullying, Getting Away With It, the Workplace Bullying Institute wrote, doing nothing to the bully, ensuring impunity, was the most common employer tactic, 54%."
Paraphrase: "According to a 02/2009 study by the Workplace Bullying Institute titled Bullying, Getting Away With It, When Employees Reported Bullying, fifty four percent of employers did nothing at all."
Explain the citation:
Interpret the quotation or paraphrase within the context of your speech.
Clarify the connection between the source information and your argument.
Example:
"Clearly, organizations need to be held accountable for investigating bullying allegations. If organizations will not voluntarily improve their handling of this problem, the legal system may be required to step in and enforce sanctions for bullying, much as it has done with sexual harassment."
"As many of us know, reaching that uh-huh moment does not always come quickly, but there are definitely some strategies one can take to help speed up this process."
Using Sources Ethically
Five basic ethical issues to consider:
Avoid Plagiarism:
Cite sources within the speech, not just in the bibliography.
Do Your Own Work and Use Your Own Words:
Develop original thinking and skills.
Allow Enough Time to Research:
Adequate preparation reduces the temptation to plagiarize.
Keep Careful Track of Your Sources:
Prevent accidental loss of source information.
Take Careful Notes:
Systematic note-taking minimizes citation errors.
Assemble Your Thoughts and Make It Clear Who Is Speaking:
Differentiate your voice from the voices in your sources.
If You Use an Idea, a Quotation, Paraphrase, or a Summary, then Credit the Source.
Give credit for statistics, original theories, or non-common knowledge facts.
Learn How to Cite Sources Correctly
Cite sources correctly in the body of your paper and in your list of works cited, Reference page.
Quote Accurately and Sparingly:
Limit direct quotations to no more than 10% of the speech.
Paraphrase Carefully:
Understand and accurately capture the source's meaning in your own words.
Avoid replacing some of the words with synonyms.
Summarize. Don't auto summarize.
Auto summary takes a document and summarizes the information into a short paragraph.
Do not rework another student's paper/speech or buy paper mill papers or speech mill speeches
Do not copy content from Internet speeches or web pages.
**Avoid Academic Fraud:
Avoid academic fraud by not presenting someone else's ideas as your own.
Don't Mislead Your Audience:
Disclose potential biases in sources.
Give Author Credentials:
Provide background information on the authors you cite.
Use Primary Research Ethically:
Maintain participant anonymity and confidentiality.
Key Takeaways
Style focuses on the form of expression rather than the content.
Social sciences typically use APA style, while humanities use MLA style.
The APA sixth edition and the MLA seventh edition are current style guides.
Citing sources involves setting up the citation, providing the information, and interpreting it.
A direct quotation uses the author's exact words, while a paraphrase restates the idea in your own words.
Ethical source usage includes avoiding plagiarism and academic fraud, not misleading the audience, providing credentials, and protecting participant identity.
Plagiarism is a significant issue, and ethical communicators must always give credit for their sources.