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Citing Sources

 

Academic writing almost always involves more than just getting your own ideas on paper. You need to also have sources to support your assertions. In doing research for your paper you'll likely review books, journal articles, magazines, websites, or even people themselves. To use that research in your paper, you must give credit to the original authors, whether you quote them directly or whether you paraphrase them. Failing to do so is plagiarism, and is not only ethically wrong, it's against Occidental's Policy on Academic Honesty. Plagiarism is the passing off of a source’s information, ideas, or language as your own by omitting to cite them. Plagiarism usually takes one of these forms:

- The failure to cite an idea

- The failure to cite a structure or organizing strategy

- The failure to cite information or data from a source

- The failure to place a verbatim phrase or passage within quotation marks. Note here that even if you cite a

   phrase or passage, but fail to place it within quotation marks, it is still considered plagiarism.

For further tips on citing sources and avoiding plagiarism see the Nesbitt-Johnston Writing Center at Hamilton College.

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To Cite or Not to Cite?

Sometimes whether or not you should cite a source is a perplexing call. Much of the research you do will spur your own ideas that are only tangentially related to the original author's words. Although it's best, when in doubt, to go ahead and cite an original source, here are a few tips for helping you make that decision.

When to Cite:

- Whenever you use factual information or data found in a source.

- Whenever you quote verbatim.

- Whenever you summarize, paraphrase, or use ideas, opinions, interpretations, or conclusions articulated by

   another person.

- Whenever you use a source’s distinctive structure, organizing strategy, or method.

- Whenever you mention in passing some aspect of another work, unless that work is widely known.

When not to Cite:

- When the source and page location of a relevant passage is obvious from an earlier citation.  For instance, if you

   refer to the same page in your source for multiple sentences in a row, you do not need to cite the source again

   until you refer to a different page or start a new paragraph.

 

- When dealing with 'common knowledge,' which is knowledge that is familiar or easily available from multiple

   sources and isn't arguable or based upon a particular interpretation.

 

- When you use highly identifiable phrases such as "all the world's a stage" or "life, liberty, and the pursuit of

   happiness," there is no need to remind the reader where such phrases first appeared.

 

- When you draw on ideas or phrases that arose in conversation with friends, family, or classmates.

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Quote or Paraphrase?

Because most of your paper should be in your own words, you should only use direct quotes when you have a good reason for doing so. When you want to use information you've found in your research as part of your arguments, your best bet is to put it into your own language (though always give credit for the original idea.) Not only does this keep you from filling up pages with nothing but other people's quotes, it also makes your paper stronger, as you will need to really understand the research you're using if you're going to rewrite it for your own work.

Generally, quotations are best used when:

- You want to show the support of an authority in the field for your idea

- You want to present a position or argument to critique or comment on

- You've found a passage that is either best said as is or is historically significant

- You'd lose the meaning or essential flavor of a phrase if you changed the wording

Summarizing or paraphrasing is best when:

- You're trying to express the idea of the research you've found, but words aren't an essential part of doing so

- You can condense the idea you want to express into a more concise phrase

- You want to combine two or more different ideas into one section or phrase. Note that you still need to cite all

   the sources you used.

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Documenting Sources

Citation Styles

The most common citation formats you will be asked to use are MLA, APA, and CMS.  Be sure, however, to use the format required for the given paper/assignment.

- For MLA, APA, CMS (Chicago Manual of Style), and CBE (Scientific Style and Format) generally, see the

   online companion site for Diane Hacker's A Writer's Reference at

   http://www.bedfordstmartins.com/hacker/writersref/index.html

- For MLA specifically, see http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/research/r_mla.html

- For APA specifically, see http://www.apastyle.org/elecref.html

- For CMS specifically, see http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/cmosfaq.html

- For CBE specifically, see http://www.lib.ohio-state.edu/guides/cbegd.html

Online Resources

To cite electronic resources in accordance with MLA, APA, CMS, or CBE guidelines see http://www.bedfordstmartins.com/online/citex.html. Online resources that must be cited include:

- World Wide Web sites

- Email messages

- Web discussion forum postings

- Listserv messages

- Newsgroup messages

- Real-time communication

- Telnet, FTP, and gopher sites

Citing Across Disciplines

Because each discipline uses its own format for citations, below is a list of links to online resources when writing in a particular discipline.

- Anthropology: http://www.aaanet.org/pubs/style_guide.htm

- Biology: http://www.lib.ohio-state.edu/guides/cbegd.html

- Chemistry: http://pubs.acs.org

- Economics/Business Management: http://www.amanet.org/books/catalog/0814402976.htm

- English: http://www.mla.org

- Geology: http://www.usgs.gov

- History: http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/cmosfaq.html

- Law/Legal Studies: http://www.legalbluebook.com/

- Mathematics: http://www.ams.org

- Physics: http://www.aip.org/pubservs/style/4thed/toc.html

- Psychology: http://www.apastyle.org/index.html

- Politics: http://www.apsanet.org/

- Sociology: http://www.asanet.org/pubs/style.html

Annotated Bibliographies

As you begin to receive assignments from your professors, you may very well be asked to write an annotated bibliography. This is more than simply a list of sources you plan to use, such as you would write for the bibliography at the end of your paper. An annotated bibliography is a summary and evaluation of each of the sources used in writing a paper or other assignment. It's purpose is to help you learn about your topic and formulate your thesis/arguments.

 

Components of an annotated bibliography:

- Summary - What are the primary arguments? What topics did the author cover?

- Assessment - Is the source useful? How does it compare with other sources read? Is the information reliable? Is

   the information subjective or objective?

- Reflection - How will you use this source? How does it help to shape your arguments?

Format of an annotated bibliography:

- Bibliographic information (author, title, publisher, date, etc.) is generally written in accordance with either MLA,

   APA, CMS, or another specified citation style.

- Annotation for each source is written in paragraph form underneath the bibliographic information. 

For more information on writing annotated bibliographies see:

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/general/gl_annotatedbib.html

 

For sample annotated bibliographies see:

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/general/gl_annotatedbibEX.html

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