In Step 5, you will learn about:
Let's get started:
OSLIS Elementary Videos. "Citing Sources: Why & How to Do It." YouTube. 2 Aug. 2018. Web 10 April 2023. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-JV9cLDCgas&ab_channel=OSLISElementaryVideos
Citing resources is giving credit to the original author and publisher of the information you use in your research.
Avoid Plagiarizing: You must cite any direct quotation, summary, or paraphrase of any idea or fact from your research. Citing resources is giving credit to the original author and publication where you found the information. Not citing resources is plagiarism, and you may be subject to academic discipline.
Lend Authority to Your Paper: By referencing the work of scholars and other professionals, you demonstrate that your own research is based on solid, reliable information. It shows that you are capable of critical thinking by being able to synthesize that research into your own.
Provide a Path: By citing resources, you provide the information readers of your paper need in order to locate the same sources that you did.
Acknowledge Other's Work: Part of your research is built upon the research of other people. It is respectful and fair to give them credit for their hard work (just as you would hope others would give you credit if they were quoting your own work!).
Doing a PowerPoint? Making a speech? Using images? You still need to cite your sources!
A citation reflects all of the information a person would need to locate a particular resource. For example, basic citation information for a book consists of name(s) of author(s) or editor(s), title of the book, name of publisher, place of publication, and most recent copyright date.
A citation style (such as "APA" or "MLA") dictates the information necessary for a citation and how the information is ordered, as well as punctuation and other formatting.
A bibliography is an organized list of citations. In an annotated bibliography, each citation is followed by a brief note—or annotation—that describes and/or evaluates the resource and the information found in it.
A works cited (MLA style) or references (APA style) list presents citations for those resources referenced or cited in a particular paper, presentation, or other composition.
An in-text citation consists of just enough information to correspond to a resource's full citation in a Works Cited or References list. In-text citations often require a page number (or numbers) showing exactly where relevant information was found in the original resource.
A footnote is an explanatory or documenting note or comment at the bottom of a page, referring to a specific part of the text on the page.
An abstract is a summary of an article or other work and cannot be used as if it were the full text. You should not reference or cite an abstract in a paper or presentation, but instead find the full text.
Follow the steps below to learn better research skills:
1. Start Smart 2. Develop a Topic 3. Find Information 4. Evaluate 5. Cite Sources