Citing Sources

a laptop and books on the floor of a library aisle

Paraphrasing, summarizing, and quoting sources

From Purdue Owl. Consultant notes: I like how this resource provides a definition of plagiarism, why to avoid it, and steps to mitigate it. The steps are general enough to be both effective across disciplines and genres of writing and also for writers to remain engaged with their work while they sort through the proverbial sauce and paraphrase. I also like how the resource gives an example of what to do and what not to do. Oftentimes when things are taught in theory, or to multilingual writers as if they will just intrinsically know what plagiarism is and is not, it can feel like a handicap to write with the danger of plagiarizing. I recommend this resource to my clients all the time and I will continue to do so. -Rupini

From the Office of Research Integrity at the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services: A module on avoiding plagiarism and practicing ethical writing in a health sciences context.

From Randolph Community College: steps to paraphrase without plagiarizing

From Swarthmore College: includes a discussion of what may constitute “common knowledge”

 

APA Style (APA 7)

Wondering what’s new and different between APA 6 and 7? Purdue Owl summarizes the changes.

From George Mason University: An overview of some of the most commonly searched-for APA 7 style elements.

From Williams Library: Quick guides for in-text citations and the reference list

From CSUDH University Library: Includes a video introduction to APA 7 citation styles.

From Purdue Owl: Downloads a PDF of a sample paper including marginal comments about different formatting It would help the client to know before they use this resource that all the tips given may not apply to every paper, every discipline, every genre of writing. APA is not a one size fits all, even though professors and rubrics often make it seem so. This resource also does not frame things in terms of choices, but rather, as absolutes (“do not do ___”, etc.) In a way, this is helpful, since educators can be harsh when judging APA format. Additionally, not all papers in APA format will have graphs/charts, and this can be confusing for writers who have never done this before. -Rupini

 

AMA Style

From Purdue Owl: An overview of AMA style.

From James Cook University: A quick overview/guide for AMA 11.

 

Chicago Style

From Fairfield University: A resource listing reference formats for common sources in Chicago style (17th edition)