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Jessie Ball duPont Library

Citing Your Sources

Citation Management

Save your energy. Learn how citation management tools can make your life easier

Overview

There are quite a few different ways to properly cite resources in your paper. The citation style usually depends on the academic discipline involved. For example:

  • MLA style (Modern Language Association) is typically used by the Humanities 
  • APA style (American Psychological Association)  often is used by Education, Psychology, and Business
  • Chicago/Turabian (Professor Turabian, University of Chicago) is generally used by History and some of the Fine Arts
  • SAA (Society of American Archaeology) is generally used by Anthropology and Archaeology

Some departments or individual professors create modified versions of citation styles that they expect you to follow as well.  

Bottom line: Check with your professor to make sure you use the style required for that class. And whatever style you choose, BE CONSISTENT!

YOU SHOULD CITE WHEN:

  • Referring to a source and stating someone else's opinions, thoughts, ideas, or research
  • Using an image or media file that you did not create

When in doubt, cite it


WHEN REFERRING TO A SOURCE, YOU HAVE THREE OPTIONS FOR USING IT:

Handwritten text that starts with a quotation mark and ends with a parenthetical citation.

  1. Directly Quoting 
  2. Summarizing 
  3. Paraphrase 

"Which option you should choose depends on how much of a source you are using, how you are using it, and what kind of paper you are writing, since different fields use sources in different ways." Grounds for Argument. When to Quote, Paraphrase, or Summarize a Source. Used under CC BY NC SA

Image:  Random quote by Gabriel Jones. Used under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0


YOU DO NOT NEED TO CITE:

  • Your thoughts and your interpretations
  • Common knowledge​

Many different tools exist to assist you in the process of creating a citation entry. There are advantages and challenges to working with these tools. 

Common mistakes include:

  • Selecting the wrong type of information source
  • Inputting information incorrectly or leaving information out
  • Misplaced or incorrect punctuation
  • Improper capitalization

The biggest mistake is in completely trusting a citation generator to make no errors. Make sure you closely review all citations created in this way. You'll also still want to refer to your citation style guide to learn how to format your works cited/reference page.

See some choices for helpful citation managers and generators

Citation Guides

Need help citing the sources you find?  The following guides can help you cite in MLA, APA, or Chicago style. Find more information online at the sources listed below or on the the Purdue OWL website. If you get stuck, come and talk to us in Research Help (in the library basement)!

CMOS cover

American Anthropological Association Style Guide

American Chemical Society (ACS) Style Quick Guide

Research Papers

"The purpose of a research paper is to synthesize previous research and scholarship with your ideas on the subject. Therefore, you should feel free to use other persons' words, facts, and thoughts in your research paper, but the material you borrow must not be presented as if it were your own creation."

MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. 7th Edition. New York: MLA. 55. Print.

Need help with your writing?

The Writing Center, located on the first floor in duPont Library, provides objective peer support to Sewanee students who seek assistance with their writing projects. 

Plagiarism

How to Avoid Plagiairism