Writing a research paper can often be seen as solitary work. But in truth, when we write academic papers we are practicing a form of written conversation. All conversations have rules that we follow--in academic writing one such rule is citing our sources.
While there are many different styles of citation (MLA, APA, Chicago, etc.). All citations have common elements, including
Additional elements of the citation will depend upon what type of resource you we are citing (book, article, video. etc) and the citation style you use.
Online, the Online Writing Lab (OWL) at Purdue produces excellent guides to the three major styles.
Always refer to your instructor’s guidance about their preferences regarding citation styles.
Plagiarism is often a scary word that comes with warnings of zero points for assignments and even expulsion from college. Learning more about what plagiarism is and skills to avoid it can reduce our stress when writing a paper.
According to Centralia College, "Plagiarism includes taking and using as one's own, without proper attribution, the ideas, writings, or work of another person in completing an academic assignment. Prohibited conduct may also include the unauthorized submission for credit of academic work that has been submitted for credit in another course." - - Centralia College Student Rights & Responsibilities, 4.170, Prohibited student conduct.
