After completing this section, you will be able to acknowledge the use of information sources using standard APA format.
Most students are aware that deliberately copying the work of others is plagiarism, but did you know that it is also considered plagiarism when a writer inadvertently fails to cite resources completely and correctly? You can avoid this "accidental plagiarism" by organizing your research, keeping careful notes, and fully understanding the rules for quoting, paraphrasing and citing your information resources.
Why cite: You cite information to acknowledge the intellectual property of others and lend authority to your research and understanding.
When to cite: You must cite the source for any information or ideas that are not your own. All quoted material must be correctly identified.
What to cite: You must cite materials in any format - books, journals, newspapers, reports, theses/dissertations, video/audio recordings, conference proceedings, government documents, legal cases, web sites, etc.
How to cite: You must use a standard format (such as APA Style) to allow other researchers to identify and locate information you reference in your writing.
Citation generators and managers allow you to automatically create and manage citations.They work for APA, MLA, and other major citation styles.
NOTE: Be sure to check the references generated by these tools against a style manual or other credible source. Do not assume they they are correct.