Why do we "Document" or "Cite" sources?
A properly formatted works cited or references page will show readers the sources you consulted, giving credit to those authors for their ideas.
Whenever you base your ideas on another person's work or quote someone, you must document the source you utilized. Even when you do not quote directly from someone elses' work, if reading that source contributed to the ideas presented in your paper, you must credit the author to avoid plagiarizing them. Whether you paraphrase or directly quote, always give credit to the source(s) you consulted.
Plagiarism is the act or instance of using or closely imitating the language and thoughts of another author without authorization or representing another's work as one's own.
Think you are a plagiarism prevention expert?
You can test your knowledge about plagiarism by finding and destroying the plagiarism goblins in the Goblin (Threat) Game created by Mary Broussard at Lycoming College: http://www.lycoming.edu/library/instruction/tutorials/plagiarismGame.aspx
Add in-text citations so the reader will know which source was used as well as the particular portion (page number).
An in-text citation will follow the sentence, but come before the ending punctuation (like in these parenthesis). In APA, a basic in-text citation will consist of the author's last name followed by a comma the year of publication a comma the letter p immediately followed by a period and the page number where the information came from.
The in-text citation for this sentence could look like this (Smith, 2015, p.186). While a nod to another source may look like this (Jones & Lee, 2018, p.58).
Not all in-text citations will be as simple as those above. What if you are citing a video, a play, or a website with no author? The Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL) summarizes and provides examples of different varieties of in-text citations here: https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/apa_style/apa_formatting_and_style_guide/in_text_citations_the_basics.html
Remember- Every source listed on your APA Works Cited page should have one or more corresponding in-text citation(s) within your paper.
For more MLA & APA tools, consult our Library Guide on Documenting Resources (Citations)
FREE Tutoring is still available online! Enroll in the Canvas tutoring course (this is a service NOT a graded class) by going to https://canvas.polk.edu/enroll/ENYJRB
Writing tutors are available to work with students on the writing process for Polk State College course assignments. During the interactive session, the tutors can assist with specific questions about the writing process, including brainstorming and planning, revising rough drafts, preparing citations, and formatting a document.
Tutoring is available to currently enrolled Polk State College students at no cost.
On Campus Tutoring Schedules:
https://www.polk.edu/teaching-learning-computing-center-tlcc/tutoring/tutoring-schedules/
To view Online Tutoring Schedules, sign into the TLCC in Canvas.
