Pick Your Style
Based on your assignment instructions, choose your citation style from the tabs above to see examples of citations for you to follow or to connect to citation maker tools.
Citation Tic-Tac-Toe
Don't really know what a citation looks like? Play this Tic-Tac-Toe game from James Madison University and become a wiz at recognizing citation elements for lots of different kinds of publications.
Why Cite Your Sources?
When you prepare a research project, whether it is a paper or a speech, you use information and facts from a variety of resources to support your own ideas or to help you develop new ideas. Books, online databases, periodical articles, videos, sound recordings, and Web sites are some examples of sources you might use. Citing these sources of information in your work serves two primary purposes:
- It gives credit to the author of the original work who provided you with the information or idea, and
- It allows your audience to identify and find the source material in order to learn more about your topic
Because your instructors want to make sure that you're supporting your arguments with high-quality sources, citing your sources also lends credibility to your paper.
What Do You Cite?
You must provide a citation for sources you quote word-for-word
and for sources you paraphrase or rewrite into your own
words. You do not need to cite sources that simply provide you
with widely known facts. If you don't cite your sources you are committing unintentional plagiarism.
Tips for Citing Sources
It's important to make sure you collect all the information you need to cite a source as you gather your information so that you won’t need to look it up again, so:
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Take clear, accurate notes about where you found specific ideas
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Write down the complete citation information for each book, article, etc. you use as you go along
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Use quotation marks when directly stating another person's words
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Always credit original authors for their information and ideas
Get Help
MJC librarians are here to help you
In Person:
You'll find librarians at the east and west campus Reference
Desks during most hours
that the library is open during fall and spring semesters.
By Phone:
Please call us at the east campus Reference Desk (209) 575-6230 or the west campus Reference Desk (209) 575-7762.
By E-mail:
If you prefer, please email us.
MJC Writing Center
Tutors at the Writing Centers on East and West campuses are ready to help you master your writing assignment. They can help with all phases of your research project from developing topics and focused thesis statements to citing your sources correctly. Tutors are available by appointment or you can drop in to use the open lab. For more information, please check the Writing Center.
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