SOC 270: Community Studies, Dr. Katherine Johnson: Cite Your Sources

Citing your sources is important because:

• It shows you've done research by looking up scholarly resources
• It allows others to look up the sources you used to find the information
• It prevents you from being accused of plagiarism 

Citations may look different depending on what style is used, but they contain the same information. The standard elements include:

• Author name(s)
• Title (of book or article and journal)
• Date of publication
• Page numbers

Many online periodical indexes show you exactly how to cite the sources you find. Look for a link that reads "citation tools," or "cite this article."  Click on that link and you will see the citation in various formats. Here is an example of a citation in MLA format created in Academic Search Complete. 

Note: you are ultimately responsible for making sure your citations are correct.  Make sure that your indentations and spacing are correct.