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

Citations

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

Books Available in the Lewis Library

Please note that any book published before 2021 refers to a previous edition of MLA.

Organize Your Citations

Citation Generator

Online Citation Help

Database Citation Help

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.

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