 Why you need to cite sources in this tutorial will introduce citation and tell you some of the reasons you need to cite the sources You use in your research papers and assignments When you do research for your papers and projects you always cite your sources to cite means to point to the evidence You need to show where you found the information you used in your research What to cite? It doesn't matter what type of source it is. It can be print or online. It can be an image or a conversation In fact any place where you find someone else's ideas Examples include data journal articles charts or graphs newspaper articles books ideas theories and concepts course lectures emails and phone conversations blogs and wikis the web and more Quoting and paraphrasing are two important concepts to learn Before you write a research paper you need to cite when you quote a source and when you paraphrase a source To quote means to use another author's exact words in your text Quotes from another author should be in quotation marks To paraphrase means to restate the words of another author using your own words When you restate another author's original ideas in your document you don't use quotation marks But remember you still have to cite your source Why cite you might wonder why you need to cite resources that are free and posted openly on the internet Well, all information has value whether it's found in books or journals or freely available on the web People work to create it and that work should be acknowledged. It does not matter where you got the information It does not matter if you paid for it or not. You always have to say where you got it There are several reasons why you must cite your sources One is to let the reader know what the original source of your information is When you cite a source you are given credit to the original author or creator of the ideas or content you are using It shows that you respect and acknowledge the work and ideas of others by citing you acknowledge How other people's work ideas or experiences have influenced your own thinking Citing is a simple yet powerful way to lend authority to your work and let the reader know that you did your research When you cite reputable sources to support your statements, you're essentially saying I'm not making this up Experts or credible sources back me up This can make your argument more convincing Another reason to cite is to help your reader identify and retrieve sources that you found and follow the path of your information To verify the sources you've used Clear and traceable references provide the essential roadmap for others to explore Validate and built upon the ideas and discoveries presented in your work Citing is also the best way to avoid plagiarism You must give credit to the person whose ideas you have quoted summarized or paraphrased Not doing so constitutes plagiarism a serious form of academic misconduct and a violation of copyright law Where to cite there are two places in your paper where you need to cite your sources You need to cite your source in the body of your document. These are called in-text citations You also need to cite in a list of sources at the end of your paper Your list of sources at the end of your paper can be called a bibliography work cited list or reference list Style manuals and more help Style manuals are guides that tell you where and how to properly cite your sources There are several different style manuals. For example, MLA or APA Always ask your instructor which citation style to use on your assignments Have more questions about incorporating sources? Explore the learning portal or contact a librarian at your college library Happy citing