ContinueCiting Your Sources
Lesson 6
Citing Your Sources
When doing research we will need to document the sources we use in our paper. We document sources by creating parenthetical notes or footnotes for information we quote in our paper; and by creating a bibliography (or works cited list) which lists the sources used in our paper.
We cite our sources so that our readers can locate the information and determine its validity. The MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers (4th ed.) states:
"Because research has the power to affect opinions and actions, responsible writers compose their work with great care. They specify when they refer to another author's ideas, facts, and words, whether they want to agree with, object to, analyze, or interpret the source. This kind of documentation tends to discourage the circulation of error, by inviting readers to determine for themselves whether a reference to another text presents a reasonable account of what the text says." (pp. xiii-xiv)
It is important that citations be uniform in style so that readers can properly interpret their meaning. Citation styles vary. The important thing is that whichever citation style we use, we use it consistently and uniformly. Two major citation styles used on many college campuses are produced by the Modern Language Association (MLA) and the American Psychological Association (APA).
Press the "Continue" button to go to the MLA citation lesson.