Secrets of My Research Success:
Citation and Plagiarism

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After work that evening, Quentin continues to research his topic and get started on his assignment for class when he realizes that he doesn't really know how to cite his sources. He again calls the library for assistance.


So, if I quote something directly, I need to cite it. But if I paraphrase it and change the words around, then I don't, right?


Actually Quentin, you must always give credit for information you obtain from another person or source—even if you paraphrase it. If you don't, you could be accused of plagiarism, which could mean serious consequences, such as receiving a failing grade or even being expelled.


Ohhhh, I wasn't aware it was that serious.


It is, but if you spend a little time making sure that you understand how to correctly paraphrase, quote and cite sources, then you shouldn't have any problems. Here is an example of a properly-formatted APA citation. Note the order of the elements: authors, date published, article title, journal title, volume, issue, page numbers, and DOI(Digital Object Identifier). If no doi is available, use the URL of the journal’s homepage.

Cartwright, S., Tytherleigh, M. & Robertson, S. (2007). Are mergers always stressful? Some evidence from the higher education sector. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology16(4), 456-478. doi:10.1080/13594320701606391

Also, the library offers a few resources on the library Web site that may help you out. Each citation style has its own way of formatting the various elements of the citation as  well as components required for the citation. Citation Resources includes many citation guides and tutorials and a link to RefWorks, an online tool that allows you to build and manage your own personal database of references. You can also generate in-text citations and lists of references in various citation styles to use in your paper.