How to Cite Sources Research Paper

Why do we need to cite sources? Writers always cite information that is not their own original work or thoughts Sometimes, the reader is interested in knowing where the sources are from; knowing this information adds to the writer’s credibility

What if I don’t cite sources? You’ve committed PLAGIARISM!! Plagiarism has serious consequences in this class, in college, and in the work place. In this class, you will receive a zero on this paper. If you do this in the workplace, you would lose your job.

What do you cite? Word for word quotes Summary/paraphrase of a source Ideas that did not originally come from you

Parenthetical Citations Parenthetical citation the information is cited in parentheses MEANS in parentheses  ( ) The parenthetical citation always goes at the end of the sentence. Example: The snowfall was a record breaking 16 inches in Oklahoma (Thompson)!

What goes in the parentheses? IF LISTED, you always provide the author’s last name in parentheses. NOTHING ELSE if it’s from a database or website. If it’s from a book, I need LAST NAME and PAGE NUMBER– no punctuation between the two! Example: The snowfall was a record breaking 16 inches in Oklahoma (Thompson)! Example: The snowfall was a record breaking 16 inches in Oklahoma (Thompson 32)!

More than one author? One author– (Haen) Two authors– (Haen and Halverson) Put in order as they show up on Works Cited page Three authors– (Haen, Halverson, and Taylor) More than three authors- (Haen, et al.)

What goes in the parentheses? If there is no author, put the first 2 or 3 words of the article title in the parentheses, in quotes! Only provide page numbers if this is from an actual text, not a print out from a database Example: (“Record Breaking”)

What are in-text citations? In-text citations are cited within the actual words in the paper You don’t need ( ) at the end of in-text citations Example: According to Derek Thompson, a meteorologist from Oklahoma, the snowfall was a record breaking 16 inches in that state!

Tricky In-Text Citations In-Text citations need a little more info… Provide the name of the author If this is the first time you’re citing this source, provide some background or credibility to the source Name of article, background of this individual, why this person can be trusted. EXAMPLE: Dr. Elisabeth Haen, who has spent her adult life researching pandas, explains that panda bears oftentimes eat plants other than bamboo. EXAMPLE: Author of the article "Pandas are Fun" Elisabeth Haen explains that panda bears oftentimes eat items other than bamboo.

When do I use either citation? You decide! Each citation style can be used throughout the essay Maybe if only the information is important and background isn’t, parenthetical is right. Maybe if you need to provide context for a source, in-text is right

A combination of in-text and parenthetical How do I cite a quote said by a person that is not the author of the article? A combination of in-text and parenthetical You cite the actual person who said the quote in-text THEN, you cite the actual article using parenthetical citations According to Dr. Halverson of the World Wildlife Foundation, “pandas only rival polar bears in their vicious nature” (qtd. in Haen).

How do I cite multiple sources in the same sentence? Typically, you would use a parenthetical citation with a semicolon in between the two different citations. EX: The snowfall in Oklahoma was a record breaking 16 inches, and it killed many with hypothermia (Thompson; Anderson).

Can I ever cite too much? Not really, but it depends on the instructor. Some instructors will want you to cite every sentence when you use a source. In this class, you don’t need to cite EVERY sentence if all the information came from the same source. Any time the information comes from a different source, you need to cite that new source!!

RULES FOR MS. VAIL If there are multiple sentences in a row that use the same source and you paraphrase the information, you can cite at the end of the sentences. Paraphrase sentence from source 1. Paraphrase sentence from source 1. Paraphrase sentence from source 1 (Source 1). Explanation.

RULES FOR MS. VAIL If there is a quote in the middle of the paraphrasing, you need to cite the quote immediately! Then, continue with the rules about paraphrasing. If you are paraphrasing material, and you paraphrase from multiple sources, make sure you denote when you are using different sources!

RULES FOR MS. VAIL If you’re using different source in the middle of another source, you need to cite that IMMEDIATELY. Paraphrase sentence from source 1. Paraphrase sentence from source 1 (Source 1). Paraphrase sentence from source 2. Source two info with a “quote” (Source 2). Explanation of why this is important.