Citations + Plagiarism

Citing sources is essential in academic writing. Whenever we quote or paraphrase a source, for example, a book, an article, or a webpage, we need to include a citation crediting the original author. 

We use citations:

• To provide support for our argument 
• To give credit to ideas that are not our own
• To enable our readers to find and read the sources we used
• To ensure Academic Honesty

Failing to properly cite your sources counts as plagiarism, since you are presenting someone else's ideas as if they were your own. 

The most commonly used citation styles at Niagara College are APA, IEEE, and MLA. 

When do you need to cite sources?

A citation is needed whenever you integrate a sources into your writing. This usually means quoting or paraphrasing:

• To quote a source, copy a short piece of text word for word and put it inside quotation marks.
• To paraphrase a source, put the text into your own words. It is important that the paraphrase is not too close to the original wording. 

Citations are needed whether you quote or paraphrase, and whatever type of source you use. As well as citing scholarly sources like books and journal articles, don't forget to include citations for any other sources you use for ideas, examples, or evidence. That includes websites, YouTube videos, and lectures.