COM 353 Business and Professional Communications
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Citing Your Sources: Why & Where
Why should you cite your sources?
1. To give credit to the original author when you directly quote someone else's words, or paraphrase their ideas, within the text of your paper.
2. Your statements are more credible when you back them up with authoritative sources.
3. To allow readers to easily locate the sources you used by providing a Works Cited page.
Where should you cite your sources?
1. Within the text of your paper, in parentheses after you quote or paraphrase a source. Include author's last name and the page number (if given).
- Example: Fifty percent of the freshmen at ASU are citing their sources correctly (Jones 9).
2. In the Works Cited list at the end of your paper. Include complete information about the source.
- Example: Jones, Jennifer. "Citing Sources is Important." State Press 10 June 2009: 8-9. Print.
Credits
Thanks to Julie Tharp, Marc Mason, Dennis Isbell, Ellen Welty, & Alexandra Humphreys.
Citing Sources Guides
- Citing Sources LibGuideCheck our own LibGuide for explanations and examples from a wide variety of citation styles, including MLA, APA, etc.
- MLA Web Guide from the OWL at PurdueA very thorough and easy to use guide for MLA. Purdue's OWL (Online Writing Lab) is a great site.
- APA Web Guide from the OWL at PurdueA comparably thorough and easy to use guide, only for APA.
- Son of Citation MachineAn easy to use and reliable online citation generator.
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