• Citing Your Sources •

Citing Your Sources

Have you ever used an image in a report or project that you got from the web or copied from a book?

Have you ever copied and pasted information from a website into a report or project?

Have you ever copied, word-for-word, information or words from a book, magazine or newspaper?

Have you ever used information, but put it in your own words, from a book, website or article?

Of course you have...

Did you give credit to every source that you took images, information or words from?

IF THE ANSWER IS YES:

CONGRATULATIONS! You are using images or information in an ethical way.

IF THE ANSWER IS NO:

You are plagiarizing the information. This is illegal. While the "police" won't come to get you, your teachers have the right to not give you credit, or if you were working on a job, your boss would have the right to fire you!

Ethical Use of Sources

When you are researching, or scouring the web for images or information, anything that you take notes from, copy from, or use images or information from, must be noted in a page at the end of the project/report, called a Works Cited. While the Works Cited is completed at the end of your research, you need to keep a record of what you use and where it is from. A convenient way of recording your sources is using source info forms, available in the library or from the links below. The information you gather, and the way you write it out depends on the format you use. There are three popular formats: MLA (the format used at Reed), APA, and Chicago.

MLA Citation

Here at Reed we use the MLA (Modern Language Association) format.

If you are using NoodleTools, you enter the information in the bibliography, or works cited section. Make sure you enter the source before you make a note card. If your not sure which type of source to choose, or need help filling in the information, ask Ms. Fed for assistance.
If you are using Traditional Research, forms on which you can record the information are located in the library, or you can download and print them from the links below. If you need help filling them out, ask Ms. Fed or one of the library practice students for assistance.

A few great webpages that will help you with your citations:

For an online how-to guide, go to Purdue Owl's site: Purdue Owl (MLA Guide)
For a site that will generate your citations for you, go to Easybib.com: Easybib.com

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