Q: What do I need to cite?
A: You need to cite any idea, fact, or piece of information that you got from another source. You also need to cite any passages that you quote word for word from another source.
Q: I'm not sure if I should cite something, what should I do?
A: It is always better to cite when you don't need to.
Remember: When in doubt, cite it.
Q: I cited everything I got from other sources, and now every sentence in in my paper has a citation after it. Is this normal?
A: No. Your paper needs to include your own ideas or thoughts about your topic. Use quotations from other writers, or ideas from other writers, to support what you are writing, provide evidence that what you are writing is correct, or strengthen your credibility by showing that other people agree with you. Make sure your paper is not just a series of summaries or quotes from other works.
Q: Can I just put a citation at the end of my paragraph?
A: No. In some older editions of APA and MLA style, it was okay to quote or refer to the same source several times in one paragraph, and place only one citation at the end of the paragraph. The new editions want you to place a citation after each quote, or each sentence that summarizes or paraphrases another source.
Q: Can I just copy and paste and then put a citation after it?
A: Coping and pasting is useful when including quotations in your paper, to make sure you get the passage you are quoting word for word. Anything you include exactly as the author wrote it needs to be in quotation marks.
If you do not use quotation marks or a block quote, it is not acceptable to copy and paste part of another work and put a citation after it.
Q: How do I know when to summarize or paraphrase? What is the difference?
A: When you summarize, you describe a lot with a little; you write a sentence or two that describes a chapter, several pages, or an entire book. When you paraphrase, you restate a passage of writing in your own words; it takes about a sentence to paraphrase a sentence, or a paragraph to paraphrase a paragraph. If you need to refer to a longer passage of writing than a paragraph, you should summarize instead of paraphrasing.
Remember that paraphrases and summaries must be in your own words. Make sure your wording is not close to the original.
Q: When should I quote?
A: Quotations are usually used because the author's original wording is particular effective, memorable, or powerful. If it is the way the author says it that is important, quote them. If it is the idea the author is expressing that is important, paraphrase or summarize.
Q: I have a very unusual source, like a YouTube video, a conversation I had, or something else that I am not sure how to cite, what should I do?
A: You can either check a citation resource, like the manual for the style you are using, or a site like the Purdue Online Writing Lab (Purdue OWL), or you can ask your instructor or one of the librarians for help.