Giving credit to a source is a way to acknowledge the use of another person's words, ideas, or research. This is known as citing your source. In your paper, credit is given using a citation.
A citation includes all of the basic details of a source (author, title, date, etc.) written down in a prescribed way. The format of the citation is determined by the citation style. There are several different citation styles used in academia but the most commonly used here at Leeward are the MLA and APA styles. Always check with your professor for the citation style being used in your class.
In general, you must cite everything except your own original words, ideas, or research. This includes information from periodicals, books, videos, sound recordings, interviews, websites, blogs and social media posts, e-mails, images, etc. However, there is an exception...
Common knowledge includes any information that is widely accepted, understood, and shared by the majority of people in a community. Many historical and scientific facts, basic observations of the natural and man-made world, and common beliefs and practices can be considered to be common knowledge.
Examples of facts which are common knowledge:
These facts are known by most people and so can be considered common knowledge. It's a majority of people within a community or group, rather than everyone, that's the key for something to be considered common knowledge.
For more info, links, and examples, please visit the Library's Citation Guide.
The discipline of English, as well as many other disciplines in the humanities, use MLA citation format. The following are some examples for formatting the Works Cited page:
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Book, |
Garcia Marquez, Gabriel. Love in the Time of Cholera. Vintage, 1988. |
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Book, |
Casell, Kay Ann, and Uma Hiremath. Reference and Information Services in the 21st Century: An Introduction. Neal-Schuman, 2004. |
|
Book, |
Robbins, Chandler S., et al. Birds of North America: A Guide to Field Identification. Golden, 1966. |
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Book, |
Homer. The Odyssey. Translated by Robert Fagles, Viking, 1996. Other common descriptions: Adapted by, Directed by, Edited by, Illustrated by, Introduction by, Narrated by, Performance by. |
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A work (e.g., essay, short story, chapter) within a book |
Kimball, Jean. "Growing Up Together: Joyce and Psychoanalysis, 1900-1922." Joyce through the Ages: A Nonlinear View, edited by Michael Patrick Gillespie, UP of Florida, 1999, pp. 25-45. |
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Book, |
Blamires, Harry. The New Bloomsday Book: A Guide through Ulysses. 3rd ed., Routledge, 1996. |
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Article in an Online Database |
Hannah, Daniel K. "The Private Life, the Public Stage: Henry James in Recent Fiction." Journal of Modern Literature, vol. 30, no. 3, 2007, pp. 70-94. JSTOR, www.jstor.org.ezproxy.lib.uwf.edu/stable/30053134. |
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Article in Print Journal |
Hannah, Daniel K. "The Private Life, the Public Stage: Henry James in Recent Fiction." Journal of Modern Literature, vol. 30, no.3, 2007, pp. 70-94. |
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Article (Web Page) on a Web Site |
Farkas, Meredith. "Tips for Being a Great Blogger (and a Good Person)." Information Wants to Be Free, 19 July 2011, meredith.wolfwater.com/wordpress/2011/07/19/tips-for-being-a-great-blogger-and-good-person/. |
| Website (Whole site) |
Farkas, Meredith. Information Wants to Be Free. Jun. 2015, meredith.wolfwater.com. |
| AI Tool (eg. ChatGPT) | "List the pros and cons of free college tuition" prompt. ChatGPT, 13 Feb. version, OpenAI, 14 Aug, 2024, chat.openai.com/chat. |
Citation generator tools are available in CQ Researcher, EBSCOhost, ProQuest US West News, Opposing Viewpoints in Context, and other research databases. These tools will create a citation in the most common styles. Look for a "Cite" icon when reviewing your article. Note: The changes in the newly released MLA 8th edition may not be reflected in the citation tools found in the library databases. If you do not see the option to generate a citation using MLA 8th edition, it means that it is not currently available in that database.
Some databases like the Facts on File databases (Issues & Controversies, Today's Science, etc.) automatically generate a citation when you open the document. Scroll down to the end of the article for the citation.
Note: Do not cut and paste automatically created citations into your paper and think you have a correct citation. Always double check computer or database-generated citations.
Discourse between professionals, researchers, and scholars (including YOU) develop and sustain the growth and spread of information and knowledge. Expert researchers:
Please visit the ACRL Frame "Scholarship as Conversation" for more info
For more info, links, and examples, please visit the Library's Citation Guide.
