English & Literature: Citations

When you research a topic you may use information from articles, books, or the Web to support your ideas. However, you must credit the original authors of these sources by citing them.  This serves two important functions.

•   It makes it clear that you are not plagarizing, or claiming work that is not your own.
•   It tells readers of your work where to to find more information on a topic.

• Email yourself a copy of any articles or websites you are using.  This ensures you will have the correct information when writing your paper.
• Use quotation marks when directly stating another person's words.
• Credit original authors for not just their words, but also their ideas.
• The The Excelsior Online Writing Lab is one of the best sources for learning more about citing and formatting your papers. It features instructional videos that show you how to set up your papers in APA, MLA, and Chicago formats, interactive checklists, and visual support for both in-text documenting and referencing at the end of your paper.

MLA style, developed by the Modern Language Association, is used for English, foreign languages and general topics. MLA requires parenthetical citations within the text and a corresponding bibliography or works cited list at the end of the paper.

NoodleTools is an online tool for creating works cited lists. Use it with MLA, APA, or Chicago styles. It helps you create your citations, and generates your bibliography. Show me how