Citing Your Sources

Transmitting Ideas

Use quotation marks when directly stating another person's words.

Take clear, accurate notes about where you found specific ideas.

Always credit original authors for their information and ideas.

Write down the complete citation information for each item you use.

For example:  If you were assigned to write a research paper on non-violence, you might use the ideas of Thoreau, Ghandi and King in your paper.  You would "cite" each as a source.

Ideas about using non-violent resistance to enact change have passed from person to person.

Your Ideas & Research?

Thoreau

Ghandi

King

When you research a topic you may use information from sources such as articles, books, or the Web to support your ideas. However, you must credit the original authors of these sources by citing them. To cite means that you state where you found the information so that others can find the exact item again.

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Images: ©Vithalbhai Jhaveri/GandhiServe, Courtesy of The Thoreau Society, Lincoln, MA, MLK courtesy WMU Archives & Regional History.