Table of Contents for Plagiarism Module
   
1. Introduction
2. What will I learn?
3. What is plagiarism?
  3.1. Is this plagiarism?
  3.2. But what if...?
  3.3. Activity 1
4. Why shoudn't I?
  4.1. A victim's story
  4.2. Consequences
  4.3. Activity 2
5. How do I cite this?
  5.1. Paraphrasing
  5.2. Quoting
  5.3. Activity 3
6. Resources
7. Credits

How do I cite this?


There are several different reference styles, such as APA, MLA, and Turabian to name a few. The format you select may depend on your professor's instructions or your own preference. Regardless of which method you use, citations in your footnotes and bibliography should contain the same basic information:

  • the author's name,
  • the name of the book or journal,
  • the publisher,
  • the date and city of publication, and
  • the page number of the quotation.

Citations within the text of your paper (parenthetical citations) are shorter versions of the full reference. Their formats also vary depending on the style but will always include the author's name, and either or both the year of publication and page number.

Examples of various in-text citation styles are listed below. For more detailed information and examples, explore the resources listed in the Links section.

APA
MLA
Turabian/Chicago Manual of Style
Websites

APA

APA style uses the author-date format to cite references within the text:

  • As Brown (1995) suggests, . . .
  • According to recent studies (vonYahn, 2004), . . .
  • Experts agree that this method is no longer effective (Xu, 1998; Hardy, 1999; Brown, 2002).
In-Text Citation Formats (Parenthetical)

1 Author

(last name, year)

(Brown, 1975)

2 Authors

(last name & last name, year)

(Brown & vonYahn, 2004)

3-5 Authors

(last name, last name, and last name, year)

(Brown, vonYahn, Hardy, and Xu, 1999)

6+ Authors

(last name et al., year)

(Brown et al., 1976)

Multiple Sources

(last name, year; last name, year)

(Brown, 1975; vonYahn, 1995)

~Top~

MLA

MLA style uses only the author's name to cite paraphrased or summarized references within the text. When directly quoting the author, use the author-page number format.

  • Experts agree that this method is no longer effective (Xu; Hardy; Brown).
  • Keeping in mind that LBSure is "the most rapidly appreciating product on the market" (vonYahn 75), UniCom should consider purchasing the system this fiscal year.
In-Text Citation Formats (Parenthetical)

1 Author

(last name page#)

(Brown 29)

2 Authors

(last name and last name page#)

(Brown and vonYahn 1030)

3 Authors

(last name, last name, and last name page#)

(Brown, vonYahn, and Hardy 195)

4+ Authors

(last name et al. page#)

(Brown et al. 826)

Multiple Sources

(last name page#; last name page#)

(Brown 75; vonYahn 9)

~Top~

Turabian (Chicago Manual of Style)

Chicago/Turabian style requires the author's name, year of publication, and the page number:

  • According to vonYahn (1976, 29), . . .
  • A recent study by Brown and others (1975, 29-30) confirms that . . .
  • IR technology will be "the wave of the future" (Mercier 2005, 3).
In-Text Citation Formats (Parenthetical)

1 Author

(last name year, page#)

(Brown 1975, 29-30)

2 Authors

 (last name and last name year, page#) (Brown and vonYahn 2004, 10)

3 Authors

 (last name, last name, and last name year, page#) (Brown, Hardy, and Xu 1982, 626)

4+ Authors

 (last name and others year, page#) (Brown and others 1975, 29)

Multiple Sources

use footnotes instead of parenthetical references

~Top~

Websites

Additional information is necessary when referencing a website. Although there is yet to be a consensus among experts on the proper format, some basic guidelines are discussed below.

A good rule of thumb is to inclue as much information as possible (remember, the main purpose in providing a reference is to assist the reader in finding your source). Elements you should include are:

  • the page title (found either in the text of the page or in your browser's title bar),
  • the URL or address,
  • the author (often listed at the bottom of the page with copyright info), and
  • the date you accessed, downloaded, or printed the web page.

Watch out for:

  • Frames. If the website uses frames, be sure to obtain the actual URL of the page from the page properties rather than just the top-level frame.
  • Missing author info. If the author's name is not listed, use the organization or company name instead.
  • Moved or removed pages. Pages and documents are often reorganized or removed from websites without notice. You should always print or save a copy of the page to avoid losing access to the information.

Several guidelines and style sheets for citing electronic sources are available. Refer to the Resources section for a brief listing.

~Top~