LibGuides: Writing & Citation Guide: Home

Why Cite?

Why it is important to cite the sources in your research? Here's why:

To show your audience you've done proper research by listing sources you used to get your information
To be a responsible scholar by giving credit to other researchers and acknowledging their ideas
To avoid accusations of plagiarism by quoting words and ideas created by other authors
To allow your audience to find the sources you cited accurately in your paper by way of footnotes, a bibliography or reference list.

Things you MUST cite:

Any facts, figures, ideas, or other information that is not common knowledge
Any ideas, words, theories, or exact language that another person used in other publications
All types of sources- books, book chapters, articles, web pages, theses, videos, music, etc.
Another person's exact words should be quoted and cited to show proper credit

What is Plagiarism?

Plagiarism occurs when you borrow another's words (or ideas) and do not acknowledge that you have done so. If an idea is not your original idea, and it belongs to another, you must give proper credit.

Plagiarism is a very serious offense at Richard Bland College. When you become a student at Richard Bland, you agree to the school's Honor Code. If it is found that you have plagiarized--whether intentionally or unintentionally--you may face serious consequences. In some instances, plagiarism has meant that students have had to leave the institutions where they were studying.

You can avoid acts of plagiarism by properly citing your sources - both within the body of your paper and in a bibliography of sources you used at the end of your paper.

When in doubt, be safe and cite your source!