Bibliographic Citation

When to Cite

In order to avoid plagiarism, credit must be given to the sources you have used in your research paper. Acknowledge the sources by stating in a citation where you found a particular piece of data.
The purposes of such acknowledgments are:

  • to enable the reader to pursue further an idea or fact which is of interest
  • to give credit to the person whose work you have read.
Citations are required when you use
  • a direct quotation
  • an indirect quotation
  • a paraphrase
  • an opinion or conclusion not originally yours
  • a statistic or result of a study
  • a distinctive form or organization
  • a fact not part of common knowledge.

Citations may not be needed for information considered common knowledge, such as

  • dates
  • achievements
  • religious beliefs
  • facts that can readily be found in at least three separate sources

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