Kibbee Library: Communications and Journalism: Citing Sources

Citation Basics

Citing your sources is a very important part of the research process. Why?

Citations help you avoid plagiarism. As you may know, Kingsborough stands strongly against plagiarism, or using the work of others as your own. (See the CUNY Policy on Academic Integrity here.) Citing direct or indirect quotations can prevent you from inadvertently claiming another writer's work as your own.
Citations help you make your case. In addition to avoiding plagiarism, citing sources will make your work much stronger. Each citation stands as a piece of evidence: a citation adds to your paper by saying to the reader: "What she is arguing is backed up by the scholars in the field."
Citations show the person who is reading how to get further information. Citations can be a great way of pointing your reader to more interesting sources on your topic.
Citations strike up a conversation with your source. In scholarly writing, citations are considered a form of communication between one author and another. By citing an author's work, you not only support your own argument, but you are also announcing that the sources you cited are good works of research or scholarship. It's a conversation, even though they may not know about it.

Citation formats: There are several different citation styles, and each style has its own particular rules about how exactly a source should be cited. Your professor will often require a particular format (such as MLA or APA), or may tell you to choose one yourself. Below are some common citation styles.

MLA Format (from the Modern Language Association) is the most common citation style used in undergraduate papers. You can find more information about MLA style in their handbook (available through the library), the Purdue OWL, or on MLA Style Center.
APA Formatting (from the American Psychiatric Association) is quite common in social sciences publications, and occasionally in undergraduate assignments as well. You can find more information about APA style in their manual (available through the library), the Purdue OWL, or on APA Style website.
Chicago Style (from the University of Chicago Press) is another common citation style in scholarly publications. You can find more information about Chicago style in their manual (available through the library), the Purdue OWL, or on the Chicago Manual of Style website.

Books on Citation

There are a number of books available at the library to assist with citation as well as proper format, style, and content.

MLA Handbook by The Modern Language Association of America
Call Number: Ask at Reference Desk
ISBN: 9781603292627
Publication Date: 2016-04-01
The Modern Language Association, the authority on research and writing, takes a fresh look at documenting sources in the eighth edition of the MLA Handbook, the official guide to MLA format. Works are published today in a dizzying variety of ways: a novel, for example, may be read in print, online, or as an e-book--or perhaps listened to as an audiobook. Writers of research papers routinely need to know how to cite works on Web sites, videos on platforms like YouTube, interviews and other works created by multiple authors, journal articles contained in databases, online images, posts on social media sites, song lyrics, and more. Instead of providing separate instructions for each format, the MLA's unique, innovative approach recommends one set of guidelines that writers can apply to any type of source. This groundbreaking edition of the MLA's best-selling handbook is short and designed for easy use. It guides writers through the principles behind evaluating sources for their research and thus focuses on the key skills of information and digital literacy. It then shows writers how to cite sources in their writing, offering detailed guidance on in-text citations, quoting and paraphrasing, avoiding plagiarism, and more. Intended for students, teachers, librarians, and advanced scholars, the handbook is an indispensable resource in composition, communication, literature, language arts, film, media studies, digital humanities, and related fields.
Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association by American Psychological Association Staff
Call Number: Ask at Reference Desk
ISBN: 9781433805615
Publication Date: 2009-07-15
Doing Honest Work in College by Charles Lipson
ISBN: 9780226430744
Publication Date: 2019-01-11
Doing Honest Work in College stands on three principles: do the work you say you do, give others credit, and present your research fairly. These are straightforward concepts, but the abundance of questionable online sources and temptation of a quick copy-paste can cause confusion as to what's considered citing and what's considered cheating. This guide starts out by clearly defining plagiarism and other forms of academic dishonesty and then gives students the tools they need to avoid those pitfalls. This edition addresses the acceptable use of mobile devices on tests, the proper approach to sources such as podcasts or social media posts, and the limitations of citation management software.
Cite Right, Third Edition by Charles Lipson
Call Number: Ask at Reference Desk
ISBN: 9780226431109
Publication Date: 2018-11-20
Cite Right is the perfect guide for anyone who needs to learn a new citation style or who needs an easy reference to Chicago, MLA, APA, AMA, and other styles. Each chapter serves as a quick guide that introduces the basics of a style, explains who might use it, and then presents an abundance of examples. This edition includes updates reflecting the most recent editions of The Chicago Manual of Style and the MLA Handbook. With this book, students and researchers can move smoothly among styles with the confidence they are getting it right.
A Writer's Reference with 2016 MLA Update by Diana Hacker; Nancy Sommers
Call Number: Ask at Reference Desk
ISBN: 9781319083533
Publication Date: 2016-07-11
THIS TITLE HAS BEEN UPDATED TO REFLECT THE 2016 MLA UPDATES! Our editorial team has updated this text based on content from The MLA Handbook, 8th Edition. Browse our catalog or contact your representative for a full listing of updated titles and packages, or to request a custom ISBN.For success in college, no skill is more critical than writing; it's the very core of a student's academic experience. Tested and trusted, A Writer's Reference is an essential tool for students who are strengthening habits and skills that will support them throughout college. In an April 2014 survey of first-year writers, 75 percent reported that using a Hacker handbook made them a more confident academic writer. What's more, A Writer's Reference has been a powerful tool for change across college campuses--helping to create a culture of writing at many schools by supporting a common language for talking about academic writing. In that way, A Writer's Reference is uniquely positioned to help transform attitudes about the value of writing instruction and the role that writing plays in academic work and in higher learning. With this eighth edition of the handbook, author Nancy Sommers invites you to be part of a community of those who teach and assign writing; who believe that critical reading, analytical writing, responsible research, and clarity are at the center of effective writing across the academy; and who use the nation's best-selling and most responsive handbook to support the development of the college writer. LaunchPad LaunchPad combines an interactive e-book with high-quality multimedia content and ready-made assessment options, including LearningCurve adaptive quizzing. Pre-built units are easy to assign or adapt with your own material, such as readings, videos, quizzes, discussion groups, and more. LaunchPad also provides access to a grade book that provides a clear window on performance for your whole class, for individual students, and for individual assignments. The result is superior book specific content in a breakthrough user interface in which power and simplicity go hand in hand. To package LaunchPad free with A Writer's Reference, Eighth Edition, use ISBN 978-1-319-00920-5.
Rules for Writers by Diana Hacker; Nancy I. Sommers; Thomas Robert Jehn; Jane Rosenzweig; Marcy Carbajal Van Horn
Call Number: Ask at Reference Desk
ISBN: 9780312485733
Publication Date: 2007-10-17
The Elements of Style by William Strunk; E. B. White; Roger Angell (Foreword by)
Call Number: Ask at Reference Desk
ISBN: 9780205309023
Publication Date: 1999-07-23
Combating Plagiarism by Terry Darr
Call Number: PN167
ISBN: 9781440865466
Publication Date: 2019-09-24
Offers an instructional plan for plagiarism education for middle school and high school students, allowing librarians to become a resource for students, teachers, and school administrators. The proliferation of resources now available through libraries and the internet requires a new set of information management skills in order for students to avoid plagiarism. While educators legitimately expect students to approach academic work with honesty and integrity, students need to be able to understand the context of their academic resources--both print and digital--well enough to use them appropriately and ethically. Combating Plagiarism helps middle and high school teachers and librarians understand and teach the authorship and publication process so students learn to use relevant information in an ethically and academically sound fashion. Terry Darr's long-term collaboration with a high school history teacher taught her the challenges faced by students conducting research--and by librarians and teachers tasked with teaching plagiarism prevention. Her book is full of tested concepts for teaching these complex topics, emphasizing our modern reliance on digital sources. An extensive student reference section covers common knowledge, fact, and opinion. A wealth of practical resources includes real-life examples from research papers as well as plenty of instructional materials, exercises, and lesson plans. Helps librarians to feel confident in their professional positions as plagiarism experts on campus Teaches librarians how to help students who have already plagiarized Provides opportunities for librarians to collaborate with teachers and writing centers through plagiarism education Acts as a reference guide with all types of questions to ask students about plagiarism during the research process Creates an important framework for the ethical and appropriate use of information in schools

Citation Links

A number of websites are devoted to helping students and other researchers cite their work.

Purdue OWL
The Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL) has created an extensive and very helpful resource on citation of various materials.
Research and Documentation Online
This resource offers recommended resources for various areas of study as well as citation instructions.
Zotero
This freely available research tool allows you to save your citations to an online account with the click of a button.
KnightCite
This service, provided by Calvin University's library, generates a MLA citation for you. Just enter in the citation information (such as author, title, edition, and year published) and click submit.

RefWorks This link opens in a new window
Online bibliographic management program that allows users to create a personal database of references and generate bibliographies in a variety of formats. First time users need to sign up for an account.