Scientific & Technical Writing: Cite Your Sources
Cite Your Sources
When you quote or paraphrase the idea of another person in your research paper or speech, you must provide a proper citation for the source in a bibliography or list of references. This gives credit to the author and enables the reader to locate the resource you cited.
Providing references for sources you used also lends credibility to your work, especially if you use authoritative sources.
If you use other people's ideas and do not give them credit by providing proper references to their work, you are committing plagiarism. Plagiarism is an honor code violation at NSU as well as a federal crime.
Citation Styles
When citing sources, be sure to use a conventional bibliographic style. Most disciplines have a standard style that writers are expected to use. Each style will specify a uniform way of citing sources.
Please consult the corresponding library guide on the following citation sytles for specific examples:
- How to Cite Sources Using APA
- How to Cite Sources Using MLA
- How to Cite Sources Using Chicago Style
You can use bibliography management software to help format and manage citations. NSU provides NSU students, faculty and staff with free access to EndNote, ProCite and Reference Manager. Learn more. An online tutorial is available for EndNote.