

How to properly cite sources infographic how to#
See our synthesis demonstration for help learning how to use the literature in this way. When reading the literature, keep that argument in mind, noting ideas or research that speaks specifically to the issues in your particular study. Have I used the cited material to support my specific thesis?Īll material that you cite should contribute to your main argument (also called a thesis or purpose statement).Additionally, the reader may not understand your reasons for including that material. Without these aspects, you leave your reader without a sense of the paragraph's main purpose. The opening sentence of each paragraph should be your topic sentence, and the final sentence in the paragraph should conclude your point and lead into the next. Did I begin and end my paragraphs in my own voice?.For help with creating this commentary while also avoiding personal opinion, see our Commentary vs. Make sure your paper is more than a collection of ideas from your sources it should provide an original interpretation of that material. Remember that the cited material should illustrate rather than substitute for your point. Did I provide adequate commentary on the cited material?.Here are some factors to consider when citing sources: For more information on avoiding plagiarism, see our Plagiarism Prevention Resource Kit.Īlso make sure to consult our resources on citations to learn about the correct formatting for citations.Ĭitation issues can appear when writers use too much information from a source, rather than including their own ideas and commentary on sources' information. Read more about how to avoid these types of plagiarism on the following subpages and review the Plagiarism Detection & Revision Skills video playlist on this page.


Plagiarism doesn't just mean copy and pasting another author's words. Not citing sources properly could imply that the ideas, information, and phrasing you are using are your own, when they actually originated with another author. Citing sources properly is essential to avoiding plagiarism in your writing.
