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Cite My Sources

Information on how to credit sources using APA, MLA, and Chicago styles

Why We Cite

Creative Commons License This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.5 License.
Source: The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

How We Cite

Creative Commons License This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.5 License.
Source: The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

When to Cite

You Don't Need to Cite...

  • Common knowledge: What does that mean? Common knowledge refers to facts that most people are aware of, for example:
    • The sun rises in the east and sets in the West
    • Thirteen colonies formed the United States
    • John Lennon was assassinated.
  • Your own opinions/ideas: "It is a mistake to overlook smaller, lower profile markets because..."

General Tips

  • Keep track of your sources: Start saving sources as you find them in order to stay organized. Save them to a citation management tool (like Zotero, see Citation Tools tab), email them to yourself, or print them out. 
  • Take good notes: Keep track of page numbers and mark sections of text that you use. Keep a research log; copy the wording, punctuation, and spelling exactly as it appears in the original text. This will save you lots of stress later.
  • Ask your professor: Always verify with your prof if unsure of whether a citation is required. 
  • Don't procrastinate: Unintentional plagiarism is usually the result of disorganization. Follow these tips and don't wait until the last minute. 

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