Citing your sources will give credit to the original author or producer of the information you are quoting and paraphrasing. Giving recognition is important in every context.
Citing the right way makes it possible for those who read your work to trace the information you used to produce it. It gives you credibility and improves your ability to contribute your voice to scholarly discussions.
Citing will allow you to avoid unintentional plagiarism. Read the Student Handbook's policy on academic dishonesty to see what constitutes plagiarism.
Conforming to citation styles can seem daunting, but it becomes simpler if you remember to look for the basics:
Remember that this information can look different depending on your source's type (video, book, article, tweet, etc.).
The Biology Department recommends using any citation style as long as you are consistent. You can ask your professor which one they recommend. For more information on all citation styles used at Lycoming College, visit our Citation Station Online homepage.
Citation managers are tools that help you collect, organize, and cite your sources. They can also be used for team research projects to share citations and organize them in a single place. Remember that those tools are helpful, but not perfect. Check the citations they generate for mistakes!
You can use any citation manager you are comfortable with, like Zotero, EndNote, or Mendeley. We recommend Zotero: you can create a free account, download Zotero and install an MS Word add-in and a browser connector. Contact a Librarian or use the quick guide below to get started (credits: Jason Puckett at Georgia State University Library).
ZoteroBib will quickly generate a citation or bibliography. Choose your citation style and paste in a DOI, Title, or another identifier to create your bibliography.
