See MIT Libraries service updates for the latest information on access to services, collections, and spaces. To be a responsible scholar by giving credit to other researchers and acknowledging their ideas To avoid plagiarism by quoting words and ideas used by other authors To allow your reader to track down the sources you used by citing them accurately in your paper by way of footnotes, a bibliography or reference list. Citing a source means that you show, within the body of your text, that you took words, ideas, figures, images, etc.
Citations are a short way to uniquely identify a published work e. They are found in bibliographies and reference lists and are also collected in article and book databases.
Citations consist of standard elements, and contain all the information necessary to identify and track down publications, including:. Citations may look different, depending on what is being cited and which style was used to create them.
Choose an appropriate style guide for your needs. Here is an example of an article citation using four different citation styles. Notice the common elements as mentioned above:. This includes: Information that most people know , such as that water freezes at 32 degrees Fahrenheit or that Barack Obama was the first American of mixed race to be elected president. However, what may be common knowledge in one culture, nation, academic discipline or peer group may not be common knowledge in another.
How do I determine if the information I am using is common knowledge? To help you decide whether information can be considered common knowledge, ask yourself: Who is my audience? What can I assume they already know? Will I be asked where I obtained my information? The best advice is: When in doubt, cite your source. Which of the following statements would be considered common knowledge? Which would need to be cited? Cite sources using the correct information about the source where you found the information e.
Toggle action bar FAQ Actions. Print Tweet Share on Facebook Was this helpful? About FAQs. Link to Question Form. Related FAQs. Powered by Springshare ; All rights reserved. I Need Tech Help! Paraphrasing or summarizing.
Information which may be common knowledge but still unfamiliar to your reader. This would also include statistical information which may be familiar information but still requires confirmation. Not just books or articles should be cited. Any source that you use for information can and should be cited including interviews, websites, TV programs, etc.
Whenever you are not sure if something should be cited, err on the side of caution and cite sources. How much you quote will determine how it appears in the body of your paper but whether it is one word or an entire paragraph, direct quotes need to be cited.
Global warming is being recognized as a major issue throughout the world and as Al Gore instructs, "it is time to make peace with our planet. This involves translating what you have read or heard and putting it into your own words. Paraphrasing typically refers to putting an idea or passage into your own words. Summarizing involves capturing the main idea or reducing a detailed piece to a shorter and more general synopsis.
At the same time, your chosen topic will need a scholarly perspective. Paraphrase : When students are permitted to select their own topic to write about they should choose one that is interesting to them. The topic should also be scholarly in nature so that students will be able to find appropriate research and resources on the topic.
Summary : Students should select writing topics that are interesting and also lend themselves to academic research. A summary generally addresses the overall theme of a passage, article, opinion, etc.
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