How To: Write an Annotated Bibliography: Citation Styles

Citation is defined by the Oxford English Dictionary as “the action of citing or quoting any words or written passage, quotation”. In plain English that means that if you use an article or book for your research or quote something that someone else said in your paper then you must list where you got it from. Citation allows you to give credit to the authors whose research you are using and allows your readers to be able to find and examine your sources. Proper citation is critical to good academic research. It is also an important step in avoiding Plagiarism. Please remember to be careful and cite all the sources you use in your paper.  We have handouts that specifically deal with how to cite material in a variety of formats properly.

The Oxford English Dictionary defines Plagiarism as “the action or practice of taking someone else’s work, idea, etc., and passing it off as one’s own”. In other words it is stealing and cheating by trying to pass off someone else’s idea as something you came up with on your own. Some common types of plagiarism can be (and are not just limited to) cutting and pasting without citing an original source, incorrectly paraphrasing material, and making up citations. Please remember to be careful and cite all the sources you use in your paper. We have handouts that specifically deal with how to cite material in a variety of formats properly.