CAU First Year Seminar: Citation Help

To avoid the potential for plagiarism, a good rule of thumb is to provide a citation for any idea that is not your own. This includes:

• > Direct quotation
• > Paraphrasing of a quotation, passage, or idea
• > Summary of another's idea or research
• > Specific reference to an obscure fact, figure, or phrase

You do not need to cite widely-accepted common knowledge (e.g. "George Washington was the first President of the United States."), proverbs, or common phrases unless you are using a direct quotation.

When in doubt, avoid the possibility of plagiarism and cite your source.

Further information can be found in the So, Cite Your Sources panel on the far right. Or visit CITATION & WRITING STYLE GUIDE.

Paraphrasing means putting someone else's idea or statement into your own words. To correctly paraphrase, you will have to cite the source of the original idea or statement.

Below is a great resource on how to paraphrase:

There are several accepted ways to cite the resource you used to write your paper. If you are wondering which to use, ask your professor. The library also has copies of the style manual, a book that gives detailed instructions on how to cite references.

Ask the Information Desk for copies to use in the library. You can also click links to guides listed below.