Citing sources; avoiding plagiarism (APA Papers)

59Citing sources; avoiding plagiarism (APA Papers)

In a research paper, you will draw on the work of other researchers and writers, and you must document their contributions by citing your sources. Sources are cited for two reasons:

  1. to tell readers where your information comes from—so that they can assess its reliability and, if interested, find and read the original source
  2. to give credit to the writers from whom you have borrowed words and ideas

You must cite anything you borrow from a source, including direct quotations; statistics and other specific facts; visuals such as tables, graphs, and diagrams; and any ideas you present in a summary or paraphrase. Borrowing without proper acknowledgment is a form of dishonesty known as plagiarism.

The only exception is common knowledge—information that your readers may know or could easily locate in any number of reference sources.