At some point you’ll present your findings. Whether they take the form of an essay, a formal research paper, a script for a presentation or broadcast, a page for a Web site, or something else entirely, you must give credit to your sources.

Citing your sources serves many purposes. For one thing, acknowledging the information and ideas you’ve borrowed from other writers shows respect for their contributions. It also distinguishes between other writers’ ideas and your own. Source citations demonstrate to your audience that you have based your conclusions on thoughtful consideration of good, reliable evidence. Source citations also provide a starting place for anyone who would like more information or is curious about how you reached your conclusions. Most important is that citing your sources is the simplest way to avoid plagiarism.

The particular requirements of source citation can get complicated, but it all boils down to two rules. As you write, just remember:

Your instructors will indicate their preferred method for citation: footnotes, references in parentheses included in the text of your paper, or endnotes. If you’re not provided with guidelines or if you simply want to be sure that you do it right, consult a handbook or writing style manual, such as those prepared by the Modern Language Association (MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers), the American Psychological Association (Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association), the University of Chicago Press (The Chicago Manual of Style), or the Council of Science Editors (Scientific Style and Format: The CSE Manual for Authors, Editors, and Publishers).