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Writing a Paper: Citation

What is Citation?

A citation is a reference in a work to show where information was acquired. They can appear within the work as either parenthetical references or an in-text number attribution that refers to a footnote or a source in the Bibliography or Works Cited. 

Citations give credit to original authors and help those using their work avoid plagiarism. Plagiarism is taking and presenting someone else's work as your own, whether knowingly or accidentally. Plagiarism is a serious crime, so making sure to properly cite all of your sources.

Check out the video below for a brief introduction to citations. 

Video published by libnscu on Youtube.com

Plagiarism

An act of plagiarism occurs when, without putting the quoted material in quotation marks and giving its source, you use the exact language of someone else, including anything printed, said, or written. This includes both printed and digital (online) sources.

To avoid plagiarizing, ask yourself the following: 

1. Am I deliberately recalling any particular source of information as I write this paper or do this project?

2. Am I consulting any source as I write this paper or do this project?

If the answer to these questions is no, the writer need have no fear of using sources dishonestly. The material in his/her mind, which is then transferred to the written page, is genuinely digested and his/her own.  If the answer is yes, make sure that you let your reader know where you got your information by quoting/citing it properly.

It should be noted that copying the work of any designer or using photographs of another designer’s work as part of one’s studio work without attribution or citation is considered a form of plagiarism. Students should affix an attribution for any image of a designer’s work used as part of a presentation or “inspiration” board.

From the NYSID Student Handbook 

Why are Citations Important? The 4 S's

Citations SHOW the trail of research you have done.

They help you SHARE your sources with others.

They give a SHOUT OUT to other authors' work you have used.

They are a STRATEGY to avoid plagiarism. 

 

Photo via Wikipedia.com

When Do We Cite?

Quotations: if you're using someone else's words, put it in quotation marks and tell your reader where you got the quote. 

Paraphrase: if you're using someone else's idea(s), even if it's in your own words, you need to provide a citation. 

Summary: even if you've condensed someone else's idea(s), even if it's in new language, you need to provide a citation.

Facts, Data, Statistics: if information is generally well-known (e.g. the sky is blue, the value of pi is 3.14, etc.), you don't need to cite. Otherwise, tell your reader where you got your facts or data from. 

 

Images: any photographs, floor plans, or other images still need to be properly cited within your work. 

Supplementary Information: if a resource played a role in your research, even if you don't quote from it directly in your paper, you should still tell your readers that you consulted this resource by including it in your "Works Cited" or "References" list. 

 

***A good rule of thumb is that if you are using someone else's words OR ideas, then always provide a citation.***

MLA Citation Examples

Books

Lastname, Firstname. Title of Book. City of Publication: Publisher, Year of Publication. Medium of Publication.

Example: Gura, Judith. Abrams Guide to Period Styles for Interiors. New York: Abrams, 2005. Print.

Journal Article (print)

Author. "Title of Article." Title of Periodical Day Month Year: Pages. Medium of publication.

Example: Rich, Sarah. "Oakland Made." Metropolis Jul. 2013: 60-65. Print.

Database Article (online)

Author.  "Title of Article." Title of the publication volume and issue numbers (Year of publication): Pages. Database accessed. Medium accessed. Date accessed.

Example: Spinoza, Jerry. "Ernest Flagg Drawings." American Architect 29 (2005): 135-148. EBSCO. Web. 13 May 2012.