English / Literature Research Guide: Cite It!

First, choose a style:

Use the style your professor requires, or choose one commonly used in your subject area:

MLA Style- English/Humanities

APA Style - Social Sciences

Chicago -

      Notes & Bibliographies Style - History/Humanities

      Author-Date Style - Sciences

Or, find Other Styles

Then, save time with: 

      Citation Shortcuts      

Formatting Hanging Indents     

Inserting Page Numbers or Running Head

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made available by CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 License.                  

Citation rules can seem complicated, especially at first, so why cite?

• Citation is all about acknowledging who created the ideas and language in a research paper or assignment--are they your ideas or someone else's?

• Citation is part of academic honesty and is required as part of the SU Code of Student Conduct

• Citation is necessary to avoid the negative effects of plagiarism.  Here are some real world examples of plagiarism's consequences:

• • Harvard University student lost her book deal and movie deal after it was discovered that she plagiarized portions of her book

• • New York Times reporter Jayson Blair resigned after it was discovered that he plagiarized and fabricated portions of more than 600 articles for the newspaper

• • Joe Biden withdrew from 1988 Presidential race after being accused of plagiarism

• • A popular historian and book author was accused of using exact language without quotations 

Need help with research or writing?

• Ask a Librarian - Ask us via email, phone, or in-person

• SU Writing Center - Located in Fisher Hall, room 202

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