Avoiding Plagiarism: Citing Your Sources in University Writing

Properly citing your sources in university is key to your academic success. Knowing the expectations will guide you to proper citation.

Citing your sources properly in a university course can make the difference between an A paper and something less. Giving information about where the ideas in your writing came from is essential to success in university. Professors, programs and institutions all have different expectations for the proper way to cite your sources. Knowing the expectations for your particular course will guide you to proper citation. Failing to cite your sources properly can lead to claims of plagiarism, which can have serious consequences, including failing the assignment or the course and even being expelled from the university.

Citation Style

Consult the outline for your course or the assignment sheet for the citation requirements. When in doubt, ask your professor or a tutorial assistant. University courses use a number of different citation styles. Two of the more common ones are the Modern Language Association (MLA) and the American Psychological Association (APA) styles.

Research the citation style applicable to your particular writing assignment. For example, visit the library or library web site for your institution to get further information about the citation style. Identify the rules of the style for how to reference materials in the body of your writing as well as at the end of your writing.


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Jun 30, 2011 Carol Strider