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FYS 1010

First Year Seminar

Definitions

Citation

A reference to a source (such as an article or book) that provides information to help others find the same work; often follows specific formats based on type of source and citation style (usually APA, MLA, or Chicago) being used

Bibliography

A list of citations or references of sources used in research; in APA Style, this is titled "References"; in MLA Style, this is titled "Works Cited"

APA Style

APA (American Psychological Association) Style is a writing and citation style commonly used in the social sciences, business, and nursing

MLA Style

MLA (Modern Language Association) Style is a writing and citation style commonly used in the humanities, especially language and literature

Plagiarism

Using another person's words or ideas without giving credit to that person; in an academic context, this includes copying exact quotations without citing the source, paraphrasing or describing and idea you learned from a source without giving credit, and not providing complete or accurate information in citations

What does plagiarism look like...

...in an academic context?

  • Copying exact words/sentences from an article without citing the source
  • Paraphrasing or describing an idea you learned about from an article without giving credit
  • Not providing complete or accurate information in your citations

...in everyday life*?

  • Copying someone’s tweet (or other social media post) and reposting it as if you wrote it
  • Sharing a picture but deleting the caption or other information about where it came from (such as who took the photo, who is in the photo, etc.)

*These are often social norms/expectations that may or may not be enforced. Consequences may be legal or purely social (social rejection or being seen as rude, a liar, or clueless about a community’s culture).

What do citations look like...

...for class assignments (academic contexts)?

  • Information about your sources provided in a standardized format
  • Citation styles such as APA or MLA
  • In-text citations (APA and MLA)
  • Footnotes or endnotes (Chicago)
  • List of references (APA) or works cited (MLA)

...for everyday life?

  • Source: URL
  • Photo credit: @myfriendjohn
  • “Shoutout to my mom for taking this pic!”
  • via *hyperlink to original post*
  • Other options that allow people to trace back to the original
    • Stitch (TikTok), Retweet or Quote Tweet (Twitter), Repost (Instagram), Share (Facebook), Forward (email)

Research Management Tools

NoodleTools is an online tool that helps with:

  • Citing sources (including in-text citations and reference lists, works cited lists, and bibliographies) in APA Style, MLA Style, and Chicago Style
  • Taking notes
  • Organizing and outlining research

CSM provides FREE access to NoodleTools for students. Learn more in the NoodleTools library guide, or email us at library@csmd.edu for help with making your account.

There are other citation tools available online. Many simply help you to generate citations without options for organizing research, or they may require a subscription fee. The following tools are free (or have free versions):