The format of secondary sources is more typical, with slight variation between citations that appear in-text and those in footnotes. What format do I use to cite in my paper?īecause of the nature of Classical texts, as works that were composed long before printed editions (and even 'pages'), they have a specialized format: Primary Sources (e.g.

Without attribution, you have no way of being sure of the authority of the information, or even who has provided it. Listen to Jimmy Wales, the founder of Wikipedia, “For God sake, you’re in college don’t cite the encyclopedia.' The Internet contains a staggering amount of accurate, useful information-and just as much that is inaccurate, intentionally deceiving, or downright bizarre. For example, the sentence, 'The Battle of Salamis occurred in 480 BCE and was a decisive victory for the allied Greeks.' contains common, uncontroversial knowledge and would not need to be cited.Ĭan I cite Wikipedia or other anonymous on-line resources? These could be a direct quotation, or a paraphrase.Ĭommon knowledge and non-controversial facts do not need to be cited. You must cite whenever you are employing words or thoughts that are not your own.

It is better to over-cite, than to risk unintentional plagiarism. Secondly, you have an ethical responsibility to acknowledge when you use the words of others or have developed your arguments from the thoughts and work of other scholars.įor a discussion of plagiarism, see the Writing Center website under 'Resources for Writers.' Explain why you are introducing them and what conclusion a reader should draw from them.Īdditional guidelines for using quotations.Įxamples of effective and ineffective quotations.Ĭiting your sources has two main purposes: one practical the other ethical.įirst, citations allow a reader to locate information that you quote or cite, allowing them to explore a topic further and to verify your interpretations and arguments. The importance of quotations is not self-evident.

They support your argument by providing evidence. Quotations are not substitutes for argumentation. Why and how do I include quotations in my paper?

Mla footnote format