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COMP110 - Prof. Dalzell-Straw: Citations

This research guide will help you with your writing assignment.

MLA Style Help

From the Bucks Tutoring Center:

Other Citation Helpers:

Avoiding Plagiarism Tips

  1. Gather all the citation information at the time you are researching/writing. Keep copies (print/online).
  2. Do not copy & paste text directly into your paper unless you reference it immediately. Cite your sources in your rough draft.
  3. Start your paper sooner rather than later.
  4. If you are unsure, cite it. Ask your instructor, a librarian, or tutor if you are unsure.
  5.  Make sure your quoting and paraphrasing does not exceed the Fair Use guidelines.
  6.  You can not reuse an assignment from another class or an assignment completed by a friend.

When to Cite

 Direct quote - Copying word for word from another author's work. Put quotation marks around direct quotes.        

 Paraphrase - to change the words and the sentence structure without changing the idea. No quotes needed.

Statistics, Dates, Facts - Make sure you use credible sources when incorporating this type of information. No quotes needed.

When NOT to Cite

Common Knowledge - information known by most people or the information can be found in a variety of places. Ex: Pennsylvania is a state located in the eastern United States of America.

Personal Experiences  - When talking about your own experiences or talking about yourself.

Observable Facts - Things that anyone can observe. Ex: The leaves in PA turn yellow, orange and red in autumn.

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