Citation is when the writer of a paper or study notes where they found the information they have used to inform their work. Not only does citation give intellectual credit where credit is due, it provides a complete trail to follow to find that information. This can help other researchers (and you!) find more articles and studies on the same topic.
There are actually many types of citation styles - medical, legal, scientific, humanities - but the links on this page provide resources on the most commonly used citation styles at Fitchburg State.
Remember: If someone can't actually follow a citation back to the information you used, it's like you didn't bother to cite it at all.
Simply adding a link into your text like this is NOT considered citing a source.
To cite this webpage properly, use an in-text citation like the one in this sentence (Plagiarism.org, 2012).
And then cite it completely in your bibliography:
How do I cite sources? (2012). Retrieved from Plagiarism.org at http://www.plagiarism.org/plag_article_how_do_i_cite_sources.html
RefWorks is an online citation manager that creates in-text citations and bibliographies, shares citations, and more. You can use RefWorks to:
Create your free RefWorks account.
APA (American Psychological Association) Style is primarily used for the social sciences - psychology, sociology, criminal justice - but can also be used in other subjects.
MLA (Modern Language Association) Style is primarily used for the humanities - English, philosophy, music, religion - but can also be used in other subjects.
Chicago/Turabian Style is primarily used for history, but can also be used in other subjects. The Chicago style and the Turabian style are quite similar and often used interchangeably, but they are not identical. Ask your professor or check your syllabus to be sure you're using the right style.
CSE (Council of Science Editors) Style is primarily used for the sciences - biology, chemistry, physics, computer science - but can also be used in other subjects.
Don't overlook one of your best resources - your Gallucci-Cirio Librarians! Need help getting started, developing your search strategy, focusing your topic and selecting "keywords", deciding what type of resources you need as well as how to use them? The librarians are here to assist you whether you have a home work assignment or an indepth research project to complete.