IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Modern Language Association updated their guidelines on April 1, 2016. We have not yet updated this section of Resources for Researchers to reflect these changes. We have ordered a copy of the new guidelines and will update as soon as possible.

Courtesy, Credibility, and Credit:
The Three Cs of Citation

Courtesy

It is an act of courtesy to thank an author whose thoughts, words, or ideas you used in your paper. A proper citation is the way you express "thank you" in an academic paper.

A proper citation is also an act of courtesy to your readers because it allows them to easily locate your reference if they want more information.

Credibility

Proper citations establish your credibility because they demonstrate the extent of your research as well as the quality of materials on which you are basis your thesis.

Credit

Giving credit to others by using a proper citation is a requirement for academic integrity. If you do not give credit, you are guilty of plagiarism. If you are guilty of plagiarism because you do not give credit to your sources, you could fail the course or even be expelled from college.



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Go to Parts of a Citation


Avoiding Plagiarism

The rules of citation can be problematic for international students because the appropriate citation techniques they learned in their home country might differ from what is expected in the United States. But even American students sometimes experience a cultural shift between what is expected in college and what was deemed acceptable in high school.


References and Resources

"Why Cite Information Sources?" How to Do Research. 2 July 2004. Kentucky Virtual Library.