Citing Sources Guide

Iona University Libraries Research Guide on Citing Source

Citations

When to in-text Cite

Quote
- when you use another's exact words, you need to use quotation marks
Paraphrase
- when you take someone else's idea and put it in your own words
Summarize
- when you describe another's ideas briefly
When you use data, statistics, images, or content generated by artificial intelligence.

Please Note:

You must cite the source regardless of the author or creator when you use an idea, content, or words that are not your own. Examples of sources are:
- Books, eBooks, Articles, Slides, Lectures, Videos, Audio, Images, Interviews, Social Media (all formats), and content generated by chatbots, machines, and tools using AI (Artificial Intelligence)

You Don't Need to Cite

Your ideas and content (unpublished or not previously submitted)
When you are using common knowledge (Albany is the capital of New York State)

But err on the side of caution and cite if you are unsure.

What are Citations

Citations give credit when our information comes from another source, and they help to avoid plagiarism
Citations provide credibility to your work as they provide a roadmap of your research process and share with your readers a way to track your research and read your sources
Citations are listed at the end of your paper as References, Bibliography, or Works Cited, depending on the style used.
- In-text citations and footnotes are short references linking the information to the reference/bibliography/works cited page.

Why Citations Matter

Acknowledgment of information being located from another source
Assisting your reader in finding the document you found the information
Supporting your argument in a scholarly dialogue
Demonstrating your credibility by signifying your research into a topic
If you don't cite your sources, you are guilty of plagiarism

Always check with your professor as to which citation method you need.

Citation styles vary and are often associated with specific disciplines.

MLA (Modern Language Association) is typically used for literature, arts, and humanities
APA (American Psychological Association) is typically used for the social sciences
Chicago/Turabian (University of Chicago Press) is typically used for history
ACS (American Chemical Society) is typically used for chemistry
CSE (Council of Science Editors) is typically used for biology
ASA (The American Sociological Association) is typically used for sociology

Contact a librarian if you have any questions. We are always happy to assist you.

Always introduce and explain a quotation, paraphrase, or summation to differentiate your voice from the source's and provide the significance of the idea.

Limit long quotes whenever possible.