Writing 001 (Pravin): Citing Sources

Citing your sources is important because:

• Giving credit (attribution) to original authors helps you avoid plagiarizing
• Citations allow your readers to find your sources
• Citations add credibility to your arguments
• Your professors expect it as part of standard academic discourse

RefWorks is subscription tool that the library pays for. All UC Merced students, faculty and staff can create an account. RefWorks helps you:

• Export citations from library databases and websites
• Generate in-text citations
• Create bibliographies
• Share references with others
• Communicate with software like Microsoft Word

Sign-up or login to RefWorks today.

Different citation formats are used by different academic disciplines.  Professors will often require a particular format, but if they have no preference these guidelines may be helpful:

• APA - psychology, education, and other social sciences
• MLA - literature, arts, and humanities
• Turabian - designed for college students to use with all subjects
• Chicago - used with all subjects in the "real world" by books, magazines, newspapers and other non-scholarly publications

Please click to view the RefWorks Webinar. Afterwards, complete the assignment.