Module: Referencing

When and how to cite a source

Plagiarism

Quiz

APA 7th

Harvard

An important principle of academic writing is to avoid presenting others’ findings, ideas, and arguments as one’s own. It should be clear to the reader which ideas or contributions are your own, and which were obtained from other sources. If you do not cite your sources, or cite them incorrectly, you may face consequences such as being accused of plagiarism.

But how can you know which sources to cite, and how? We have provided some examples below. Note that these examples follow the APA 7^th referencing style. If you are ever unsure, ask your supervisor or local librarian.

When to reference

Direct quotation

When you quote a source verbatim (i.e. use a direct quotation as it appears in the source), you need to cite that source. Quotations that are less than 40 words long should be placed in quotation marks, whereas quotations longer than 40 words should form a separate and indented paragraph. When a quote is indented, quotation marks are not needed.

Example

“The use of intellectual property by others can be considered theft and is unethical and even illegal if it is not clearly documented or permission is not obtained” (Davis et al., 2012, p. 239).

Reference: Davis, M., Davis, K. & Dunagan, M. (2012). Scientific papers and presentations (3rd ed.). Academic Press.

Indirect quotation (or paraphrasing)

Indirect quotation, also known as paraphrasing, involves rewriting another person’s ideas in your own words. Although the exact words used are now your own, the idea(s) they communicate is not, so you should therefore cite the source.

Example

According to Davis et al. (2012), plagiarism is an inexcusable offense, and it is important for students to understand how it is defined and handled in their place of study.

Reference: Davis, M., Davis, K. & Dunagan, M. (2012). Scientific papers and presentations (3rd ed.). Academic Press.

Statements and opinions

Any statements that you make which can be questioned, argued against, or are not common knowledge, should be supported with evidence. In some cases, the evidence may come from your own results (e.g. if you performed an experiment or conducted interviews), but in most cases this requires support from a source.

Reusing your own texts (self-citation)

In some cases, you will want to recycle material that you wrote in a previous assignment. Unfortunately, doing so without citing your work is considered plagiarism. You must always cite your sources, even if you are the author of that source.

When referencing is not needed

Common knowledge

When the majority of your readership is familiar with a concept, or you are certain about a claim’s general truth, you usually do not need a reference. For example, stating that Norway is not a member of the EU would not require a citation. An exception is when the concept is generally associated with a particular source, in which case you should refer to that source. If you are in doubt, it is always safer to cite the source.

Your own ideas, discoveries, or opinions

When writing about your own ideas, thoughts, experiences, or discoveries, you do not need to cite any sources. If, however, they are in fact someone else’s ideas, you should always cite the source, even if they are reformulated in your own words.