It's important to cite sources you used in your research for several reasons:
Citing a source means that you show, within the body of your text, that you took words, ideas, figures, images, etc. from another place.
Citations are a short way to uniquely identify a published work (e.g. book, article, chapter, web site). They are found in bibliographies and reference lists and are also collected in article and book databases.
Citations consist of standard elements, and contain all the information necessary to identify and track down publications, including:
Citations may look different, depending on what is being cited and which style was used to create them. Choose an appropriate style guide for your needs. Here is an example of an article citation using four different citation styles. Notice the common elements as mentioned above:
Author - R. Langer
Article Title - New Methods of Drug Delivery
Source Title - Science
Volume and issue - Vol 249, issue 4976
Publication Date - 1990
Page numbers - 1527-1533
American Chemical Society (ACS) style:
Langer, R. New Methods of Drug Delivery. Science 1990, 249, 1527-1533.
IEEE Style:
R. Langer, "New Methods of Drug Delivery," Science, vol. 249, pp. 1527-1533, SEP 28, 1990.
American Psychological Association (APA) style:
Langer, R. (1990). New methods of drug delivery. Science, 249(4976), 1527-1533.
Modern Language Association (MLA) style:
Langer, R. "New Methods of Drug Delivery." Science 249.4976(1990): 1527-33.
You must cite:
Facts, figures, ideas, or other information that is not common knowledge
Ideas, words, theories, or exact language that another person used in other publications
Publications that must be cited include: books, book chapters, articles, web pages, theses, etc.
Another person's exact words should be quoted and cited to show proper credit
When in doubt, be safe and cite your source!
Plagiarism occurs when you borrow another's words (or ideas) and do not acknowledge that you have done so. In this culture, we consider our words and ideas intellectual property; like a car or any other possession, we believe our words belong to us and cannot be used without our permission.
Plagiarism is a very serious offense. If it is found that you have plagiarized -- deliberately or inadvertently -- you may face serious consequences. In some instances, plagiarism has meant that students have had to leave the institutions where they were studying.
The best way to avoid plagiarism is to cite your sources - both within the body of your paper and in a bibliography of sources you used at the end of your paper.
Citation software helps you to:
The NU Library support EndNote, Zotero, and Mendeley. How do you know which program is right for you? Some things to think about when you choose:
EndNote |
Zotero | Mendeley | |
Strengths? |
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Type | Desktop client software; also has web interface, EndNote Basic, through Web of Knowledge. | Desktop software and browser add-on for Firefox, Chrome, and Safari. | Desktop software and web-based. Works with IE, Firefox, Chrome and Safari. |
Learning curve | Takes longer to learn, but not difficult with training. | Quick to learn; simple design, many online user guides and demos. | Quick to learn; Pretty simple interface. |
How does it work? | Export references from compatible databases into EndNote. | Zotero can tell when you are looking at an item and shows an icon for it in the browser's URL bar. Click the icon to add the item to your Zotero references. | Export references from compatible databases. Mendeley will also retrieve metadata for pdfs that are brought in. |
How simple is it to import records? | Simple to import records from most research databases. | Very simple, as long as the resource is compatible with Zotero. | Very simple using the Mendeley browser plugin. However, the import doesn't work with as many databases as other products. |
Can you export records to other citation software? | Yes. | Yes. | Yes. |
Does it work with word processing software? | Yes. Powerful formatting and customization features in Word; also works with LaTeX through BibTeX and Open Office. | Yes. Works with Word and LibreOffice; also works with LaTeX through BibTeX. You can create a list of Works Cited for Google Docs. | Yes. Works with Word and OpenOffice; also works with LaTeX through BibTeX. |
Other important features |
Has a "find full text" option to download full text for records (when you have access to the PDF) |
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Very good for collaborative work If you back up records, you can sync multiple computers |