Citations and Bibliographies   Tags: citation, english, neumann, research, technology  

These handouts were created by Librarians at Neumann University Library and are available in hard copy at the Reference Desk of the Library.

The OWL at Purdue is an online writing center sponsored by Purdue University. The site is a comprehensive source for bibliography and citation questions.

Many students stress over citations and bibliographies, sometimes more than they stress over the actual paper! 

Why are citations so important?  For many reasons, actually.  They demonstrate that a writer (college student writers included!) has conducted proper research and is giving credit to others who influenced their work.  It would be plagiarism to not include the citation information for any sources used in a paper.  However, the importance of citations goes beyond avoiding plagiarism.  Citing sources allows anyone reading a paper to gain a fuller understanding of where this paper came from.  A teacher can find a portion of the paper interesting, look at the source cited and go to the source directly for further information.  Citations connect writers, readers, and researchers in a uniform and organized way.

Are you wondering why citing even matters?  Watch this video to see some dire consequences of not properly citing all your sources!

Have a question? Submit a question below and a librarian will email you a response!