Why Do You Cite?
Documenting the evidence we use in our research is vital for the reasons below:
1. For Scholarly Communication
Academics share ideas to deepen their understanding of a subject and to share their findings with those inside and outside their disciplines. This usually happens through writing and publishing scholarly work. In these discussions, it’s crucial to recognize previous ideas and give credit to those who contributed. This is done through citations.
Citing sources helps place a work within existing research and shows what is original and what builds on past ideas. It also allows readers to find and verify the cited sources. You become part of this academic conversation when you read, analyze, and use scholarly sources in your assignments. That’s why it’s essential to give credit to all the sources you use.
2. To Give Credit and Show Professionalism
Claiming someone else’s work as your own is unethical. Citing sources gives credit to the original creators and respects their contributions. It also shows professionalism in your writing. Using scholarly and professional sources strengthens your research and makes your arguments more credible.
3. To Avoid Plagiarism
To avoid plagiarism, you must always give credit when using someone else’s work or ideas, whether quoting, paraphrasing or summarizing. This applies to all types of content, including writing, speeches, music, videos, artwork, data, and code. Even if the original creator gives you permission or you paid to use it, you still need to cite it. You also need to cite your own previous work if you reuse it.
Key Takeaways
The main reasons why we cite are to:
- Participate in scholarly communication
- Give credit to our sources
- Avoid plagiarism
Think about it this way: Am I sharing my own idea? Or did I read or hear about it in one of my sources? If it came from somewhere else, cite it.
Check your understanding of why and when you need to cite your sources.
