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GNST 4300: Interdisciplinary Preparation: Citing in APA

Cite Your Sources

Cite Your Sources

Here is where you make sure you're citing your sources - both in-text for paraphrasing and quoting, and in your reference page at the end.  You should...

  • use the Cite tool in Start Your Research (see box below right) to get a citation for any article you use,
  • check your citation to make sure it is correct!  Use the Purdue OWL, the APA Style Blog, or the Citation Style Guide, and
  • watch the video in the center box for information about how to paraphrase without plagiarizing.

Note: not citing your sources is plagiarism - a kind of theft.  For more information, look at the lower boxes.

  • Want to keep track of your all your citations in a single place?  Check out the Citation Managers available.

For More Information:

Read the Plagiarism Guide.

Ways to Avoid Plagiarism

Here's how to avoid plagiarism: 

present information you have found in the body of your paper by using...

Direct quote

  • If you want to use a sentence or a passage exactly as it was written, you can include a direct quote, surrounded by quotation marks, and cite it by referencing the author and work of origin.
  • Make sure you cite your sources properly - you're just giving credit where credit is due - so use a citation guide and do it right!

Summary

  • You can also write a summary (in your own words of course) of the ideas or text you want to use. It helps to write the summary from your memory rather than looking directly at the passage.

Paraphrase

  • Paraphrasing is similar to a summary. It just means taking what you have read and rewriting it in your own words.

Writing a summary and paraphrasing can be tricky as you MUST put the information in your own words, so to learn more about avoiding plagiarism, read the Plagiarism Guide.

APA - Quoting vs. Paraphrasing

Watch this video to learn to quote and paraphrase in APA style.

From AUT University Library, New Zealand.

What is Plagiarism?


Plagiarism is a very serious offense. 

Examples of Plagiarism Include:

  • Using someone else's ideas or writings and presenting them as your own
  • Using someone else's paper or paying someone to write your paper
  • Restating someone else's ideas or writings too closely
  • Not citing quotations

 

This image is used under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license, and was created by Carrot Lord.

Who can help me make sure I'm NOT plagiarizing?

If you have specific questions about citing your sources, writing tips, or help with editing, go to:

Student Learning Assistance Center (SLAC)

Get in-person tutoring at the Student Learning Assistance Center, or SLAC, located on the 4th floor of Alkek Library. Check the website for hours and availability.

SLAC also maintains good handout page for quick reference.

Texas State University Writing Center

The Writing Center is located on the first floor of ASB North. You can get help with all types of writing, including papers, essays, and resumes.

The Writing Center offers in-person and online tutoring (check their website for more information). You can also print out documentation handouts.

 

Online Citation Assistance

Cite Tool

Use the cite tool in Start Your Research:

  • From your results page, click on the title of an article.
  • Click on the "Cite" tool in the right column.
  • Scroll down to the APA style citation.
  • Copy and paste that into your reference page.
  • Don't forget to check it for accuracy!