Why Cite Your Sources?
Citing sources is a critical part of academic work. You are expected to provide references, also referred to as citations, to sources from which you borrow ideas, text, or images. A list of citations or references is sometimes referred to as a bibliography. By providing citations to your sources, you accomplish several things:
- You provide a research trail for your readers should they wish to locate the sources you consulted through your research efforts
- Your sources may lend credibility to your research (if you locate and use credible and appropriate sources of information).
- By providing a bibliography, you show the extent of your efforts in consulting sources to accomplish your work.
- Finally, providing references to works from which you borrow ideas, text, and images shows that you are being academically honest. More about academic dishonesty and plagiarism can be found in the Georgia Southern University Student Conduct Code at http://deanofstudents.georgiasouthern.edu/conduct/student-code-of-conduct/
As a student or faculty member at Georgia Southern, you have two software programs provided for your use or you may use the guides. Check with your professor if you are unsure of which style is required or preferred.
RefWorks is a web-based application provided by the Henderson Library that will allow you to:
- Gather references automatically from book and article databases and web pages while you research
- Format your papers and citations instantly in a wide variety of styles (MLA, APA, Turabian, etc.)
- Create and organize a personal online database of your research sources
- Access your information online from any computer, anywhere, anytime, even from your smart phone
- Share your databases with anyone, even if they don’t have a Refworks account
- Transfer references between Refworks and other citation style managers such as Endnote and Zotero
To create a RefWorks account, go to the RefWorks login page and click on the “Sign up for an individual account” link to create an account. If you are off-campus, you will need to use your MyGeorgiaSouthern login information to access the page.
Important Tip – when creating a new Georgia Southern RefWorks account, you must use an @georgiasouthern.edu email address. If you have trouble with this requirement or have any other questions about RefWorks, contact the Information Desk at (912) 478-5645 or use” Ask a Librarian.”
Endnote is a citation style manager that is comparable to RefWorks. At Georgia Southern the desktop version of this program can be obtained from the “Download Software” link after logging into My.GeorgiaSouthern.edu. In addition, the easier to use Web version of Endnote can be accessed after creating an account and logging into the Web of Science database on GALILEO. Tutorials, online instructions sessions, and other support material for Endnote can be found at http://www.endnote.com
If you don’t want to use software, here are guides to creating bibliographic citations.