When you refer to an information source in your work, it is imperative that you correctly cite the source. Why?
- A correct citation list shows that you did some background work;
- correct citations show that you can differentiate between your own thoughts and somebody else's (i.e., helps you avoid the appearance of plagiarism);
- the quality of the sources can lend credibility to your work;
- the reader can obtain those sources to check facts or simply do further reading.
There are many different style manuals on the market, such as Modern Languages Association (MLA), American Psychological Association (APA), and Chicago Manual of Style. Here in SCI 360 we'll follow the APA style guidelines for the sake of consistency (and because the APA guidelines are conveniently located on the OWL website).
