WR 121 Wheeler : Cite Sources

A course guide for Van Wheeler's class

How to Cite Sources

The PCC Library page is a great place to start to find information on properly citing your sources. This link includes the library's own citation handouts as well as links to other helpful resources.

Cite Your Sources in MLA

Why cite your sources?

When you use someone else's words, ideas, or images in your writing, you need to give them proper credit. Providing a citation or reference enables others to locate these sources, too! Here is a sample MLA works cited page.

Resources for creating MLA-style citations:

Free citation creation tools to help you generate MLA-style citations:

  • MyBib
    • Generate citations and bibliographies by pasting a URL or searching for a resource by title
    • Covers MLA 8 & 9
    • Copy and paste citations, download them as a Word doc, save them to Google Drive, print, or email them to yourself
  • NCSU Citation Builder 
    • Simple citation builder for some digital and print materials
    • Covers MLA 8 & 9
    • Copy and paste your generated citation into your bibliography
  • Calvin College's Knight Cite 
    • Build citations for a wide range of resources in print, digital, multimedia, and communication
    • Covers MLA 9
    • Create a free Knight Cite account to save citations and export them to Word or RTF document

Need help with hanging indentation?

APA Format - 6th edition (2009)

Plagiarism

Plagiarism is a very serious form of academic dishonesty. According to PCC's Academic Integrity Policy [PDF], plagiarism is defined as

"the use of another's words, ideas, data, or product without appropriate acknowledgement, such as copying another's work, presenting someone else's opinions and theories as one's own, or working jointly on a project and then submitting it as one's own."

Students are responsible for knowing and understanding the penalties for violating the rules of academic integrity, including plagiarizing another person's work. The following resources will help you to identify and steer clear of plagiarism.

Avoiding Plagiarism - This OWL tutorial from Purdue University includes a handy list of safe practices for citing and crediting your sources and a short exercise for recognizing plagiarized or incorrectly cited sources.

Plagiarism: What It Is and How to Recognize and Avoid It - Detailed and informative explanation of plagiarism from the University of West Florida.

Do you need to cite?

Flowchart describing the need to cite when using ideas or words from others