Algebra: Cite Sources
Cite Your Sources in MLA
Why cite your sources?
Resources for creating MLA-style citations:
- MLA Formatting and Style guide
- MLA 8 reference guide (pdf)
- MLA 9 citation samples (pdf)
- Citing AI in MLA format (NOTE: Make sure you've fact-checked any assertions the AI text is making and verified any sources that it references. AI tools do not always share accurate information or viable sources.)
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?
- Here is a link to a short video tutorial for hanging indentation formatting in Word.
- Here is a link to a short video tutorial for hanging indentation formatting in Google Drive/Docs
Do you need to cite?
- Alt Text A General Guide to Understanding Written PlagiarismThis is long form alt text for the flow chart "Alt Text A General Guide to Understanding Written Plagiarism"
Test Your Knowledge: Avoiding Plagiarism
This quick quiz from the Ithaca College Library will test your knowledge and help you learn how to properly cite sources.
Cite Your Sources in APA
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! View a sample APA paper to see how citations and formatting are done.
Resources for creating APA-style citations
- Anatomy of an APA Journal Article Citation, 7th edition (5:58 video from Dalhousie University)
- Citing AI in APA format (NOTE: Make sure you've fact-checked any assertions the AI text is making and verified any sources that it references. AI tools do not always share accurate information or viable sources.)
Free citation creation tools to help you generate APA-style citations:
- MyBib
- Generate citations and bibliographies by pasting a URL or searching for a resource by title
- Covers APA 6 & 7
- 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 APA 6 & 7
- 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 APA 7
- Create a free Knight Cite account to save citations and export them to Word or RTF document
Need help with hanging indentation?
- Here is a link to a short video tutorial for hanging indentation formatting in Word.
- Here is a link to a short video tutorial for hanging indentation formatting in Google Drive/Docs
Citing AI generated material
If you want to use material that was generated by AI whether that is text or an image or some other content:
- Make sure you are using the material ethically and in line with any classroom policies your instructor has given you. This guide from UC San Diego gives you some excellent things to think about regarding AI and Academic Integrity.
- Make sure you've fact-checked any assertions the AI text is making and verified any sources that it references. AI tools do not always share accurate information or viable sources.
- Cite the material properly according to the citation format that you are using for your project:
- Citing AI in MLA format
- Citing AI in APA format
- Citing AI in Chicago style
- If you are not using one of these standard citation formats, ask a librarian or your instructor for guidance. Remember, the goal of citation is to communicate with clarity about the source of information so it is important to provide a citation even though copyright does not apply.
Generate citations at the click of a button
The library catalog and some library databases have built-in citation generators, which allow you to simply click on a "Cite" button to get the citation for that article or book in various formats. You can usually find this useful feature, if it is available, on the page for the specific article or book. Always double-check the citations from citation generators, as these automated tools are known to occasionally produce errors (for example, formatting the author's name or title in all capital letters).
In the EBSCO databases, the "Cite" tool is indicated by a quotation mark icon and is located just above and to the right of the article title in the full record.
In our Library Catalog, the "citation" tool is located in the "Send to" area below the title, author, and location information in a full item record:
Citation buttons are also available in ProQuest databases, SIRS, CQ Researcher, Google Scholar, and most Gale Databases. If you're not sure how to find the citation, ask a librarian.