According to the United States Naval Academy LibGuide:
Citing a source means to document it in sufficient detail that a reader will be able to find that source and specific quotation or idea within that source in order to find more information.
A citation is the specific information or documentation provided to make it possible to find the information cited.
United States Naval Academy. Plagiarism Basics, 2024, https://libguides.usna.edu/c.php?g=410493&p=2795875. Accessed 9 July 2024.
For more information on both the MLA and ALA formats, please visit the library Citations LibGuide.
Use this website to learn about APA citations. It is created and maintained by the writing lab at Purdue University.
Reach out to the library or tutoring center, if additional help is needed.
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As defined by Purdue Owl Writing Lab:
A primary source is a firsthand or eyewitness account of information by an individual close to the topic. Examples of primary sources include autobiographies, personal correspondence (e.g., diary entries, letters), government documents, works of art and literature, statistics and data, and newspaper articles written by reporters close to the source.
A secondary source is a source that is more removed from an event, usually written after the event has happened. Examples of secondary sources include biographies, interpretation of statistics and data, and anything written after an historical event or analyzing something that already happened (e.g., examining a work of art from 100 years ago).
Find the full definition at Purdue Online Writing Lab.