Citations

Citations are used to give credit to the sources used in creating the research paper. Citing, giving credit, to the sources helps maintain academic integrity and avoids plagiarism.

How does citing help maintain academic integrity? Citing demonstrates that the author realizes the value of the sources' information and that it was used to develop the information contained in the research paper. 

What is plagiarism? Plagiarism is using other sources' information and claiming it as your own. This is the result of not citing the sources used to create the research paper, as citing is giving credit to those that created the original source. 

Citations also allows the readers to locate the original sources used for the creation of the research paper. The different formatting styles, such as MLA and APA, ensure consistency in presenting and publicizing various research by dictating the way the work is ordered and formatted. 

The two citation styles addressed in this guide are the MLA and APA styles. 

What is MLA? MLA is an abbreviation for Modern Language Association, which is an organization of teachers and scholars in language and literature. This association sets standards and guidelines for authors and editors to follow to ensure uniformity and consistency in published research. The MLA format is used primarily in English and the humanities. 

What is APA? APA is the style of documentation of sources used by the American Psychological Association, which sets the standards and formatting specifications. This form of writing research papers is used mainly in the social sciences, like psychology, anthropology, sociology, as well as education and sciences.