ENGRC 3340: Social Justice and Engineering: Communication at the Intersection of Practice (Fall 2020): Citing Your Sources: Plagiarism

Have you ever read an article and wondered where the author found their information?

Citing sources is how readers verify the information in an article. This information enables someone else to find and read the item (article, data, report) that you used.

Citations also benefit the writer: Every citation can be considered an expert conscripted into supporting your arguments. Without that chorus behind you, your work will sound hollow.

Many students are confused or nervous about how to cite sources and avoid plagiarism. However a few simple rules can help you to avoid plagiarism. Take a look at these links and this video below (courtesy of Bainbridge State College) for information about plagiarism

All citations should have three key identifiers: author, title, and year. Additional information such as the name of the publication, the name of the database and a stable URL or DOI are helpful.

The American Psychological Association (APA) style guide or IEEE are commonly used citation styles in Engineering.