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Speech, Hearing and Language: Citing Your Sources

Why Cite?

Citation isn't just about doing the right thing, it's about making your writing stronger and improving the quality of all research performed.

Here's three good reasons why we cite:

  1. Giving credit. The idea is fairly straightforward: great writing of all types is built at least in part on the work of others. We honor and acknowledge the ideas that give birth to our own.
  2. Strengthening our position. A large percentage of writing is persuasive in nature. Citing authoritative sources helps to support our key ideas and arguments. By attributing original works, we place our own ideas in a broader, ever-expanding context.
  3. Showing diligence. Without citation, every word, fact, and idea is attributed to you by default. If some of that information turns out to be wrong, it is on you. Citations show our research and our processes. Without them, any error is an error of negligence. In this way, citation isn't just about providing credit, it's about protecting yourself if mistakes are made in your research.

Source: Bailey, J. (2017, May 16). "Why cite? Three reasons to cite your sources." Plagiarism Today. 

LIU Post APA Style Guides

Health Sciences at LIU Post generally use APA style. If unsure which style to use, ask your professor.

Resources for APA Style

APA Style for writing a research paper is used primarily in the social sciences. The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA) is in paper format only and can be found at the Reference Desk in the library.  In the Publication Manual, you will find useful tips on how to correctly format your paper and how to cite the resources you used in your paper. Some example citations of APA style can be found in the tabs above for various resources. There are also several online resources that outline the formatting and citation structure used in APA style.  A few of these resources are listed below.