A citation (or reference) is a short, multi-part description of a source. A good citation will lead the reader to the source of the information.
See our video on How to Read a Citation for assistance in understanding the parts of a citation.
In debate, it is essential to create and retain citations for your sources.Collecting your citations while you are gathering your resources will save you valuable time.
Citations are usually created to conform to a specific style. In that manner, researchers have a common language for writing and understanding citations.
Communication classes use the following manual which is available at the Mullins Help Desk.
Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association 7th ed. by It is important to cite your research - even the information you have found on the web. Your citations identify the sources that you have consulted and show the scope and quality of your research.
Many databases provided by the libraries have a "Cite" feature built in. When you are looking at the detailed information for an item that is of interest to you, look for a link or button for citing. If the link is available, you will see a screen which provides you with a handy APA style citation that you can cut and paste into your bibliography.
See our Video on Citing Your Resources Using Database Tools for more information
Use citation managers to help keep your sources organized. The library subscribes to both RefWorks and Endnote Web (through Web of Knowledge). Many databases will allow you to upload citations directly into these services.
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Citation managers are software programs that help you save and organize citations. They are helpful for large research projects using 20 or more citations, but are not really a time saver for smaller projects. Here are some commonly used citation managers.
