One must cite ideas and direct and indirect quotations from other sources. Citations identify the sources that you consulted—signposts for your readers.Proper citation allows your readers to distinguish between your work and the work of others on which you drew, a critical element in maintaining integrity in research.
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 writer's information.
See the Libraries' video on How to Read a Citation for assistance in understanding the parts of a citation.