Frequently Asked Questions About Documenting Sources

• How do I cite electronic sources?
• Do you have an example of APA documentation?
• When do I need to cite my sources
• If several consecutive sentences in my paper are based on information from one source, do I need to cite the source after each sentence?
  

How do I cite electronic sources?

The standards for citing electronic sources are still evolving. However, we offer information on MLA, APA, and other documentation styles.

Do you have an example of APA documentation?

We explanations and samples of APA formatting, parenthetical citations, the reference list, and more.

When do I need to cite my sources?

Anytime you use someone else's words or ideas. See our info on quoting and summarizing sources.

If several consecutive sentences in my paper are based on information from one source, do I need to cite the source after each sentence?

When you find yourself in a situation like this, the first question to ask is whether you’re depending too heavily on the published source to make your points and whether you’ve obscured the points you’re trying to make.

• Have you evaluated the published ideas in terms of what you are trying to say?
• Are you presenting the information in a way that supports — rather than substitutes for — your point of view on the topic?

Even a factual “report” requires you to organize and prioritize information. If you’re finding your paper overwhelmed with another author’s thoughts or words, you may need to emphasize your own ideas more. Interweave sources with your own writing to support your points rather than using sources to state things for you.

There are times, of course, when you may want to make heavier use of a source. For instance, a particular study may provide important evidence for one of your claims. Or you may want to discuss a source’s importance to the area you are researching. In these cases, it may be best to identify the source once at the outset of the paragraph. The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association recommends that, in such a situation, you name the person and date of the study at the beginning of your use of the source as in this example:

Although children like to touch their pets, studies have suggested that such tactile interactions do not necessarily create the strongest bonds between child and animal. According to Smith’s 1996 study of hamsters as house pets, nine out of ten children preferred plexiglass habitrails to the more old-fashioned wire cage. Despite children’s interest in touching the hamsters through the wire bars, greater empathy developed when children merely watched the furry rodents go about their business. Smith’s research suggests that parents who want house pets to play a role in child development should consider how the pet will live in the house.

In the example above, the entire paragraph centers on the Smith study, but the study is clearly being used by the author to make an unambiguous point about children and pets. For more information, take a look at our pages on Quoting and Paraphrasing Sources.