Reading Research Guide (Education): Citing & Evaluating

The purpose of citing sources is:

• to identify the origin of ideas, quotations, illustrations, etc. & give credit to that source
• to avoid plagiarism
• to enable another reader or the instructor to find the source again

Carroll Community College courses require the use of either the Modern Language Association (MLA) or the American Psychological Association (APA) style for citation of sources. 

• MLA is used in the humanities courses (English, history, philosophy, and the arts)
• APA is used for mathematics, science, and the social sciences

According to the Carroll Community College Catalog, students are required to follow the standards of the Code of Integrity and Academic Honesty.

"Academic honesty means using one's own thoughts and materials in writing papers, . . .  (and) also includes the proper citation of sources of information.  Students are expected to give full credit for the borrowed words and ideas of others."

Instructors will ask students to sign the following pledge regarding the originality of their work:

"I pledge that this work is entirely my own and I have neither given nor received any unauthorized help in its completion"

Use the first link below to find:

• Citation handouts in printable format
• Example papers in MLA and APA style
• Information about plagiarism
• A link to NoodleBib, a citation management tool

Try NoodleBib, a citation management tool for MLA, APA, and Chicago citation styles.

• You input the citation information
• NoodleBib:
  • Formats the punctuation
  • Puts the pieces of the citation in the correct order
  • Creates a Word document in the correct style
• It also includes an electronic notecards component
• Help with citing is available or ask a librarian