Citation: Its Purpose and Importance in Academic Papers

Proper acknowledgement of sources is essential to write a stellar academic paper. Chicago, MLA, APA referencing are some of the methods used for appropriate citation of articles, journals and books that you have referred while composing your assignment. 

Citation rules are different depending on the style in which it is being represented. However, the common elements include the following information:

• Author’s name
• The title of the book, film, articles, journals
• Date of publication
• Page number
• Date of issue/volume number

Here’s why citing your paper is a must:

Enhances the credibility of the content

Citation is extremely important for verifying the accuracy of the information you have provided. It is your ethical responsibility to give due credit to the authors you have been borrowing your ideas from. The professors will check your assignment under a plagiarism tool to confirm that you have correctly cited the books and theories of other scholars. Proper citation will ensure the credibility of your content.

Citation helps to make you a better writer

Citing appropriate sources will remove the traces of intellectual laziness, vague information and sloppy generalisations in your work.  When we start our argument with, “generally we see” or “as we know it” it decreases the credibility of our work. Expert writers leave no chance of questioning the authenticity of their argument.

An informed bibliography reflects your grasp over the subject

Citation is an essential tool that reflects your extensive research work. The various book, articles, journal, and manuscripts is a hallmark of how well informed your thesis or assignment actually is. The bibliography is a critical part of your assignment as it shows how much effort you have put in developing the argument of your work. APA reference generator is one such referencing tool that cites the sources you have gathered your information from.

Proper citation will help you avoid plagiarism 

Borrowing information from different articles and not mentioning their source will result in plagiarised document. Even if you have paraphrased a valuable piece of information, uncited content will be considered as copied.  This can have a disastrous effect on your report card.

Citation becomes necessary when it comes to the following materials 

• Books, articles, journals
• Newspapers and magazines
• Brochures and pamphlets
• Websites or any information from electronic sources
• Films, videos, found footages, television programmes, advertisements
• Letters emails
• Any diagrams or copyrighted pictures

You do not need to cite or refer in these cases:

• When you are describing your own experiences in an academic essay or a reflective journal 
• When you have inferred your personal observations and conclusions of mathematical equations and derivations 
• When you are adding your own opinions or reviews of a particular aspect of a previously existing theory
• When you are evaluating a content. 
• When the source of knowledge is unknown and has a piece of common knowledge among people (folklore)

Be a responsible scholar and provide a valid reference whenever you draw from someone else’s ideas or research. Your ideas and words are considered to be intellectual property that cannot be borrowed without permission. Take help from the experts to learn the proper citation style of Chicago or APA style referencing. Adding appropriate citation will increase the credibility of your assignment.