Source Citation in Academic Writing

1. Source Citation in Academic Writing UMKC School of Education

2. Purpose • This presentation was created to assist UMKC School of Education students with incorporating sources into their writing. It will cover the following topics: • Why citing sources is an important step in academic writing • How to effectively cite sources using either direct quotations or paraphrasing • Provide a variety of links to other informative APA citation sites • Provide information about plagiarism at UMKC

3. Importance of Citing Sources • Citing sources provides evidence that your position for the assignment is well-researched. • Citing sources gives credit to the author for his/her original idea. • Plagiarism is defined as claiming an author’s idea (or ideas) as your own. UMKC has a policy on plagiarism that will be discussed in detail later in this presentation. • Citing sources helps readers identify and locate source work. • This is often helpful when other academics want to further research in an area of interest.

4. Effectively Citing Sources • The examples provided in this presentation are designed to show students how to incorporate research from a source into academic writing. Following the examples are links to a variety of online resources for help with citations. Students are encouraged to bookmark several APA citation sites so that they are easily accessible when writing. • This presentation does not serve to thoroughly explain how to cite resources in APA style. However, it does seek to explain several key areas where students commonly cite sources incorrectly in academic writing.

5. Excerpt from Text • The following excerpt will be used for several examples: Multicultural education should be an integral aspect of all curricular areas, rather than just be administered through the social studies course. Likewise, a once-a-year Multicultural Week or unit focusing on African American history, tacos, and Asian dress and customs will not suffice. Such approaches have not worked and will not work, because diversity awareness does not necessarily result in acceptance of and respect for individuals within a cultural group. The curriculum, learning environments, and mindset of learners, faculty, and staff should become genuinely multicultural in nature and should reflect the cultural diversity of the school. Second, well-meaning multicultural education programs may serve only cosmetic purposes if students and school personnel harbor long-held cultural biases and stereotypes. In essence, to be effective, responsive multicultural education programs must recognize the need both to inform and to change negative attitudes and long-held prejudices. (Manning & Baruth, 2009, p. 15)

6. Citing a Direct Quote • If you would like to cite a direct quotation from the excerpt that is less than 40 words, then some options follow. • Manning & Baruth (2009) support the idea that “multicultural education should be an integral aspect of all curricular areas, rather than just be administered through the social studies course” (p. 15). • “Multicultural education should be an integral aspect of all curricular areas, rather than just be administered through the social studies course” (Manning & Baruth, 2009, p. 15) • Notice that with either example, the author, the publishing year, and page number are provided.

7. If you would like to cite a direct quotation from the excerpt that is more than 40 words, you will need to set off your quotation with an indented paragraph. All lines in the quote are indented. For more information, follow this link. • As a general rule, do not use longer quotations for short research assignments. Longer quotations should generally be used for longer research papers (10+ pages).

8. Paraphrase • Instead of using a direct quotation from a source, academic writers often paraphrase. • According to Manning and Baruth (2009), simply including special units of multicultural study instead of an integrated multicultural curriculum can even reinforce cultural stereotyping. • Simply including special units of multicultural study instead of an integrated multicultural curriculum can reinforce cultural stereotyping. (Manning & Baruth, 2009) • Notice that for paraphrasing, the author and publication year are given, but not the page number.

9. Links to Useful Online Tools • To learn more about formatting APA papers, how to structure a reference list, or more, visit OWL at Purdue. • For a step-by-step tutorial of APA formatting for beginners, visit APA’s website. • To print out a quick-reference handout, follow this link to access a PDF file of APA rules.

10. UMKC’s Policy on Plagiarism UMKC’s procedures for dealing with plagiarism are outlined here. Some possible results of student plagiarism include, but are not limited to, the following: • A failing grade on the assignment • A failing grade in the course • Expulsion from UMKC

11. Student Tips to Prevent Plagiarism • Start early on your writing assignment. • Rushing the writing process can lead to shortcuts, even plagiarism. • Make the Internet your friend (but remember it can also be your enemy). • Pull only from trustworthy sources and always note the appropriate citation. • Make notes from articles, including key ideas or quotations. • Don’t cut and paste materials from online articles into your written work. • Remember that copying work is not the only type of plagiarism. • Incorrect or missing citations are also forms of plagiarism. Adapted from “How to Survive a Research Paper” by Erika Pontius Foulk, 2009

12. Summary • When writing academic papers, it is crucial to give credit to those whose ideas are being used. Papers that are correctly cited will be more credible in the academic world. • There are a variety of resources available to assist students with APA formatting. Find one that works for you! • UMKC School of Education has a strict policy for those who do not cite the ideas of others. Learning the basics of APA formatting will prevent unintentional plagiarism.

13. References APA Style Basics. Retrieved from http://thewritedirection.net/apaguide.net/apaguide.pdf Foulk, E. (2009). How to survive a research paper. University of Missouri – Kansas City. Kansas City. Manning, M. & Baruth, L. (2009). Multicultural education of children and adolescents. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.