Use the exact words
Use quotation marks or block formatting and preserve the source’s wording. Cite the location when the style requires it.
Citation Help
Citation & academic integrity
Give ideas a clear trail home.
Citation lets readers distinguish your contribution from the evidence, language and ideas you borrowed.
Using someone else’s idea?
→Quote, paraphrase or summarizeKeep the meaning accurate
→Add an in-text citationFollow the required style
→Add the full referenceMake the source retrievable
Restate the idea
Write the idea genuinely in your own structure and language. A paraphrase still needs a citation.
Condense the argument
Capture the main point fairly and briefly. Cite the source even when you omit the details.
Quick orientation
APA, MLA or Chicago?
Always follow your instructor’s required style and consult its current manual for edge cases.