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POLS-590 / POLS-860

Citing Your Sources

Throughout the research process it is important for you to keep track of your information sources. Fortunately, many of the electronic databases you will be using (including Omni) offer you the option to download, print or email the citations to the material you find. This is a great way to keep track of the information you're considering.

Citing sources is a key part of your research: it documents what sources you have used in writing your paper and gives credit to an author's work that you have used. It also gives information to identify and retrieve the cited sources. Another one of my favorite resources is the Online Writing Lab ('OWL') at Purdue University. There you will find step-by-step guidance to citation for ALA, MLA and Chicago.

Student Academic Success Services, located on the main floor of Stauffer Library near Speaker's Corner, has developed a useful webpage for helping students avoid plagiarism.

Cite it!

Plagiarism is a serious offense. Citing your sources is one way to avoid plagiarism. To test your knowledge of plagiarism and how to avoid it, try this interactive tutorial created by Vaughan Memorial Library, Acadia University:
Student Academic Success Services at Queen's has a useful page to guide you through the writing process and avoid plagiarism.