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The Writing Center

For writing center tutors and clients.

Getting Started

What is a citation?

According to the University of Pittsburgh citation guide, a citation is: "a way of giving credit to individuals for their creative and intellectual works that you utilized to support your research."

 

Why citations are important?

Citations are important because they give proper credit to the original authors, acknowledging their intellectual contributions and avoiding plagiarism. Additionally, citations provide readers with the opportunity to verify and explore the sources, enhancing the credibility and reliability of the information presented.

There are 3 big citation styles that most disciplines use:

APA - Psychology, Business, Communication, and Engineering

Chicago/Turabian - Humanities and Social Sciences

MLA - English Language and Literature

Other Important Citations

AMA - Nursing

IEEE - Engineering, Information Technology

*Always check with your professor on which style to use for your class.

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