Citation

Citation is one of the most frustrating and least understood parts of college-level research for many students. Generally, the idea of a “scholarly conversation” has not been part of a first-year college student’s experience, most of their previous work consisting of gathering facts, rather than making arguments.

Think about how you have used sources in the past.

Do you tend to build off of people’s arguments, or has the research you’ve done previously been more about collecting information?
How do you determine when to cite? As in, how do you know where you should cite in a paper?
What citation styles have you used, and do you have a preference?
How do you keep your sources organized?
Are you nervous about plagiarism? What steps do you take to make sure to avoid plagiarism?
Have you/a friend/someone you know ever encountered accusations of plagiarism, or issues with copyright? What was the result?
Write 500 words reflecting on the questions above. You don’t have to answer all of them, they are designed to get you thinking about using and citing information as part of a community.