Communication 110: Introduction to Public Speaking

Documenting your sources is a necessity, which: 

1. Allows readers to find your sources;
2. Provides evidence for your arguments;
3. Adds credibility to your work;
4. Avoids plagiarism, the consequence of which could be an allegation of academic misconduct. this could result in disciplinary sanctions such as an oral reprimand, redoing your assignment, losing points off your grade, failing the class, being expelled, etc., all of which depend in part on the severity of the offense. For details, see the Avoiding Academic Misconduct Procedures web document and related documents such as Disciplinary Procedures: Student Academic Misconduct: UWS Chapter 14. 

Whether you choose to quote, summarize, or paraphrase sources in your research paper, you must cite each source you use. For rules and examples, look here:

• Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association 7th ed. 2020. Reference Desk BF76.7 P83 2020
• Citing References: APA Style (7th ed.) (PDF) - (UW-Whitewater libraries)
• How to Cite in APA Style (7th ed.) (online guide) - (UW-Whitewater libraries)
• APA Documentation Guide (7th ed.) - (Writing Center, UW-Madison)
• APA Formatting and Style Guide (7th ed.) - (Online Writing Lab at Purdue)

Sometimes students will use online citation formatters provided free on the Web or within a library database. If you use one of these online formatters, remember that they are not foolproof. You will need to review your citations to make sure they are correct. This Citation Helper Tools guide may have some tools you can use. The library supports both Zotero and EndNote, which are very useful when using many sources.