Why I think people should ALWAYS cite their sources...

especially if using the internet.

If you’ve ever done a “key word” search, by typing a specific word directly into your web browser, you know that the results could be numerous (some of which could be helpful to you). Usually the top results are the most relevant and typically come from reliable sources however, if few results are returned none of them can be reputable. What makes information reputable for me is whether the author listed their sources or not. Anyone can create a webpage about anything but that doesn’t make them an expert on that topic. Depending on what I’m researching, using unreliable sources could ruin my credibility (or harm my grade).

People should cite their sources so that others reading their work know where their information came from. It’s also the polite thing to do. Often times we don’t think about the amount of time it saves us when we find a book or journal article on the exact topic we (students) need to write a paper on. Citing your sources is the gift that keeps on giving – when you cite your source that person likely cited their source and the person before them and so on. This even allows the writer to do in-depth research or a literature review.

Another thing about citing sources, that I found out the hard way, is when cited incorrectly it’s difficult to track down the actual work being cited. Not only do people need to cite their sources they also need to cite them correctly.

Thanks for reading and please feel free to leave a comment or question.

Erika