5.1 Why We Cite Sources

Academic research leads us to the insight that comes from gaining perspectives and understandings from other people through what we read, watch, and hear. In academic work we must tell our readers who and what led us to our conclusions. 

"Ethical Use & Citing Sources," Ohio State Univ. Libraries

Viewing Citation Positively

All too often, we view the process of citing sources as a task that we are forced to complete in order to avoid punishment for plagiarism. In this negative perspective, citation can seem tedious and even meaningless.

We would like to ask you to consider citation from a different perspective. Properly citing the sources you use in your research actually adds tremendous value to your work. It should be viewed positively, as an opportunity to:

  1. Acknowledge the work of others (give credit where credit is due)
  2. Add credibility to your own work (showing that experts support your ideas)
  3. Place your work in an academic context (showing that you've done your research and know what others have said about your topic - you are part of the scholarly conversation)
  4. Help your reader to easily find your sources (so they can verify your claims)

Video Overview

Please watch the following video, which discusses the definition, purpose, benefits, and basics of citation:

Additional viewing options: Turn on closed captions with the "CC" button, or use the text transcript if you prefer to read.

Textbox: "Ethical Use and Citing Sources" Links to an external site. by Teaching & Learning, Ohio State University Libraries Links to an external site. is licensed under CC BY 4.0 Links to an external site.

Video: "Citation: A (Very) Brief Introduction Links to an external site." by NCSU Libraries Links to an external site. is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 Links to an external site.