Knowing when to cite your sources … or… do you have to cite everything?

So we all agree that we have to cite our sources, but you might ask “Do I have to cite all my sources?” The short answer is NO, you don’t have to cite everything. In fact, you will look silly in college if cite every little thing. The trick is to gain a sense of when to cite and when not to cite. It takes some time and practice to gauge when you should opt not to cite information that you have taken from another source, but a safe rule of thumb, it is better to be safe than to be sorry. If in doubt, cite your source.

What must you cite?
You always need to remember to cite the opinion, ideas, judgment of others when you write papers. If you do not cite them, you are basically saying that the ideas are your own; this would be academic misconduct. You also have to cite things like charts, statistics, pictures and graphics that you are using from other sources. If you didn’t create it, make sure you cite it.

There are things that do not require citation
While you are writing, you will surely come up with your own ideas and opinions about your topic. You do not have to cite your own ideas or opinions. Furthermore, you do not have to cite your own observations. This might be relevant in a science class or if you are reporting the results of your own survey.

Adapted from: “Knowing which sources to acknowledge.” Price, Margaret. St. Martin’s tutorial for avoiding plagiarism. 3 Dec. 2007 (http://bcs.bedfordstmartins.com/plagiarismtutorial).