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RESEARCH GUIDES

Cell Biology & Molecular Genetics

A guide to the University of Maryland Libraries' services, all in support of the study of cell biology & molecular genetics

The Ins & Outs of Citing

Why do I need to cite my sources?

It's important to cite sources you used in your research for several reasons:

  • To show you've done proper research by listing sources you used to get your information.
  • To be a responsible researcher by giving credit to others and acknowledging their ideas.
  • To avoid plagiarism by properly giving credit. 
  • To allow others to track down the sources you used by way of proper citation methods such as footnotes, bibliographies or reference lists.

What is citing?

Citing a source means that you show, within the body of your text, that you took words, ideas, figures, images, etc. from another place.

Citations are a short way to uniquely identify a published work (e.g. book, article, etc.). They can be found in footnotes, endnotes, bibliographies or reference lists.

Citations consist of standard elements, and contain all the information necessary to identify and track down publications, including:

  • author name(s)
  • titles of books, articles, and journals
  • date of publication
  • page numbers
  • volume and issue numbers (for articles)

 

What's the deal with citation styles?

Citations will often look different, sometimes subtly, depending on what is being cited and which style was used to create them.

The citation style used depends on the discipline that you are studying. Some of the most common styles across disciplines include MLA, APA, and Chicago Style. Some smaller disciplines have specialized citations styles such as IEEE Style used in some fields of engineering and Ecology Style used in some fields of biology.  

It is important to choose an appropriate style guide for your needs in accordance with your discipline.  It may be confusing at first to form citations and understand all the needed elements.

Here is an example of an article citation using four different citation styles. Notice the common elements and how they are structured:

Elements:

Author - R. Langer

Article Title - New Methods of Drug Delivery

Source Title - Science

Volume and issue - Vol 249, issue 4976

Publication Date - 1990

Page numbers - 1527-1533

APA style:

Langer, R. (1990). New methods of drug delivery. Science, 249(4976), 1527-1533.

MLA style:

Langer, R. "New Methods of Drug Delivery." Science 249.4976 (1990): 1527-33.

American Chemical Society (ACS) style:

Langer, R. New Methods of Drug Delivery. Science 1990, 249, 1527-1533.

IEEE Style:

R. Langer, "New Methods of Drug Delivery," Science, vol. 249, pp. 1527-1533, SEP 28, 1990.

It can be confusing to know when and what you need to cite. Here are some examples of what you must cite. 

You must cite:

  • Facts, figures, ideas, or other information that is not common knowledge.
  • Ideas, words, theories, or exact language that another person used in other publications.
    • Publications that must be cited include: books, book chapters, articles, web pages, theses, etc.

  • Another person's exact words should be quoted and cited to show proper credit. 

When in doubt, be safe and cite your source! IF you need any help contact your librarian. We are here to calm your citation anxieties. 

Citation Managers

As you progress through your research, it is often that you will have many varied references that need to be cited. It can be daunting and overwhelming having many, unorganized references. Citation managers help keep your references tidy and clean.

See the guide below for an overview of common citation managers. You may also reach out to your librarian if you need specialized help.