MLA & APA help

What is citing?

Citing is the practice of giving credit to the information sources from which you’ve taken ideas, paraphrased, quoted, or otherwise used in some way in your paper or presentation.

Clackamas Community College uses MLA style (Modern Language Association) and APA style (American Psychological Association) as frameworks for citing sources and formatting papers.

Why is citing important?

There are five primary reasons to cite your sources. Citing your sources:

1. Allows your reader to continue learning about your topic by making it easy to follow up with your cited sources.

2. Strengthens your credibility and argument, because your readers can easily verify the claims you’ve made. When you are transparent about your sourcing, you are more trustworthy. Citing stops the spread of disinformation.

3. Is an opportunity for you to show how your work builds upon research and ideas that have come before. Citing existing ideas and research allows you and your reader to recognize connections between your work and established knowledge, and understand how your ideas fit into the larger conversation about the topic. 

4. Makes you a great member of society. Attributing your sources is socially-responsible use of information - you have an obligation to give credit where credit is due. It is the right thing to do. It is respectful of others' work and efforts. It sets a beautiful example!

5. Is expected of you. Citing your sources acknowledges the work of others – this acknowledgement is a foundational piece of academic inquiry, learning, and joining the academic conversation. Citing your sources is one aspect of student conduct expected of you and it helps you to avoid plagiarism.

Inclusive language "aims to be respectful to others by treating language describing individual and group identity with sensitivity and by avoiding bias that could make some people feel excluded" (MLA 89). The APA Style Guide (7th ed.) and MLA Handbook (9th ed.) both include general guidelines regarding inclusive language. Additional resources recommended by CCC Librarians are below.