There are several reasons why we cite our sources:
- To give credit where credit is due. Acknowledging the creative work of others is ethical.
- To show readers that you've done your research. Be proud!
- To enable readers to track down your sources.
- To avoid plagiarism.
To cite a text, you will use MLA 8th edition style guidelines to create an entry for your Works Cited list. An entry, also known as a citation, is made up of common bibliographic elements, which provide your readers with the information that they need to track down your sources.
The common elements are:
- Author(s)
- Title of source
- Title of container
- Other contributors (for books)
- Number (such as volume and issue numbers for articles)
- Publisher (for books)
- Publication date
- Page numbers
- DOI or URL
