APA/MLA basics, in-text citations, and plagiarism.
Giving Credit Where Credit Is Due
Whenever you use someone else's ideas, words, data, or arguments in your academic writing, you must give them proper credit. This is not just a matter of politeness -- it is a fundamental principle of academic integrity. Failing to cite your sources is considered plagiarism, which can result in serious academic consequences.
Citation serves several important purposes:
- Acknowledges the original author's intellectual contribution
- Allows readers to locate and verify your sources
- Strengthens your argument by showing it is grounded in existing research
- Demonstrates the breadth and depth of your research
- Protects you from accusations of plagiarism
Learning Goals for This Chapter:
- Understand why citation is essential in academic writing
- Format in-text citations in both APA and MLA styles
- Create reference list entries for common source types
- Recognize and avoid different forms of plagiarism
The two most widely used citation styles in English-language academia are APA (American Psychological Association) and MLA (Modern Language Association).
APA Style (7th edition)
- Used primarily in: Social sciences, psychology, education, business
- In-text citation format: (Author, Year)
- Example: (Smith, 2023) or Smith (2023) argues that...
- Direct quote: (Smith, 2023, p. 45)
- Reference list title: References
MLA Style (9th edition)
- Used primarily in: Humanities, literature, languages, arts
- In-text citation format: (Author Page)
- Example: (Smith 45) or Smith argues that... (45)
- No comma between author and page number
- Reference list title: Works Cited
Key Differences at a Glance:
| Feature | APA | MLA |
|---|---|---|
| In-text format | (Author, Year) | (Author Page) |
| Year in citation | Yes | No |
| Page numbers | Only for direct quotes | Always for quotes |
| Title format | Sentence case | Title case |
| Reference list name | References | Works Cited |
| Emphasis on | Date of publication | Author's name |
Which to use? Follow your teacher's or institution's guidelines. In Norway, APA is more commonly used in secondary schools and universities, but both are widely accepted.
Show how to cite the following in both APA and MLA format:
1. A paraphrase from a 2021 book by Sarah Johnson
2. A direct quote from page 87 of the same book
3. A source with two authors: Tom Brown and Lisa Chen (2019)
4. A source with three or more authors: Williams, Davis, Garcia, and Park (2022)
- APA: Research suggests that bilingual education has significant cognitive benefits (Johnson, 2021).
- MLA: Research suggests that bilingual education has significant cognitive benefits (Johnson 42).
2. Direct quote from page 87:
- APA: Johnson (2021) states that "bilingual children demonstrate enhanced executive function across multiple domains" (p. 87).
- MLA: Johnson states that "bilingual children demonstrate enhanced executive function across multiple domains" (87).
3. Two authors:
- APA: (Brown & Chen, 2019) -- use "&" in parenthetical citations
- MLA: (Brown and Chen 112) -- use "and" (no ampersand in MLA)
4. Three or more authors:
- APA: (Williams et al., 2022) -- use "et al." from the first citation
- MLA: (Williams et al. 56) -- also uses "et al."
Important notes:
- In APA, "et al." is used for three or more authors from the first citation
- In both styles, the period goes AFTER the parenthetical citation, not before
- Signal phrases (e.g., "Johnson states that...") integrate the citation more naturally into your prose
Which of the following is a correctly formatted APA in-text citation for a direct quote from page 234 of a 2020 book by Maria Lopez?
Create a complete APA reference list entry for each of the following sources:
a) A book: "The Language Instinct" by Steven Pinker, published in 2007 by Harper Perennial.
b) A journal article: "Effects of Social Media on Adolescent Well-Being" by Kim, Lee, and Park, published in 2021 in the Journal of Youth Studies, volume 24, issue 3, pages 345-362.
c) A website: An article called "Climate Change: Evidence and Causes" published by the National Academy of Sciences, last updated March 15, 2023, at https://www.nasonline.org/climate-change.
Types of Plagiarism:
1. Direct plagiarism
Copying text word-for-word without quotation marks or citation.
"The most blatant form -- never acceptable."
2. Mosaic plagiarism (patchwriting)
Taking phrases from a source and weaving them into your own sentences without quotation marks.
"Common among students who are learning to paraphrase."
3. Paraphrase plagiarism
Restating an author's ideas in your own words but failing to cite the source.
"Even when you rephrase, you must cite the original idea."
4. Self-plagiarism
Submitting your own previous work (or parts of it) for a new assignment without permission.
"Reusing your own work without disclosure is also dishonest."
5. AI-generated plagiarism
Submitting text generated by AI tools (such as ChatGPT) as your own writing without disclosure.
"A growing concern in education."
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How to Avoid Plagiarism:
- Always cite when you use someone else's ideas, even if paraphrased
- Use quotation marks for any borrowed phrases or sentences
- Paraphrase genuinely -- change both the words AND the sentence structure
- Keep track of all sources while researching
- When in doubt, cite -- it is better to over-cite than to plagiarize
- Disclose AI use according to your school's policy
Original source (from Smith, 2022, p. 78):
"Social media algorithms create echo chambers that reinforce existing beliefs and limit exposure to diverse perspectives, thereby contributing to political polarization."
Evaluate the following three attempts to use this source:
"Social media algorithms create echo chambers that reinforce existing beliefs and limit exposure to diverse perspectives, thereby contributing to political polarization."
Problem: Word-for-word copy with no quotation marks and no citation.
Attempt 2 -- PLAGIARISM (mosaic/patchwriting):
"Social media algorithms create echo chambers that strengthen existing beliefs and reduce exposure to different perspectives, which contributes to political polarization (Smith, 2022)."
Problem: Although a citation is added, most of the sentence structure and key phrases are copied directly. Only a few words have been swapped ("strengthen" for "reinforce," "reduce" for "limit"). This is patchwriting, not genuine paraphrasing.
Attempt 3 -- CORRECT paraphrase:
"According to Smith (2022), the design of social media platforms tends to create insulated information environments where users primarily encounter content that aligns with their pre-existing views, a phenomenon that researchers have linked to increasing divisions in political discourse (p. 78)."
Why this works: The idea is fully restated in the writer's own words and sentence structure. The source is properly cited. The original meaning is preserved, but the expression is entirely new.
A student reads an article by Dr. Hansen (2023) about climate change and writes: "Rising temperatures are causing glaciers to melt at unprecedented rates." The student does not include a citation. Is this plagiarism?
Read the following original passage, then write: (a) a proper direct quote with APA citation, (b) a proper paraphrase with APA citation, and (c) an example of what would constitute plagiarism.
Original: "The digital divide refers to the gap between those who have access to modern information technology and those who do not, creating significant inequalities in education and economic opportunity." -- from Chen, 2021, p. 156.
Chapter Summary: Citation and Referencing
Key Takeaways:
1. Citation is mandatory whenever you use someone else's ideas, words, or data -- whether quoting directly or paraphrasing.
2. APA style uses (Author, Year) format and is common in social sciences. MLA style uses (Author Page) format and is common in humanities.
3. A reference list (APA) or Works Cited page (MLA) at the end of your essay provides full publication details for every source cited.
4. Plagiarism includes direct copying, mosaic plagiarism, paraphrase without citation, self-plagiarism, and undisclosed AI-generated content.
5. Genuine paraphrasing means restating ideas in entirely your own words AND sentence structure, with a proper citation to the original source.
The Golden Rule: When in doubt, cite. It is always better to include a citation that may not be strictly necessary than to risk plagiarism.
Write a short paragraph (80-120 words) about a topic of your choice that includes: (a) one direct quote with correct APA citation, (b) one paraphrase with correct APA citation, and (c) at least one proper transition between the two sources. Then write the corresponding References list.
Which of the following statements about self-plagiarism is TRUE?
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