RAMAT 110: Race Matters, First-Year Seminar

Once you have identified an information resource that you want to use for your research assignment, it is important to record the citation for later reference and to include in your submission.

Why include citations?

Citations are used to indicate to your audience that you are not the original source of information or ideas and to provide attribution to the original source that others can use to find and verify the information. Including citations with your assignment submission helps avoid plagiarism and indicates the amount of research that you did to complete the assignment.

How to format citations?

There are lots of different citations styles; you can find detailed information about citations and style guides by consulting this LibGuide: https://libraryguides.stolaf.edu/citation. Be sure to consult with your course syllabus or instructor to determine which citation style you are permitted to use for the assignment.

Tips for citing library materials:

• Catalyst will offer auto-generated citations in a variety of formats to help you get started, as will many online databases; however, be sure to proof-read any auto-generated citations as they may contain style or spelling mistakes.
• A citation manager, like Zotero, can be helpful for keeping track of your citations and you can export the auto-generated citations from Catalyst directly into your Zotero account. To learn more about Zotero, please see this LibGuide: https://libraryguides.stolaf.edu/zotero.

Need help with your citations?

Ask a librarian or reach out to the Writing Desk. We're happy to help get you on the right track with citations!