1. To give credit where it's due. When you use someone's ideas, figures, or words, you need to cite them.
2. To provide context and situate your own discussion in the ongoing conversation on your topic.
3. To lend weight to your work. When you cite an expert in the field, for instance, your argument is stronger.
4. So your reader can follow a clear path to your sources.
Review the list and image below, which both outline how the in-text citation in your essay connects to the larger reference page of your work.
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APA (American Psychological Association) Style is used in Social Science disciplines, like Psychology and Education. Always consult your assignment or ask your instructor for the correct citation style to use
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When citing books:
When citing Magazine, Journal, or Newspaper articles
When citing websites
Note: some of the above examples are quoted from: Metcalfe, Sheldon. Building a Speech. 7th ed. Boston: Wadsworth, 2010. Google Books. Web. 17 Mar. 2012.