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Mat-Su College: Business

A guide for Mat-Su College students taking BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION courses, especially BA 151.

What does citing sources mean?

As you write your paper and use the ideas and words of others, you will need to provide a citation to tell your readers where they can find the original source of these words and ideas.

This tab of the guide will tell you when you need to cite and how to cite. It's a basic introduction to citing. If you already know about citing and just want some tips to simplify your life, move on to the "Citation: online tools" tab.

When to cite something

You must cite whenever you use words or ideas that are not your own. Columbia College has a good list of situations in which you should cite your source.

Getting APA help

There are many ways to learn the ins-and-outs of APA style. Here are some.

  • A WRITING 111 textbook may cover APA (Rules for Writers does).
  • The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association is the ultimate authority on APA; this is the official document defining what APA style is. The library has many copies.
  • Purdue University's Online Writing Lab (often called Purdue OWL) has a good series of pages on APA.
  • Purdue OWL also has a good series of videos on APA.