When to Cite a Source in a Research Paper

Learn Tips for Using References in Academic Writing

Sep 8, 2009 Katherine Brind'Amour

Although school assignments often require citations or references, many people are confused as to when a source should be cited. Here's how to decide whether to cite.

For research or academic papers that require references or citations, it can often be difficult to decide when a statement needs to be cited.

Students should avoid citing too much or not citing enough, both of which can lead to poor grades.

When a Citation or Reference is Necessary

There are several situations in which it is virtually always necessary to provide a reference or a citation for the sentence or paragraph (or phrase/specific fact if different parts of the sentence were gathered from different sources).

If a statement meets any of the following criteria, a citation or reference is typically needed:

• The statement refers to obscure facts, or information that is not commonly known ("The company's third president, John Smith, grew the company's revenue by thirty percent in his first year, and at least ten percent each year thereafter")
• The information has been gained from the results of a scientific study ("The research performed by Smith and Smith indicates that when fed cocoa on a regular basis, baby newts turn brown")
• The statement is a direct quote from another source, including speeches or multimedia ("Sheri Bo-Beri told the cameraman to 'take a break and have another sandwich' before she punched him")
• The statement includes statistics that the writer did not calculate him or herself ("A whopping 42% of the competitors ate more than seventeen burgers, which adds up to more than three times the daily recommended allowance of fat for an individual")
• The statement refers to a particular line of poetry or prose, or a very specific incident in a novel ("Line six of Smith's final sonnet is considerably less imaginative than the sixth line in her first sonnet")
• The statement provides an argument that was developed by someone else ("Existentialism is the dominant school of thought among authors with staying power")

When a Fact Should Not be Cited

Some information that is necessary to discuss in research papers does not need to be referenced.

For instance, if the information communicated in the sentence or paragraph meets any of the following criteria, a specific citation is typically not necessary (although it may be a useful resource for the bibliography, if required):

• The information is common knowledge ("There are 365 days in one year")
• The information is very general or vague ("Some boys are tall")
• The statement is subjective in nature ("I think he felt like a failure")
• The topic has been discussed in-depth during class and is considered expected basic knowledge on the topic ("These species of amphibians are asexual...")
• There is no new information contained in the sentence, or the citation has previously been given for the specific fact mentioned ("As noted previously, there were three successful experiments that July")

Additional Tips for Knowing When a Reference is Needed

Many teachers will require that information meeting the following criteria is also cited, particularly in college-level academic papers or work intended for publication (check with the individual professor):

• The statement or paragraph paraphrases content or ideas developed by someone else, including in spoken conversation, informal communications, and multimedia
• The statement could be challenged or argued, or if the information sounds like an opinion but is a documented fact
• The statement incorporates contradictory claims, perhaps from conflicting research studies
• The sentence refers to a specific conversation, incident, insinuation, or event documented or presented elsewhere, such as in a book or in a television report
• The statement leaves the writer unsure as to whether the information is considered common knowledge, even among a population of educated readers in the target audience

Resources for Proper Citations or References in Research Papers

"Find Credible Sources or References." Katherine Brind'Amour, Suite101.com.

"How to Perform a Literature Search." Katherine Brind'Amour, Suite101.com.

"When to Cite a Source." Grace Fleming, About.com.

The copyright of the article When to Cite a Source in a Research Paper in Academic Writing is owned by Katherine Brind'Amour. Permission to republish When to Cite a Source in a Research Paper in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

When to Cite a Source

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