What to Cite

In any academic writing, you are required to identify which ideas, facts, thoughts, and
concepts are yours and which are derived from the research and work of others.
Whether you summarize, paraphrase, or use direct quotes, if it's not your original idea,
the source must be acknowledged.
It should be emphasized that only the major findings, ideas, generalizations, principles,
or conclusions in related materials relevant to the problem under investigation should be
discussed in this chapter. Generally, such findings, ideas, generalizations, principles, or
conclusions are summarized, paraphrased, or synthesized.
In general, you must document sources when you provide information that you
ordinarily would not have known before conducting your research, and when you
provide information that it cannot be assumed the reader knows. Whether you are
quoting, paraphrasing, or just referencing, it is important to cite:

1. Anyone else's articulated ideas, arguments, opinions, or experiences.

Example:

According to Smith, Van Ness, and Abbott (2004), steam is considered as an inert
medium, when taken into context in a steam power plant, in which heat is transferred
from a burning fuel; but it is also quite possible to originate from a nuclear reactor
instead of fuel (p. 302).

2. Direct quotations of any words written or spoken by others.

Example:

According to Wernher Von Braun, “ research is what I’m doing when I don’t know
what I’m doing.”

3. Data, statistics, or facts produced or documented by others.

Example:

According to the Philippines’ Sugar Regulatory Administration (2020), sugar

production in the Philippines for crop year 2019/2020 is projected to reach 2.1 million
tons and around 95% of total production is consumed by domestic industries, in
particular industrial users such as beverage manufacturers.
There are certain things that do not need citation, including:

1. Don’t cite when what you are saying is your own insight.

Research involves forming opinions and insights around what you learn. You may be
citing several sources that have helped you learn, but at some point you must
integrate your own opinion, conclusion, or insight into the work. The fact that you are
not citing it helps the reader understand that this portion of the work is your unique
contribution developed through your own research efforts.

2. Don’t cite when you are stating common knowledge.

Information qualifies as common knowledge when it can be found in a significant

number of sources and is not considered to be controversial. General descriptions of
social customs, traditions, and observable world phenomena qualify as common
knowledge, as well as popular expressions and sayings. Common knowledge can
vary between subject fields, so think about your audience. If you have doubts about
whether something is common knowledge, ask your professor or another expert in
the discipline.
For example:
 Hydrogen is the chemical element with the symbol H. (does not require
citation)
 Water freezes at 0 degrees Celsius. (does not require citation)

General Tips in Citing

1. Be selective. When using an outside source, only include relevant information. Not
everything in the original text will pertain to the current paper, so be selective when
deciding which information should be included and which should be left out
altogether. Sometimes only a sentence or two from the original source is relevant to
the student’s paper.

2. Be concise. Stay focused and on-topic, making sure that all information ties back to
the research statement. The focus should not be on others’ thoughts but instead on
the researcher. The purpose of using outside sources is to incorporate them into the
paper as support.

3. Do not overuse sources. While it is perfectly acceptable to use a source more than
once if there are multiple ideas or arguments that apply, do not use the same source
too frequently. A variety of sources should be included throughout the paper. The
more sources there are that back up an idea or argument, the more credible it will
 be. If one source is overused, it can appear as though it is the only source that could
be found to support the position presented.

4. Can use more than one source per paragraph. Some sources may cover similar
concepts or be on the same side of an argument and work well together, in which
case it could be best to include them in the same paragraph.

Quoting a Material
Quoting means including the exact passage of someone else’s words and
crediting the source to your research. A material may be quoted if the idea conveyed is
so perfectly stated or it is controversial. In some disciplines, such as literary studies and
history, quoting is used frequently to support an argument. In most others, especially
science and technology, it is used sparingly. Make sure you understand how quoting is
used in your discipline.

Short Quotations
For quotations of fewer than 40 words, add quotation marks around the words and
incorporate the quote into your own text—there is no additional formatting needed. Do
not insert an ellipsis at the beginning and/or end of a quotation unless the original
source includes an ellipsis.
Example:
According to Foulkes's study, dreams may express "profound
aspects of personality" (184).

Block Quotations
Quotations that are 40 words or more are considered block quotations and are
formatted differently than regular quotations. The following is a list of the unique
formatting that is needed for block quotations:

1. Block quotations start on their own line.

2. The entire block quotation is indented 0.5 inches, the same as the indentation for a
new paragraph, and is double spaced.
3. Block quotations are not surrounded by any quotation marks.
4. The punctuation at the end of the block quotation goes before the citation.
5. The ending citation is included on the last line of the block quotation.
6. The text after the block quotation begins on its own line, with no indentation. You
should not end a paragraph with a block quotation because any quotation you use
as evidence in your writing should be followed by analysis in your own words as part
of the same paragraph.
Footnotes are notes placed at the bottom of a page. They cite references or comment
on a designated part of the text. It elaborates as well as simplifies a particular point
mentioned in the body of text and also shows its accountability by acknowledging the
source of information taken out. Its presence shows the credibility of the piece of work
present in the paper and also gives convenience to the reader for looking into the
details of the sources, illustrations without going towards the end of the paper for
endnotes or references.

Example:
Karl Pearson writes,
“The scientific method is one and same in the branches (of science)
and that method is the method of all logically trained minds … the
unity of all sciences consists alone in its methods, not its material;
the man who classifies facts of any kind whatever, who sees their
mutual relation and describes their sequences, is applying the
Scientific Method and is a man of science.”8

Footnote: 8 Karl Pearson, The Grammar of Science, Part I, pp. 10–12.

REFERENCES
Calderon, J., & Gonzales, E. (1993). Methods of Research and Thesis Writing. National Book
Store, Inc.
Academicguides.waldenu.edu. n.d. Academic Guides: Citations: Block Quotations. [online]
Available at:
https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/writingcenter/apa/citations/blockquotations
[Accessed 4 November 2020].
Dlsweb.rmit.edu.au. n.d. Referencing - Footnotes. [online] Available at:
<https://www.dlsweb.rmit.edu.au/lsu/content/1_StudySkills/study_tuts/footnotes_LL/dire
t.html#:~:text=Use%20quotation%20marks%20'%20'%20at%20the,next%20to%20eac
%20author's%20name.> [Accessed 4 November 2020].