noting the source of a quote, paraphrase or idea as an authority or proof

Citing is the process of giving credit to the sources you used to write your paper. Citations are usually located in the text or at the end of the work in a bibliography or list of works cited. It can be difficult to figure out what needs to be credited.

Use this rule: If you knew a piece of information before you started doing research, generally you do not need to credit it. You also do not need to cite well-known facts, such as dates, which can be found in many encyclopedias. All other information such as quotations, statistics, and ideas should always be cited in your papers. Very often, that means you'll be citing most of what's in your paper.