Citation Guide

 

The following guidelines for citing sources apply to all material submitted for this course:

Citing sources of information is essential in academic writing and in journalism (as well as in other contexts). The major reasons for citing sources are:

1. To acknowledge work done by others;
2. To demonstrate the value of your own writing by showing that you have relied on useful resources, and
3. To provide your readers with the opportunity to investigate the source materials that inform your writing.

In formal academic writing there are strict guidelines about how to cite material. In journalism these guidelines are less strict so long as the citation:

1. Clearly indicates the source of the material cited (i.e. a name or other identifying information of a person, organization, document, etc.);
2. Clearly indicates which words and ideas are drawn from the source(s) cited;
3. Provides the reader with enough information to locate the source of the information should she choose to do so. (There are some exceptions to this in journalism, such as confidential sources, but generally they are not applicable to the work we are doing in this course.)

Follow these basic rules when citing sources for the course:

1. Always put quotation marks around text anytime you use the exact words of a source, and always use a phrase clearly indicating the source;
2. When drawing on ideas from a source and expressing them in your own words, always use a phrase clearly indicating the source;
3. A link by itself is not sufficient citation. You must provide a citation that is clear to a reader who, for whatever reason, does not follow the link;
4. If the material you cite is online, however, you must provide a link to the source in addition to providing a citation phrase;
5. Make your online links as precise as possible so the reader can easily find the information you are citing;
6. Remember that the material you cite should be used to support your ideas and arguments–quotes and citations should take up only a small amount of space in your submissions.

Examples:

Incorrect: Participatory journalism is “(t)he act of a citizen, or group of citizens, playing an active role in the process of collecting, reporting, analyzing and disseminating news and information.”

Correct: According to the Media Center report, We Media, Participatory journalism is “(t)he act of a citizen, or group of citizens, playing an active role in the process of collecting, reporting, analyzing and disseminating news and information.”

If you have questions about this, please ask.