Resources for International Students: Citing Resources

Standards for documenting sources and incorporating research into papers vary by country and research subject. In today's world, making it clear where we get information is more important than ever, and at Dickinson, the Library and Writing Center are here to help!

Carelessness with documentation and citations can lead to an accusation of plagiarism, a serious academic offense at Dickinson College. To plagiarize is to use the words, ideas, or work of another without proper citation or acknowledgment.

You can find information on how to cite in different styles at the Citing Sources Guide.

If you ever have questions about citation, plagiarism, or academic integrity, please ask a librarian!

Dickinson College's Official Policy on Citing Sources and Plagiarism

It is necessary for you to give proper credit to all of the resources you use in your research papers. Plagiarism is a violation of Dickinson's Student Code of Conduct, and is a specific form of cheating defined in the code as follows:

1. To plagiarize is to use without proper citation or acknowledgment the words, ideas, or work of another. Whenever one relies on someone else for phraseology, even for only two or three words, one must acknowledge indebtedness by using quotation marks and giving the source, either in the text or in a footnote.
2. When one borrows facts which are not matters of general knowledge, including all statistics and translations, one must indicate one's indebtedness in the text or footnote. When one borrows an idea or the logic of an argument, one must acknowledge indebtedness either in a footnote or in the text. When in doubt, footnote. (Academic Standards Committee, November, 1965)

For more information from the Writing Center about how NOT to plagiarize, see Professor Lape's short presentation, How Not to Plagiarize.

Additionally, read our guide on Academic Integrity and How to Avoid Plagiarism.

Zotero is a free, open source Bibliographic Management Tool recommended by Dickinson librarians. Please visit the Zotero Guide for more information about what Zotero is and how to use it.