Why Cite?
One reason to cite is to avoid committing plagiarism and the consequences of academic dishonesty. But there is a more significant reason.
Doing research and writing papers are how students learn to participate in the sharing, analysis, and creation of ideas. “All knowledge is built from previous knowledge. As we read, study, perform experiments, and gather perspectives, we are using other people's ideas. Building on other people's ideas, we create our own.”21
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When your professors ask you to write a paper or speech, they are asking you to take part in this process, to take
ideas and concepts from your own reading and research, to comment on or analyze them, and to offer your own
thoughts and opinions.
Proper citing shows where the old ideas stop and your own ideas begin. It enables people that read your work to find the sources you have used, either in order to assist them in their own research and to verify the accuracy of your citations.
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