The Everyday Writer by
This 8th edition title has been updated to reflect the 2016 MLA updates. The Everyday Writer shows novice writers how to navigate rhetorical situations and make effective choices everywhere they write.
Understanding why and how to cite information sources appropriately is an important skill. When incorporating and citing sources into your work, you are giving credit to other scholars for their scholarly ideas. Further, you are providing a roadmap for those readers who are curious to learn more about the topic you have chosen to write about. This is what we mean by "joining the scholarly conversation". Failing to cite your sources or giving credit to others appropriately is plagiarism. At Georgetown, as elsewhere, this is a very serious offense. To avoid the pitfalls of plagiarism, it is important to remember to give credit to others whenever you:
If you are unsure of the process or need further help with citation styling, please speak with a librarian or a writing center specialist.