Engineering: Cite Sources

It is important to properly cite the sources used when writing your academic paper in order to:

• Give credit to others' ideas and scholarship
• Avoid plagiarism
• Allow others to locate sources used
• Demonstrate authority of information

Citation elements often include:

• Author name(s)
• Title of publication (e.g., articles, journals, books)
• Date of publication
• Page numbers
• Volume and issue numbers (for journals, magazines, and other periodicals)
• Publisher name and location (for print books and reports)
• URL or DOI locators (for electronic sources)

Many journals and professional society publishers specify their own citation styles, which will vary in some aspects from more widely-used citation styles.  Examine the reference section of articles from a particular journal for examples of formatting, but be aware that editors may not always catch author errors prior to publication.  For specifics, locate a journal or publisher website and look for a link to "authors," "instructions for authors," "author guidelines," "manuscript submission," "submission guidelines," or similar information.  For example, here is the guide for authors and manuscript requirements for ASCE Journals (published by the American Society of Civil Engineers).

Find information on citation styles including Chicago, CSE, AMA, and APA.  Learn about some citation management tools to help manage references and style formatting.