Beginning Your Research @ Your Library

As your conducting your research, and definitely before you turn in your paper or project, you need to cite your sources.  By citing sources you:

• Do a good job on your assignment!
• Show that you are honest with what you present as your own work.
• Use information ethically and demonstrate academic integrity.
• Document the effort that you have taken in consulting information resources.
• Provide your reader with a bibliography so that s/he can consult related sources.
• Position your work within a particular field.

See the research guide Citation Style Guidelines for information and citing sources properly and the the tools that can help you do so!

Citation managers, like Zotero and Mendeley, will help  you keep track of your sources for your research (references) by providing a central place for you to store and organize your references.  Citation managers will also generate in-text citations, footnotes, and bibliographies in many standard citation styles from your references.  They can be Web-based, browser-based, or desktop software. 

By using a citation manager you can:

• Stay organized by collecting all of your references in one place.

• Easily cite your sources and create bibliographies in your preferred citation style.

• Prevent plagiarism.

• Save time!

Try out Zotero, Mendeley, or another citation management system to be come more efficient with your research.  Use our Citation Management guide to learn more.