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*New Student Guide: APA Citation

New Student Guide

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Course Readings

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Assignment Resources

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APA Citation

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Academic Software

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Need Help?

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Tips for Success

Why is APA and citing your sources so important?

Credibility – your message is more believable if you can support it with evidence

Honesty – claiming someone else’s work as your own is similar to lying or stealing

Skills – once you learn how to cite, you'll use this skill in your studies and future career

Source tracing – if the source information contains a mistake, citing your source allows the reader to discover that the source made the mistake

One of the reasons that you have assignments is to develop and show your skills at reading something, understanding it, and explaining it in your own words. By citing your source material, you make it easier for the person marking your assignment to see where you have done this.

Learning to how to use APA citation style is a skill that is important to learn, even if you use citation software or other citation generators, as no system is perfect! Remember, there are resources to help you in your academic journey, including learning out to cite properly.

Where do I start?

Other Resources for Citing Sources

If you need further assistance after consulting the resources in "Where do I start?", here are some other resources that may be helpful when learning about APA Citation.

Resources for Formatting Assignments

Citation Software

NOTE:

For more information about how to set up APA formatting in specific software (Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel), please view the Academic Software page of the New Student Guide.

NOTE:

If you plan to use reference generating software, always proofread the citations and manually correct any errors. Reference generating software is prone to errors, so understanding how to build citations and correct errors is essential for your academic success!