References
9-3
When Should You Cite a Source?
Any time you use a fact or an idea that you obtain from another source, you must acknowledge that source. This clearly includes direct quotations, but it also includes statements and data that you paraphrase or summarize (both in words and graphically). If the information is extremely well known — that is, it is common knowledge — it may not need to be referenced. But if it is a fact, a statement, or a term introduced or popularized by someone else, then it is “owned” by that person, and a reference for it must be cited. Each of the 2 statements below presents a common or well-known fact from the professional knowledge base and so does not need to be referenced.
Microtubules are important cytoskeletal components involved in many cellular events.
Maintenance of the integrity of an organism and its tissues depends upon a delicate balance between proliferation, differentiation, and programmed cell death or apoptosis. In the next 2 examples, the information clearly originated from the work of a specific person or group and must be referenced. This multifunctional, single-stranded DNA-binding protein complex, composed of 70-, 34-, and 11-kDa subunits, 2,4,5 is involved in DNA unwinding and DNA synthesis during the initiation and elongation stages of DNA replication. 4 (Janus et al., 1999) The RPA-p53 complex is disrupted after exposure to UV radiation in vivo . 9 (Janus et al., 1999)
Which Are the Best Sources to Cite?
The sources of information that you choose to include in your paper — journal articles, books, Internet sites, correspondence, and conversations — can be ranked according to their reliability, credibility, and timeliness. The best sources to cite are those that have been reviewed by an expert in the field. These sources must be cited in the text and in the References section at the end of an article.
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