How and why do I cite? Which citation style should i choose? What should my citation look like, and is my bibliography correct? This page gives you information and useful links to answer these questions.
It is important to cite all sources in your academic writing. This means you acknowledge the work of others and will keep you from getting caught plagiarising.
You must choose a citation style to use throughout your text. The citation style dictates the rules you need to follow for in-text citations and your bibliography. The most used citation style at UiS is American Psychological Association (APA).
Courses from the library
There are several useful software that can keep track of your sources and help you insert citations and bibliography in your preferred citation style. The library offers classes in Zotero. You must always check your sources to make sure they are correct before using them.
It is entirely optional whether you want to use reference management software, and it’s not something you need to start using in your first year as a new student. Many find it helpful when working on larger assignments with many sources, but for smaller tasks, it may be easier to manage the references manually. The most important thing in the beginning is to learn how to use sources correctly and to evaluate them critically.
Once you master proper source use, a reference management program can be a great help when you have many sources to keep track of, such as in your bachelor's thesis. Feel free to start by practicing on a smaller assignment.
Source evaluation and critical reading is essential when writing an academic text. You yourself are responsible for all the sources used in your text.
The Citation Compass has information and checklists to help you with source evaluation.
Keep in mind that source use and recommendations may vary across subject areas. We advise you to read up on the recommendations relevant to your subject to learn more about subject-specific source use and referencing.
Keep in mind that the University of Stavanger has rules on plagiarism and academic misconduct, we recommend that you familiarize yourself with them.
On the library's Canvas pages for academic writing, you can learn more about sources, citing and references. You can also and test your knowledge about plagiarism.
We cite and reference to provide accurate details on the sources used, both in the body of text and in the corresponding reference list. It is important to cite correctly, this is to show the reader where you have obtained the information, as well as ensuring honesty in academic work.
There are many useful pages that may help you with citing. Here are our recommendations:
