Avoiding Plagiarism: Understanding In-Text Citations
NURS 303 Instructor: Deb Franklin / Librarian: Barbara Duggal

Academic writing can be broken down into this simple concept: “They Say / I Say”.

One of the most important skills you learn in college course work is how to engage in conversation with the thoughts and ideas of others (Graff and Birkenstein, 2006, p. IX)—“They Say”.

Another essential skill is learning how to separate your ideas—“I Say”— from the ideas presented in the sources you consult, and properly citing the original source. Failure to do so may result in the charge of plagiarism.

Proper attribution of sources begins with good note taking

• Always record at the time of referencing a source, complete bibliographic information, including author, title, publisher, place of publication, volume, span of pages, date.
• Unless planning to use a section of text as a direct quote, always summarize or paraphrase the ideas into your notes. This aids comprehension and helps avoid unintentional plagiarism.
• Discuss with your instructor the issue of common knowledge within your discipline.

Remember:

• Paraphrasing does NOT mean changing a few words of the original text. Read and re-read, then carefully express the idea in your own words and sentences.
• Record page number of paraphrased ideas;  you may or may not need it later.

In-Text Citation Tips

• APA uses the author-date method of in-text citation. 
• Author's last name and the year of publication for the source should appear in the text, and a complete reference should appear in the reference list at the end of the paper.
• Direct quotations require the inclusion of page numbers.

For example (OWL, 2009):
Jones (1998) found "students often had difficulty using APA style" (p. 199); what implications does this have for teachers?
OR
She stated, "Students often had difficulty using APA style," but she did not offer an explanation as to why (Jones, 1998, p. 199).

• For direct quotes longer than 40 words:
• Place quote in a free-standing block of text
• Omit quotation marks
• Start quote on new line, indenting entire quote 5-spaces from the left margin
• Maintain double-spacing (not shown in examples)
• Parenthetical citation comes after closing punctuation.

For example (OWL, 2009):
Jones's (1998) study found the following:        
Students often had difficulty using APA style, especially when it was their first time citing sources. This difficulty could be attributed to the fact that many students failed to purchase a style manual or to ask their teacher for help. (p. 199)

Or (OWL, 2009):
A recent study found the following:        
Students often had difficulty using APA style, especially when it was their first time citing sources. This difficulty could be attributed to the fact that many students failed to purchase a style manual or to ask their teacher for help. (Jones, 1998, p. 199)

• If summarizing or paraphrasing:
• Reference author and year of publication
• Page numbers are not strictly required (but encouraged for clarity)
• Be clear about where the source information begins and ends; for instance, use a phrase such as "According to Dr. John R. Lee. . ." or "The pop diva, Madonna, has consistently maintained that…”

For example (OWL, 2009):
According to Jones (1998), APA style is a difficult citation format for first-time learners.
Or:
APA style is a difficult citation format for first-time learners (Jones, 1998, p. 199).

Online APA Resource Guides
Please note that the OWL Purdue site and the Diana Hacker site are referencing the new 6th edition:

From the Writing Lab and OWL at Purdue and Purdue University:

• APA Formatting & Style Guide:  http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/
• In-Text Citations: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/02/
• Sample Paper in APA: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/media/pdf/20090212013008_560.pdf

Diana Hacker’s Research & Documentation Online site:
http://www.dianahacker.com/resdoc/

The following site is still referencing the 5th edition, but the general rules for documenting sources is exceptionally clear, and the interactive exercises useful:

• Empire State College Research Room http://www.esc.edu/ESConline/Across_ESC/WritersComplex.nsf/wholeshortlinks2/Research+Room+Menu

Don’t miss their excellent interactive exercises:

• Exercise 12: In-text citation http://www.esc.edu/esconline/across_esc/writerscomplex.nsf/wholeshortlinks2/Doc+Formats#withinapa
• Exercise 14: Documentation at the End of a Research Paper:
• http://www.esc.edu/esconline/across_esc/writerscomplex.nsf/wholeshortlinks2/Doc+Formats#endapa

References

Graff,  G. & Birkenstein, C. (2006). They  say/I say: The moves that matter in academic 
    writing. New York: W.W. Norton  & Company.

Purdue University Online Writing  Lab (OWL). (2009, September 8). In-text  citations: The
    basics. Retrieved September 8, 2009 from http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/02/. 

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