Quoting is when you use the author's exact words. Use quotation marks (" ") to denote a direct quote.
Paraphrasing is when you use the author's idea, but put it in your own words. You do not need to use quotation marks when paraphrasing.
Both quoting and paraphrasing require a citation.
For more information about APA Citation, download our APA Style Pamphlet.
For more information about MLA Citation, download our MLA Style Pamphlet.
In a research paper, citation is when you give credit to authors whose ideas you have used to support your own work. Citations let your readers know that you used others' ideas to back up your own ideas and conclusions. Citations not only let your readers know that an idea is not your own, but also point them to the original resource where you found the idea so that they can explore it for themselves.
Just as you wouldn't want someone to take your personal property without asking, you wouldn't want someone to take your intellectual property either. Citation allows you to use someone else's intellectual property, or ideas, but gives the original creator the credit that they deserve.
APA: American Psychology Association
Subjects that use APA: Psychology, Education, Social Sciences, Nursing, Occupational Therapy
MLA: Modern Language Association
Subjects that use MLA: Literature, Arts, Humanities
AMA: American Medical Association
Subjects that use AMA: Physical Therapy and most medical sciences
You can use any of the free tools below to create and keep track of citations for your academic work. For more help with citations, ask a librarian.