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Citation Help

Why Cite?

Citations are useful for a variety of reasons: they give credit to the original author of the idea, they help you avoid plagiarism, and meet your institution’s expectations of academic integrity (refer to Delta’s student handbook, under the “Campus Life” tab on the portal page).  Referring to other sources than your ideas helps give them credibility and helps you to form more concrete arguments.

When You Should Cite

You should use citations for any ideas that are not your own.  This includes paraphrasing or summarizing someone else’s work. 

Research Help and Tutorials

Need writing help?

The WRIT Center is available to help with the writing process from start to finish.  Click on the link above to contact them. 

Writing and Research Books

Yale Daily News Guide to Writing College Papers

By Students for StudentsThe staff of theYale Daily Newshas created a practical and effective guide to writing better college papers. With step-by-step advice from professors, writing experts, and successful students, this powerful tool guides you through every aspect of the writing process.From blank page to final draft, theYale Daily News Guide to Writing College Paperswill help you write distinctive and creative papers that get you noticed.Yale Daily NewsTheYale Daily News,the nation's oldest college daily newspaper, is an independent, student-run, nonprofit organization. Often called the "best unofficial undergraduate school of journalism in the country," TheYale Daily Newsalumni include highly respected and influential leaders across the professional spectrum.

Assess and Select Your Sources

How do you find the right information sources for your research project? Learn how to use search engines, library catalogs, and databases to find information. What makes a source reliable? What is bias? How does point of view affect a source's reliability? Why do you need more than one source? This book will help you find, evaluate, and select the best sources for your assignment!

Writing Papers in College

Writing Papers in College provides clear, concise guidance on a comprehensive range of composition topics--writing, research, and grammar--in a portable size and at a low price.   Writing Papers in College guides students through all stages of the writing process--while also offering essential organizational strategies--using brief instruction that delivers just enough detail to help students be effective writers.  Rather than weigh students down with an overly complicated presentation or belabored concepts, Writing Papers keeps advice short and sweet so that students spend less time reading about writing and more time focusing on their own work.

Research and Synthesize Your Facts

You've been assigned a research project. You have your research topic and reliable sources, so what's the next step? This book will teach you how to take notes, refine your guiding questions, and fulfill your goals for writing the report. Wondering about the best ways to track and credit your sources? Foggy on how to put together a bibliography? Not sure how to organize your information? Find the answers here!

Writing a Research Paper

There are certain steps you can take when writing a research paper that will make the finished product a lot easier! Many people, such as scientists and businesspeople use research skills to make products better or more useful, and to teach others how to do their jobs more efficiently and effectively. Picking a topic, gathering and organizing your information, and putting it all together are discussed in this title. By following these steps, you are guaranteed to get an A on your next research paper! This book allows students to determine the main idea of a text and explain how it is supported by key details; summarize the text.

They Say / I Say

They Say / I Say demystifies academic writing by identifying its key rhetorical moves, the most important of which is to summarize what others have said ("they say") to set up one's own argument ("I say"). The book also provides templates to help students make these key moves in their own writing. This version includes readings that demonstrate those moves--and provide stimulating conversations for them to enter. The Second Edition includes an anthology of 44 readings that will provoke students to think--and write--about five important issues, including two new ones: Is Higher Education Worth the Price? and Why Does It Matter Who Wins the Big Game?