Whether you are writing a paper or making a presentation (or both), your research project ends when you are able to discuss your answer to your research question — what you studied, what you learned, and why it matters:
In order to answer that last question, why your findings matter, you will need to consider your audience. The answer could be different depending on whether you are trying to convince a group of your friends, the general public, a panel of experts, or just one expert (your professor).
In a research paper, even a fairly short one, you will need to explain your findings thoroughly. Remember to check any specific assignment, course, or program requirements. If you need help with writing about your research, consult the Writing Center.
In a presentation, you will need to focus on the key details and explain them clearly for your audience within the time limits you have been given. Visit the library's Presenting Research guide to find many more tips and resources for creating and delivering your presentation.
Whether you are writing a paper or making a presentation, your research findings will draw on information from multiple sources, and you will need to cite each of those sources. The short videos in this playlist explain (1) the purpose of citations, (2) when to document your sources, (3) how citations work, and (4) where you can get more help with specific citation styles.
Because different academic disciplines prefer different citation styles, a professor may require students to use a particular style in their classes. For example, an English professor may assign papers in MLA (Modern Language Association) style, while a Psychology or Political Science professor may prefer APA (American Psychological Association) style.
The library's citation style guide provides examples and resources for specific styles. Consult your syllabus or assignment instructions to find out which citation style is required in your course.
Use the built-in citation tools in library databases and Google Scholar to copy the citation for any source you plan to use.
Be sure to make note of the source of any phrase, idea, or piece of information you want to use.
Always include a citation whenever you quote, paraphrase, or summarize information from a source.
When you borrow an exact phrase, sentence, or passage, use quotation marks or an indented block quote to show your reader which words are not your own, and include a citation.
Keep in mind that common knowledge within one cultural group or academic discipline may be new information to another. Think about what knowledge your audience is likely to share and, if you are uncertain, provide a citation.
Visit the library's Avoiding Plagiarism guide for more tips, guidelines, and tutorials to help you learn to use information from sources ethically.
Yes, self-plagiarism happens when you submit the work you completed for one course in another course without the permission of the instructors.
An important part of academic honesty is that your work in each class reflects what you learned in that class. If you see an opportunity to revisit or build on work that you did previously, talk to your professor about ways to make sure the new work reflects your learning in the present course.
When one of your sources quotes or paraphrases someone else, you may wonder how to cite the original source properly.
Librarians recommend locating and checking the original source whenever possible because (1) you will understand the original context of the information and (2) you will avoid duplicating any errors that could have occurred when the original source was cited by someone else. You can contact the library for help with tracking down an original source.
If the original source is not available, use these steps to give proper credit:
Make sure that your in-text citation provides the information your reader will need in order to locate the correct source in your full bibliography.
Just as you would cite books, articles, or other documents, you should always cite multimedia sources, too. By doing so, you:
Here are guidelines for citing multimedia in different citation styles: