Citation Guide: Home

When do we give credit?

The key to avoiding plagiarism is to make sure you give credit where it is due. This may be credit for something somebody said, wrote, emailed, drew, or implied. Many professional organizations, including the Modern Language Association (MLA) and the American Psychological Association (APA), have lengthy guidelines for citing sources.

So how do we cite sources?

• NoodleTools: FCPS has purchased subscriptions to NoodleTools for all students. If you would like to use this online source, click on the NoodleTools tab to get started!

• Purdue OWL: Purdue OWL is a fantastic quick reference. The guidelines are clear and always include examples to mimic. To get started, click the tab to the right.

• ​Creative Commons: In addition to giving credit to the creator of ideas, images, music, etc., it is important to make sure you have permission to use the materials. Begin at Creative Commons for searchable images, media, and music that are available for public use! Make sure you give attribution for anything that you use.  http://search.creativecommons.org/

Giving Credit - Additional Information

Students are often so busy trying to learn the rules of MLA format and style or APA format and style that they sometimes forget exactly what needs to be credited. Here, then, is a brief list of what needs to be credited or documented: