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If you quote directly, use ideas, or paraphrase from any information source, you should indicate this in your research paper, speech, or assignment. When you cite, you show that you have done the research, you are a responsible scholar by giving credit and acknowledging others’ work, you allow others to expand their understanding by going back to the original source, and you avoid plagiarism.

The citation guides presented on this page are available in the Archbishop Alter Library and/or online as indicated. If you are unsure about which documentation style to use, ask your professor or consult with the Learning Center for advice. (For appointments with the Learning Center, see also their scheduling site.)

Many of the databases the MSJ Library offers have tools built-in to article records that will assist you in creating your citation for your sources. For instance, the vendors EBSCO and ProQuest use "Cite" tools throughout their article records.

Below is an example from the EBSCO database Academic Search Complete with the corresponding steps to take advantage of this feature.

Remember to verify the generated citation to ensure that it correctly follows the citation style that you are using. For example, it is not unusual to see capitalization issues within the autogenerated citations, especially for APA citations.

Step 1: From your list of database search results, select a source by clicking on the article title.

Step 2: On the page of the full record for your selected source, navigate to the right "Tools" sidebar and locate “Cite” or a comparable phrase.  In this example screenshot, the “Cite” option is seventh down on the right sidebar below the save icon.

Step 3: Click on the “Cite” option. This will bring up a window that provides citations for that source in various citation formats. Once you locate the citation style you need, simply copy and paste the provided citation for your source.

If using citation generators, remember to verify the generated citation to ensure that it correctly follows the citation style that you are using. For example, it is not unusual to see capitalization issues within the autogenerated citations, especially for APA citations.