How do I know if I have cited something correctly?

A: If a theoretical stranger (or a friend who is not taking the course) can find a source in a library, with just your paper, then you (will be a Jedi Knight) (can leave your apprenticeship) will have done your job well. I suspect that correct citation is like speaking in public: the first few times, when one is fully aware of all the possible ways one can make mistakes, can be terrifying. Good habits can ease those anxieties.

Practically speaking, the following checklist for each source you cite will ensure you are not plagiarizing. It will not guarantee you a great grade, but it is a minimum that should satisfy any reader:

• Author(s)
• Date
• Title
• Publisher/Journal
• Medium, if not obvious from the rest of the information (e.g., "online" or "CD-ROM"). Generally, whether something is a chapter in an edited book or an article in a journal is in clues rather than stated outright.
• Page number(s), if directly quoted

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