In American studies, as in all areas of intellectual inquiry, using proper citation methods is essential. By properly citing sources, whether print, electronic, or web-based, American studies scholars situate themselves within a scholarly conversation, give credit where credit is due, and avoid the serious academic offense of plagiarism.
How to cite:
In this course, we will use the Chicago Manual of Style.
Please remember that plagiarism is a serious violation of Middlebury’s Honor Code. If, after reading this document, you have additional questions about proper citation, please ask me, or you can consult staff members in the CTLR or Amy Frazier, the librarian who works closely with American studies courses. (Any of the reference librarians should be able to help you, in fact).
When to cite:
Whenever you use other writers’ ideas, paraphrase, or use quotations in your writing, you must credit the author–in the text with a citation and in the bibliography.
The following explanation is excerpted from the Yale College Writing Center website:
ALWAYS CITE, in the following cases:
- When you quote two or more words verbatim, or even one word if it is used in a way that is unique to the source.
- When you introduce facts that you have found in a source.
- When you paraphrase or summarize ideas, interpretations, or conclusions that you find in a source
- When you introduce information that is not common knowledge or that may be considered common knowledge in your field, but the reader may not know it..
- When you borrow the plan or structure of a larger section of a source’s argument (for example, using a theory from a source and analyzing the same three case studies that the source uses).
- When you build on another’s method found either in a source or from collaborative work in a lab.
- When you build on another’s program in writing computer code or on a not-commonly-known algorithm.
- When you collaborate with others in producing knowledge.
