Citing a source is a good practice of academic writing that mainly involves making a formal reference to published and unpublished sources used to obtain information while writing an academic paper. However, how writers document and cite sources depends on the paper format or writing style used when writing . Citing sources is important because it enables readers to understand where the source was obtained based on the material used. As such, the act of citing sources is the best defense against allegations of plagiarism.
The main reason why sources should be cited is to acknowledge the source of information for the reader to understand ideas, facts, or theories borrowed from other people’s works ( Pears & Shields, 2016) . Therefore, when a writer uses concepts that are mainly derived from research or others' thoughts, they should be acknowledged by citing the sources. Also, references should be cited to enable readers to locate the material used to expand their knowledge on a given topic. According to Pecorar and Petrić (2014) in research or academic writing, one of the most effective strategies for locating relevant sources concerning a given topic is to follow the references from the known sources. Further, citing sources indicates that enough research has been conducted through the literature on the topic . Hence, sources are cited when reporting academic work from an informed, as well as critically engaged perspective.
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Sources should be cited when the ideas of others are used to reinforce a writer’s arguments. Cited source only act as a primary context from which a researcher can emphasize the significance of the research work and increased the credibility of a study. Also, references should be cited when they are used to explain the reasons for alternative approaches. In such cases, the cited sources can prevent a researcher's reputation from being tarnished. When a writer uses his or her ideas, which are original and the information is considered to be a universal fact, then the general rule is that no citation would be needed.
References
Pears, R., & Shields, G. J. (2016). Cite them right: the essential referencing guide . Palgrave Macmillan. Retrieved from https://books.google.co.ke/books?hl=en&lr=&id=VJpMDwAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PP1&dq=citing+sources+in+academic+writing&ots=PNPhVvK3du&sig=Fr440HDf49H4ZNPiEUDyJ6PAxi0&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=citing%20sources%20in%20academic%20writing&f=false.
Pecorari, D., & Petrić, B. (2014). Plagiarism in second-language writing. Language Teaching , 47 (3), 269-302. Retrieved from https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/language-teaching/article/plagiarism-in-secondlanguage-writing/62C159FCCCB32A23EC7DA2D17C5E9706.
