Types of Sources

The Writing Center

All campuses offer free, in-person writing center appointments and online appointments.

The Writing Center provides students with all types and levels of tutorial writing assistance, including citation formatting. Students are encouraged to use this support for any class with writing requirements, not just English courses.

FRCC Libraries

Library staff can also help you understand how to format your citations and get you started on RefWorks! Visit any of our 3 campus locations, or send us a message through chat with the title of the source you have questions about.

Why do we use citations?

Within your assignments, you will be required to use references or citations to support your papers' arguments and point to which research supports your points.

• Citations demonstrate you are participating in the scholarly conversation and giving credit to people who informed your thinking.
• Citations also help people who read your paper to follow up on the original sources, to read them for themselves.

When using references, you must properly cite your resources within the paper, and create a reference page (also called work cited or bibliography) at the end of your assignment document.

• Common citation styles include MLA, APA, and Chicago style citation formats. It depends on the class and subject area which one your instructor will require. Different parts of the citation matter to different fields, which is why the citation formats look different.
• There are several books that demonstrate proper citation styles, as well as online resources to help with citations.
• Citation managers like RefWorks or Zotero can help you keep track of your sources and automate some of the citations. Always double-check their automated citations!