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What is Documentation?
When you conduct research for a paper or speech, you will consult sources of information (books, journals, etc.) relevant to your topic. In your paper or speech, you will use some of the words and/or ideas from these sources. You must tell those reading your paper from which source the words/ideas came. This is documentation.
If you do not document your sources, the reader is led to believe the ideas and/or words are your own. This is plagiarism.
Documentation Styles
There are many different documentation styles. Two of the most common in academic communities are MLA (Modern Language Association) and APA (American Psychological Association). Both of these styles require two things:
- Parenthetical citations
- A Works Cited or a References page
Parenthetical citations:
Parenthetical citations are a way of telling the reader, “This bit of information came from this particular source.” For example:
MLA |
According to Jankowski, “youth gangs have been depicted as the trade schools for organized crime” (131). |
APA |
According to Jankowski (1991), “youth gangs have been depicted as the trade schools for organized crime” (p. 131). |
Works Cited or References Page:
The Works Cited (MLA) or References page (APA), is a cumulative list (in alphabetical order) of all sources that the writer used. It appears at the end of the paper.
For additional information about how to use MLA and APA style, please see the following websites:
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/research/r_apa.html
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/research/r_mla.html
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