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DOCUMENTING SOURCES
What To Document
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direct quotes, partial quotes, paraphrases
ideas, opinions, theories, or insights of others
any facts or information not regarded as common knowledge
interpretations of common knowledge
specific facts
“facts” open to dispute
statistics regarding human behavior
factual information gathered by a small number of observers
any borrowed material readers might otherwise mistake for your own
What Not To Document
Common Knowledge
 facts and observations widely known and available in many sources
 information basic to a particular field of study
 facts and observations familiar to your audience
Original Thoughts
 opinions and judgments you reach independently or prior to your sources
Guidelines
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If your reader is likely to wonder where you got the information, then provide a
source. Always provide documentation if in doubt.
Seek advice from your instructor about common knowledge.
Acknowledge borrowed material within the text by introducing the quotation or
paraphrase with the author’s name.
For example: “According to X . . .” or “As X states . . .”
Enclose quoted materials within quotation marks.
Make certain that paraphrased material is written in your own style and language.
Don’t simply rearrange the author’s sentences.
Never present someone else’s language, ideas, or information in such a way that it
might be mistaken for your own.
Provide documentation for each source cited and provide a bibliography entry for
every source that is referred to in your paper.
(This material has been adapted from: James D. Lester Writing Research Papers: A Complete Guide. 3rd
ed. (Glenview: Scott, Foresman, 1980) and Michael Meyer, The Little, Brown Guide to Writing Research
Papers, (Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1982)).
The Writing Center: Documenting Sources