Citations

Citations and references are more than a formatting requirement; they help students engage in academic inquiry, practice ethical scholarship, and demonstrate how they use and integrate researched sources to support their own work. The goal of requiring citations is to strengthen these skills while ensuring assessment practices remain aligned with course learning outcomes. 

When Students Should Cite

Citations are typically needed when students: 

  • Use direct quotations 
  • Paraphrase or summarize ideas from someone else 
  • Refer to statistics, data, or unique findings 
  • Discuss theories, models, or frameworks created by others 
  • Use media created by someone else (images, charts, videos, audio) 

Citations are not typically required for: 

  • General background knowledge or common facts, e.g., water freezes at 0°C. 
  • Personal reflection, experience, or original argument 
  • Course‑specific knowledge presented repeatedly by multiple instructors
Core Citation Components

No matter which citation style you use, all citations require the same core components:

  • Author or Creator
  • Date of creation or publication
  • Title
  • Source (e.g., journal, magazine, book, web)

Student Citations: Faculty Decision Tool

Not all problems with citations and references should be treated equally! The faculty decision tool below provides a quick, consistent process to help faculty assess student citations fairly, ensuring that evaluation practices align with learning outcomes and support student learning.

Step 1: Check the Learning Outcome

Is citation knowledge or application explicitly tied to a course or program learning outcome? This step ensures that any evaluation or penalty related to citations is grounded in what students are expected to learn and demonstrate.

  • If no, these citations are a low-stake part of the assessment. Consider providing corrective feedback without deducting any marks.
  • If yes, continue to Step 2. 

Step 2: Check for Academic Integrity Issues

Does the citation issue represent a minor omission or error? This step distinguishes between correctable citation errors and issues that may indicate a breach of academic integrity such as deliberate or negligent copy and paste.

Step 3: Check for Essential Citation Components

Does the citation include the required elements (author, date, title, and source)? The inclusion of these elements, even if flawed, signal an intent to cite correctly.

  • If no, provide feedback and deduct marks.
  • If yes, proceed to Step 4. 

Step 4: Check Formatting

Is the citation error substantive and not purely mechanical? Mechanical errors such as incorrect punctuation, italics, hanging indents, or capitalization can be resolved formatively.

  • If no, provide feedback and deduct marks only if it aligns with the learning. outcomes. 
  • If yes, proceed to Step 5.

Step 5: Check Instructions & Citation Templates

Did the student follow the citation instructions or template provided in the assignment? This step ensures student work and faculty evaluation both align with the specific expectations and supports provided in the course context.

  • If no, provide guidance on how to correct the formatting. Deduct marks only if citation formatting is an assessed learning outcome. If not part of the outcome, treat these as low-stakes errors and provide feedback without penalties.
  • If yes, provide formative feedback and do not deduct marks. Confirm that the template or example is up to date (e.g., APA 7th rather than APA 6th) and revise if needed. Need assistance? Get in touch with your subject librarian.

 

Recommended Resources

Citation Guides

College Policy & Resources