Horticulture 1100 Plant Information Sheet: Citing Sources

• Give credit where credit is due.
  • Someone put in the work to create that resource-- show your appreciation (and avoid plagiarism).
• Find the source again.
  • Including all the information in your citation means that if your link breaks, or if the source was never online to begin with, you'll still be able to track it down.
• Help other people find your (excellent, high quality) resources
  • (again, with or without a link).
• Demonstrate what kind of research you did.
  • If you put in more work than just reading the Wikipedia page, prove it.

The below resources can help you learn how to cite anything in APA format.

• COD Library's Citing Sources Guide - use this for examples, templates, and the basics.
• Purdue OWL APA Formatting and Style Guide - use this for more difficult-to-cite sources

Run into trouble? Remember you can always Ask a Librarian.

APA format is a style of citation put out by the American Psychological Association as one way to keep citations standardized. Follow APA format to:

• Make sure you're not missing important information
• Order the information so you can tell which piece is which
• Demonstrate that you are writing for a scholarly community