When participating in academic discussions in our online forum, it’s essential to provide clear, accurate citations to support your claims and ensure clarity for your peers. Proper citation not only strengthens your argument but also demonstrates academic integrity and allows others to engage with your sources directly.
Citing Online Sources
When referencing an article, website, or other digital source, provide a hyperlink and enough context for readers to understand the reference. Example:
According to David Graeber, bureaucracy often becomes a self-perpetuating system that “creates more work, rather than solving problems” (Graeber The Utopia of Rules 37). This argument aligns with how modern institutions rely on unnecessary paperwork and inefficiency (Graeber 23).
A proper online citation should include:
- The author’s name (Graeber)
- The title of the work (The Utopia of Rules)[1]
- A page number where you got the information or quotation, if available (37)
- A hyperlink to the source , if available
If citing a specific passage, include section titles, paragraph numbers, or timestamps (for videos or podcasts) to help readers locate the exact point in the source.
Citing Print Sources
Always provide a page number when citing a print source. This is non-negotiable: a citation without a page number in a printed text is incomplete. Example:
Judith Ortiz Cofer describes how the media’s depiction of Latin women reinforces the gender stereotypes of “whore, domestic, or criminal.” (Cofer “The Myth of the Latin Woman” 579).
A complete citation from a print source must include:
- The author’s last name (Cofer)
- The title of the work (“The Myth of the Latin Woman”)
- A link to the source, or source details if an online version is unavailable
- The page number where the quotation or idea appears (579)
Without a page number, your reference lacks precision, making it harder for others to verify your claims. If citing an entire work, a page number isn’t required, but for any specific quotation, summary, or paraphrase, always include the exact page number.
Citing Primary Sources
Since everyone in class is working from the same edition of our primary texts, you can cite them using line numbers, act/scene/line references (for plays), or chapter/section numbers (for prose). Examples:
In Beowulf, the hero acknowledges the importance of fate: “Fate goes ever as fate must” (l. 455).
Lady Macbeth’s guilt manifests when she exclaims, “Out, damned spot! Out, I say!” (Macbeth 5.1.30).
Orwell warns of a dystopian future where “Big Brother is watching you” (1984 ch. 1).
For poetry, use line numbers instead of page numbers. For plays, cite act, scene, and line numbers. For prose, chapter or section numbers are preferred when page numbers vary between editions.[2]
Final Notes
- Always cite sources when directly quoting, summarizing, or paraphrasing.
- Page numbers are always required for print sources.
- Hyperlinks are useful for digital sources but not required for well-known texts.
- Be precise. A vague or incomplete citation weakens your argument.
By following these guidelines, you ensure that our discussions are clear, well-supported, and academically rigorous. Post any questions or discussion below.
If citing a print source, like a physical book, try to find a resource that either has the complete text of the source available for reading online, like Archive.org, or that contains all of the pertinent publication information , like a library database. ↩︎
Likely, we will all be using the same editions, so page numbers are always more appropriate. ↩︎