The American Psychological Association (APA) citation style is what most nursing students and professionals use when writing papers and citing sources.
There are many citation helpers on the internet. The links below are two of the library's favorites. Remember, when you are using a citation builder you should always double check the format of the citation before including it in the final version of your paper - they may be machines but they are not always perfect!
Purdue OWL (Online Writing Lab)
This site provides explanations and examples of each of the three most common citation styles: APA, MLA, and Chicago.
Zotero Bib
This tool can automatically create citations from URLs, article titles, DOIs, and more.
Citing your sources in a research paper allows you to give credit to the creators of the information you are drawing on.
You should cite a source whether you are including a direct quote or paraphrasing. Beyond giving credit and avoiding plagiarism, citing your sources also proves that you are building your argument on solid evidence.
By completing your research project, you are adding your voice to an ongoing conversation about your topic. Providing citations allows your reader to follow the trail of your research to see what others in the discussion are saying. Here is some more insight from the Yale University Center for Teaching and Learning:
"Academics conceive of scholarship as an ongoing and collaborative enterprise. Rather than try to invent a field from scratch, we read what others have discovered and try to build on or extend it in our own work. One scholar’s sources can therefore be an invaluable contribution to another’s research. So while we read your work looking for your original ideas, we also want help knowing how to pursue related questions. In this way, acknowledging your sources greatly enhances your paper’s value, as it shows readers where they might look to test, explore, and extend your conclusions."
Yale University Center for Teaching and Learning. Why cite your sources in academic writing? (n.d.). Retrieved August 3, 2018, from http://ctl.yale.edu/writing/using-sources/principles-citing-sources
Sometimes you need more than a quick citation builder. In addition to helping you format citations and bibliographies, citation management software allows you to organize and take notes on your sources in one place, as well as share references and collaborate on projects with colleagues.
Check out this guide to the citation management tools Mendeley and Zotero. (Link opens in new tab)