Citations and academic integrity

Why academic integrity matters

Academic integrity means being honest in your learning: doing your own work, representing sources truthfully and giving credit where it is due. It matters because:

• it respects the work of other thinkers and creators,
• it allows teachers to see what you understand,
• it builds trust: in school, in university and in careers,
• in research, it lets readers verify and build on ideas.

Violations of academic integrity can lead to failing grades, suspension or, at university, expulsion. More importantly, they cheat you out of learning.

What counts as plagiarism?

Plagiarism is presenting someone else’s words, ideas or work as your own. It includes:

• copying text without quotation marks and citation,
• paraphrasing without citation,
• patchwriting: changing a few words while keeping the original structure,
• using images, charts, music or video without credit,
• buying, borrowing or sharing essays,
• submitting AI-generated work as your own when not permitted, or without disclosure,
• self-plagiarism: resubmitting your own past work without permission.

Unintentional plagiarism (from careless note-taking or misunderstanding rules) is still plagiarism. That is why good habits matter.

What needs a citation?

Cite:
– direct quotations,
– paraphrases and summaries,
– statistics, data and research findings,
– specific facts that are not common knowledge,
– others’ original ideas, theories or arguments,
– images, graphs, audio and video.

Do not need to cite:
– common knowledge: facts widely available in many sources (Ottawa is the capital of Canada; World War II ended in 1945),
– your own original ideas, analysis and observations.

When in doubt, cite. Common knowledge varies by audience; a fact familiar to experts may need citation for general readers.

Citation styles

Different disciplines use different styles. Two of the most common are MLA and APA.

Always use the style your teacher requires, consistently.

MLA in practice

In-text citations

• Author named in your sentence: Nguyen argues that … (45).
• Author not named: … (Nguyen 45).
• Two authors: (Patel and Brown 12)
• Three or more: (Garcia et al. 8)
• No author: shortened title in quotation marks or italics: (“Rising Seas” 3)
• No page (websites): author only: (Nguyen)

Works cited entries (core elements)

Author. Title of Source. Title of Container, Other contributors, Version, Number, Publisher, Publication date, Location.

(Sample entries below are made up to show the format.)

Book:
Nguyen, Linh. Voices of the North. Aurora Press, 2021.

Article in a website:
Patel, Arjun. “Teens and Sleep.” Healthy Minds, 4 Feb. 2023, www.healthyminds.example/teens-sleep.

Article in a database journal:
Garcia, Maria, et al. “Exercise and Memory.” Journal of Youth Health, vol. 12, no. 3, 2022, pp. 5–19. JSTOR, doi:10.1000/jyh.2022.5.

Video:
“How Glaciers Move.” YouTube, uploaded by Science Explained, 10 Jan. 2022, www.youtube.com/watch?v=example.

Formatting the works cited page

• Title: Works Cited (centred)
• Alphabetical by author’s last name (or title if no author)
• Double-spaced
• Hanging indent (second and later lines indented 1.27 cm / 0.5 inch)

Integrating sources with integrity

1. Quote accurately: exact words in quotation marks; use ellipses and brackets properly.
2. Paraphrase genuinely: new words and new structure.
3. Use signal phrases: According to…, As Nguyen explains…
4. Distinguish your ideas from sources: make clear where the source ends and your analysis begins.
5. Cite every borrowed element.

Habits that prevent plagiarism

• Keep a research log with full source details from the start.
• Use colour or symbols in notes to separate quotations, paraphrases and your own ideas.
• Cite while drafting, not at the end.
• Use citation tools carefully, and double-check their output.
• Start early to avoid panic shortcuts.
• Ask your teacher when unsure.

AI tools and academic integrity

Artificial intelligence tools raise new questions. Policies differ by teacher and institution. General principles:

• Follow the specific rules for each assignment.
• Do not submit AI-generated text as your own unless explicitly allowed.
• Disclose how you used AI if permitted (e.g., brainstorming).
• Verify any facts or sources AI provides; AI can invent citations.

Worked example

Source (Nguyen, page 45): “Northern communities have adapted to environmental change for thousands of years, yet the speed of current warming tests even the most resilient traditions.”

• Plagiarism: Northern communities have adapted to environmental change for thousands of years, but today’s fast warming tests their traditions. (no citation, copied structure)
• Correct quotation: Nguyen notes that “the speed of current warming tests even the most resilient traditions” (45).
• Correct paraphrase: Although people in the North have long adjusted to changing environments, today’s rapid warming is challenging even their strongest customs (Nguyen 45).

Try it yourself

1. Does this need a citation? Canada has ten provinces.
2. Does this need a citation? A 2022 study found that 64 percent of teens feel stressed about climate change.
3. Format an MLA in-text citation for page 72 of a book by Ellen Brooks.
4. Name two habits that prevent accidental plagiarism.

Answers: 1. No (common knowledge). 2. Yes (specific statistic). 3. (Brooks 72). 4. Examples: keep a research log; separate quotes from your own notes; cite while drafting.

Study tip

Before submitting any research paper, highlight every sentence that uses a source. Check that each highlighted sentence has a citation and that every citation has a works cited entry.

Quick recap

• Academic integrity means honesty and giving credit.
• Plagiarism includes copying, patchwriting, uncited paraphrase and misuse of AI.
• Cite quotations, paraphrases, data and others’ ideas; not common knowledge.
• MLA uses (Author page) and a Works Cited list; APA uses (Author, year) and References.
• Good research habits prevent accidental plagiarism.