No matter where your information comes from, you always need to cite your sources. The most frequently used citation formats - APA, MLA, and Chicago - have been compiled by the reference librarians on a webpage. These can be found by visiting the webpage Citing Sources. 

Most databases provide automatic citations for resources. If you find something you like, the option to cite is often in the left-hand sidebar. See the example below.

When you locate the "cite" option, you just need to copy and paste from the relevant format

NOTE: Citations generated by the databases are not always 100% correct. If a perfect citation is important to you, you will want to confirm the formatting against the guidelines for the relevant style linked on our Citing Sources webpage. 

Best practices for citing images

To make citing easier, as you conduct your research, we recommend you keep track of:

• Image creator's name (artist, photographer, etc.)
• Title of the image
• Date the image (or work represented by the image) was created
• Date the image was posted online
• Date of access (the date you accessed the online image)
• Institution (gallery, museum) where the image is located/owned (if applicable)
• Website and/or Database name

Many students find that the transition to college writing comes with much higher expectations than high school. Writing and citation practices that might have been acceptable in high school could be considered plagiarism in college. Writing Tutorial Services (WTS) has excellent information about avoiding plagiarism on their webpage. If you have any doubt about what is considered plagiarism, schedule an appointment with WTS to talk with someone.