Research Guides: Basic Business Resources: Citation Styles & Plagiarism

What is plagiarism?

Plagiarism is defined as stealing and using the ideas of another as one's own. In the academic world, this is considered a very serious charge and, for students, it can lead to dismissal, and, for faculty, it can result in the loss of one's job and/or one's standing in the profession. When we discussed bibliographies as a test for a reliable information source, we expected the citations to be an accurate reflection of the item's content. If they are not, how can we make an informed decision? Plagiarism can be avoided by precision in citing your sources. When in doubt, cite!

Don't Plagiarize! Document Your Research
Tips on avoiding plagiarism put together by the Rutgers University Libraries

Style Guides

Style manuals can help you with citing your sources. These manuals have been developed by professional associations as well as edited publications to provide standardized formats for authors to report their research results and for readers' convenience and greater understanding. Major style manuals include the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 2010, 6th ed. (APA), The Chicago Manual of Style, 2010, 16th ed. (Chicago), and the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, 2009, 7th ed. By the Modern Language Association (MLA). Students often find applying style manuals to their papers more than a challenge. To help out, below are some excellent websites to provide more information.

APA