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Plant Physiology (216:330): Research Skills

This course guide is for Dr. Karina Schafer's Plant Physiology (216:330) course - Fall 2025

What Are Citations and Why Are They Important?

WHAT ARE CITATIONS?

Citations are applicable information to identify where the information you are referencing originated from. This includes text, images, videos, charts, graphs, and data. Citation format is dependent on the Citation Style required, which is typically determined by research discipline. Information typically necessary for a complete citation includes:

  • Author(s)
  • Title (i.e. Journal Article Title, Book Chapter Title, Presentation Title, Data Set Title, etc.)
  • Publication Title (i.e., Journal Title, Book Title, etc., Conference Title, etc.)
  • Publication Date
  • Journal Issue/Number, Page Numbers
  • URL & DOI (if available)

Full citations are located depending on the Citation Style that you are using. For APA style, they are listed alphabetically by Author Last Name in the References Section at the end of the paper. In-Text Citations format is again dependent on the Citation Style required. For APA Style an in-text citation includes the Author Last Name(s) and Publication Year in parenthesis. See below for examples.

WHY ARE CITATIONS IMPORTANT?

Citations are how research contributes to scholarly conversation. By giving credit to the original creators of the information, you are adding strength and authority to your own work. 

Through citing your sources, you are:

  1. Giving credit to the original work you are building upon;
  2. Adding strength and authority to your own work;
  3. Allowing other scholars to build upon your work;
  4. Placing your work into a specific context of a scholarly conversation.

Citation Format Examples

Citation format or style is dependent on the subject and/or discipline of your research. For environmental science research, APA Style is most common. Always be sure to check what your professor requires for each assignment. 

APA Style Examples:

Journal Article

Lozano, Y. M., Perlenfein, C., Bernal, M. G., & Rillig, M. C. (2024). Disentangling mechanisms by which microplastic films affect plant-soil systems: physical effects of particles can override toxic effects of additives. Environmental Sciences Europe, 36(1), 198. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12302-024-01021-5.

Book Chapter

Kundu, I., & Ghosh, A. (2025). Extraction of Microplastics from Rhizosphere. In Microplastics in the Terrestrial Environment. (pp. 248-263). CRC Press.Kundu, I., & Ghosh, A. (2024). Extraction of microplastics from rhizosphere. In S. Mondal, P. Das, A. Mondal, & P. Chakraborty, Microplastics in the Terrestrial Environment (1st ed., pp. 248–263). CRC Press. https://doi.org/10.1201/9781032684574-14

For examples for all types of sources and situations, consult Purdue Owl.

Citation Management Tools

Citation management (or bibliographic or reference management) is an essential part of the research process. You need to keep track of your resources in order to cite them properly. The Libraries support a number of citation management tools that make it easy to organize, retrieve, store, cite, and share references.

Choose a citation management tool:

The following tools are used by students, faculty, and staff at Rutgers:

Download EndNote
Desktop and web-based subscription tool, available through Rutgers
ENDNOTE RESEARCH GUIDE - detailed tutorials and FAQ's on how to use EndNote
 
Download RefWorks 
Web-based tool, available through Rutgers 
REFWORKS RESEARCH GUIDE - detailed tutorials and FAQ's on how to use RefWorks
 
Download Zotero
Free desktop application with many web browser plugins
ZOTERO RESEARCH GUIDE - detailed tutorial and FAQ's on how to use Zotero

Avoiding Plagiarism

[LearnFree]. (2018, September 13). Avoiding Plagiarism [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/PzZsButRaHs?si=NO7emkFa4l4IG-G4


Design created using Canva Template "Types of Plagiarism Infographic in Bold Bright Illustrative Style" and "Paraphrasing Research Skills Educational Presentation in Bright Bold Illustrative Style" on July, 17, 2025 by Joanne Dera.