Government documents can be more difficult to cite properly than standard books and journals, due to the specific nature of some of the documents. This is a short list of guides to citation format which can be useful. If you have further questions please contact a Wells College librarian.
When you quote, paraphrase, summarize, or otherwise refer to the work of another, you are required to cite its source, either with a parenthetical citation, footnote, or endnote. Not to do so is considered plagiarism. Anything you write or create that uses or refers to the ideas of another person must be cited properly, this includes:
You do not need to cite common knowledge. For example, you do not need to cite the fact that Thomas Jefferson was the third president of the United States, but you would need to cite your source for the number of slaves he inherited from his father.
If you need further assistance please contact:
library@wells.edu
315-364-3351