English Literature

Citation is never optional! Your reader needs to know the source of your ideas, and you need to provide credit to those you have read. Remember: you need to cite all sources in-text as well as in a works cited or bibliography list. Every citation style is different (be sure you know your professor's expectations) but all share the same function: they provide support for your arguments, because Information has Value!

Here's a breakdown of why we cite:

• To attribute words and ideas to their original source – simply giving credit where credit is due

• To provide your readers with a kind of “map” of what you have been reading that will help your readers understand what has influenced your thinking

• To add weight and credibility to your paper and demonstrate that you are engaged in the relevant research material

• To provide an easy way for your readers to get access to the source material

• To situate yourself in an academic community with shared conventions

• To avoid plagiarism.

The Golden Rule is to always cite other people’s words, ideas and other intellectual property that you use in your papers or that influence your ideas.
 
This includes but isn’t limited to:

• Anything that you read in any format like books, journal articles, web pages, etc.
• Anything that is presented or spoken like speeches, lectures, personal interviews, performances, etc.
• Other works like films, songs, dramatic performances, etc. that are the intellectual property of someone else

Common Knowledge

You don’t need to cite what would be considered common knowledge, such as facts, events, concepts, etc. that are widely known and accepted as true. In other words, you don’t cite information you can reasonably expect other people to know.

For example it is universally known that Shakespeare was a London-based playwright. So if you wrote, “Shakespeare was a London-based playwright”, you don’t need to cite this because it’s an accepted fact, or common knowledge.

BUT, the details of Shakespeare's playwriting career or specifics of his time in London are not common knowledge. So you if you wrote, “in a single year, Shakespeare earned up to £500 as company sharer,” you would cite your source.

Your Own Ideas

So: how can you tell what’s your own idea and what came from one of your sources? The best way to avoid this dilemma is to use good note-taking techniques. Make sure when you are going through your notes, you have indicators of which ideas are your own and which ideas or quotes are from a source. Remember to always keep track of a source’s Author, Title and Publication information (as well as the page number).

If you are in doubt whether something is common knowledge or not, cite! 
Better safe than sorry.

Many students find it frustrating when they realise how many citation styles exist, and that they may be asked to use multiple styles, depending on their professor's requirements.

In the humanities, MLA Citation style is standard in English, so most of your professors will prefer MLA Citation. To complicate things, however, you might have found in other humanities courses, such as History, Chicago Style is commonly preferred. 

Each of these styles have their own idiosyncrasies, so remember these two important tips:

1. The style your professor asks you to use is the style you should use. If you're not sure, ask! Check the syllabus, and stick to that style, even if it is new to you.

2. Factor in time to carefully check your citations to ensure they adhere to the style you have chosen. You don't want to lose marks over formatting errors, particularly if you have relied on a citation generator, like Zotero or the TMU catalogue. Remember that these generators often make minor mistakes that are easy to miss if you are not careful.

Regardless of the style you use, you should follow the guidelines as laid out below and on the Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL) website. Follow the templates, and you will have no trouble. If you have questions, feel free to check out the library's guide on citation.

MLA Citation style has been developed and maintained in various forms by the Modern Language Association (an influential group of Humanities researchers) since 1951. The MLA style grew from the MLA Style Sheet and into the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, and finally the MLA Handbook, which outlines all possible iterations of style choices that are standard for users in the field.

MLA Citation is preferred in many corners of the Humanities, which includes English. MLA Citation is an in-text style, and easy to understand (but difficult to master). 

If you are looking for other citation styles, check out the TMU Libraries guide and the Purdue OWL, both of which cover many other useful standards.