Whenever you quote from or paraphrase work written by another author, you must acknowledge that you have done so. This acknowledgement is known as a citation and consists of brief details of the publication (e.g.: Pichel, 1994) given in the body of your text. You also have to give a complete list of these citations at the end of your assignment in a reference list or bibliography section.

Citing your references should provide the reader of your assignment with enough information to find the sources of information you have consulted during the course of writing and researching your work. Acknowledging your sources of information also helps to demonstrate how widely you have read around your subject, and on what authority you base your arguments or conclusions. Properly acknowledging the sources of information that you use when conducting your research is also important in order to avoid plagiarism.