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Masters in Leadership for Sustainability - Kolan (2023-24)

Citing your Sources

You are required to use a single, consistent, recognized citation style for your citations.

Click on the link below for help with the commonly used bibliographic citation styles.  

Citations, Style Guides, and Information Management Tools

Why Citations Matter

There are many reasons why it is important to cite the resources that you consult when doing research.  The most important of these are:

  • Gives credit to authors/ creators/ individuals whose works you have used (whether you quote them or not).
  • Provides a trail by which others can locate the materials you have consulted.
  • Provides evidence of your research.
  • Properly citing materials is one strategy to help you avoid plagiarizing.

Personal communications/ oral traditions in APA style

You may need to cite information you received through personal/ professional communication.   

For example, you may want to cite some specific information you learned by talking to someone within a professional context.  Personal communication is not included in your References Cited section, when using APA style.  Instead, personal communication is only cited in-text.  For example:

Providing proper attribution for all your sources of information is important in acknowledging the diversity of knowledge and voices that inform your own scholarship (L. Kutner, personal communication, September 25, 2023).

From the APA Style Guide:

Personal Communications Including Citing information from Traditional Knowledge or Oral Traditions of Indigenous Peoples

General APA Style Questions

Use Google and start your search with "apa style"

For example: "apa style" instagram

Look for the links that come from:

https://apastyle.apa.org