SCC Research Guides: Information Literacy for Faculty: Attribution of Information

Attribution of Information

Effective users of information need to develop skills in order to provide proper attribution to sources. In the academic setting proper attribution of information could include:

a Works Cited or Reference page
in-text citations in papers, slide shows or posters
verbal attribution of the author or creator of the source material during an oral presentation
and more...

Class Activities/Assignments:

Avoiding Plagiarism: Provide students with the Avoiding Plagiarism Tips handout, utilize SCC Library tutorials and/or library instruction to teach students how to use sources appropriately.

Citation Practice: Provide students with opportunities to practice citation formatting by using worksheets with missing or incorrect citation lists, or by assigning a works cited list based on a research topic. Students can also practice by citing a variety of sources, such as images, live performances, journals, websites, streaming media, etc. A different activity is to give students a source and have them trace back the research using the source’s references.

MLA Practice: Using the sample template provided below, students will practice creating citations from a variety of sources.

Paraphrasing Exercise: Students practice paraphrasing passages from the Purdue OWL website.

Handouts and Worksheets for the Classroom

Below are selected worksheets and handouts to help students successfully complete these tasks. The documents may be downloaded and edited for your specific instructional needs.

Avoiding Plagiarism Tips
A handout with tips for helping students prevent plagiarism in their work.
Citation Practice
An assignment to help students practice MLA formatting.
Citing Sources in Presentations
How to properly cite sources verbally during a speech or presentation.
Word Source Table Template
Create a Source Table in Microsoft Word to organize research.
Research Outline Template
This downloadable template will help students create an outline for their research.
Plagiarism Activities for the Classroom
Published by the Purdue OWL, this document contains numerous activities to use with students to teach how to avoid plagiarism.

Library Resources

Research Guides

MLA Guide - Library Research Guide
The MLA Guide from the SCC Library will give students and faculty guidance on how to sort various sources in MLA format. Also included in this guide are tutorials and worksheets to help with citing in MLA format.
APA Guide - Library Research Guide
The APA Guide from the SCC Library will give students and faculty guidance on how to sort various sources in APA format. Also included in this guide are tutorials and worksheets to help with citing in APA format.
Where to Find Citation Information - Library Research Guide
This library research guide will walk students through how to find citation information from journal, book, and website sources.
Differences between MLA and APA Format - Library Research Guide
This library research guide will break down the key differences between citing a source in MLA format and APA format.
Plagiarism - Library Research Guide
This library research guide will give resources about plagiarism and how to prevent plagiarism.
Organizing Your Research - Library Research Guide
This research guide from the SCC Library will walk students through how to organize their sources for a research project. This guide covers the note card method, source tables, and research outlines.

Additional Resources

MLA Handbook by The Modern Language; The Modern Language Association of America
Call Number: eBook
ISBN: 9781603293518
Publication Date: 2021-05-30

MLA Style 101 from MLA Handbook Plus
This course will walk you through the basics of MLA format, focusing on the different MLA containers. This course will take between 75-90 minutes to complete and includes a final exam at the end.

MLA Citation Help Worksheets

How to Cite a Book in MLA Format
This worksheet will walk you through how to cite a book in MLA format.
How to Cite Part of a Book in MLA Format
This downloadable worksheet will break down how to cite a specific section (chapter, essay, poem, etc.) from a book. [Microsoft Word document]
How to Cite a Journal Article in MLA
This worksheet will break down how to cite a journal article in MLA Format.
How to Cite an Article Written for a Database in MLA
This worksheet will walk you through how to cite an article written for a database in MLA format.
How to Cite a Magazine Article in MLA
This worksheet will walk you through how to cite a magazine article in MLA format.
How to Cite a Newspaper Article in MLA
This worksheet will walk you through how to cite a newspaper article in MLA format.
How to Cite a Website in MLA Format
This worksheet will walk you through how to cite a website in MLA format.
How to Cite Artwork in MLA Format
This worksheet will help walk you through how to cite artwork found in a library database, a website, or a book in MLA format.
How to Cite a Musical Performance in MLA
This handout will break down how to cite a musical performance in MLA format.

APA Citation Help Worksheets

How to Cite a Book in APA Format
This worksheet will walk you through how to cite a book in APA format.
How to Cite a Part of a Book in APA
This worksheet will break down how to cite parts of books (chapters, sections, etc.) in APA format.
How to Cite a Journal Article in APA
This handout will break down how to cite a journal article in APA format.
How to Cite an Article Written for a Database in APA
This worksheet will walk you through how to cite an article written for a database in APA format.
How to Cite a Magazine or Newspaper Article in APA
This handout will break down how to cite a magazine or newspaper article in APA format.
How to Cite a Website Article in APA Format
This handout will break down how to cite a website article in APA format.

Videos

David Taylor discusses paraphrasing by "using your own voice."