Week 6: Prompt 1: It's on the Internet... So, It Must Be True...

Blog Prompt - Why is it important to cite your sources?  How does citing your sources help you avoid plagiarism?

As an English professor, I constantly tell my students to cite their sources.  But, when you go on Facebook, Twitter, SnapChat, people just post things without a source.  That irritates me to no end.  Most people don’t realize that you must check your source because if your source is wrong, then you are wrong and unreliable as a writer, but you are also a thief and a liar or a plagiarizer!

Plagiarism is a big issue in college.  But, I don’t think it’s the students fault, totally.  The internet has made “cheating” easier, but it has also made it harder.  Redundant thinking, right?  Yes!

Here are some reasons you should cite your source…

1.       If your source is wrong, then you are wrong.  If you don’t have the original wrong source listed then you are the one who is wrong and will bear the consequences.

2.       Secondly, you need to give credit to the person who said what you are saying.  If you use what someone else created, came up with, or wrote, you need to give them credit.  It’s a sign of respect.

3.       You avoid plagiarism.  You don’t want to be accused of stealing.

4.       Citing your sources can give people other things to read.  If you use a source that seems interesting to another person, they can go find that source because you cited.

Back to plagiarism…

It is stealing someone’s work, and then lying about it.  Remember, you aren’t supposed to steal… (Commandment #8), and God hates a lying tongue (Biblical Proverb).  So, save yourself some stress, and cite your sources!