Q. What is a bibliographic reference or citation?

If you have referenced, quoted from, paraphrased, or used any information in your paper or project from another source, a bibliographic reference is how you give credit to the original author. Taking the time to properly credit your sources is a key step to avoiding plagiarizing someone else's work. References are typically listed at the end of a book or paper or in the footnotes of the pages. 

There are a variety of different citation formats including MLA, APA, and Chicago. Students can take advantage of RefWorks to create bibliographies. View our Research Guide on Refworks for more information.