Whenever you borrow another person's words or ideas when writing an essay, you must give that person credit using an accepted system of documentation.  Failure to do this correctly is considered plagiarism.  Different disciplines use different systems of documentation.  In general, English and the humanities uses the Modern Language Association or MLA system of documentation.  However, the American Psychological Association or APA system is used in the social sciences.  You should check with your instructor before beginning any essay. 

For more information on each system, visit these sites:

    Modern Language Association (MLA)

	learn about MLA (must select MLA style once linked)
	format rules 1
	format rules 2
	citing on-line sources

    American Psychological Association (APA)

	learn about APA (search site for information)
	format rules 1
	format rules 2
	citing on-line sources

    Chicago or Turabian Style

	learn about this style and understand the format
	citing on-line sources, resource 1 (scroll down to Chicago format)
	citing on-line sources, resource 2 (commonly asked questions)

    Council of Biological Editors (CBE)

	format rules 1
	format rules 2

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