Everybody Writes, 2nd Edition



68Cite as You Write

A citation gives credit when credit is due.

Citing sources is how you let readers know that certain information or ideas came from places other than your own head. It also invites them to explore the original source of information should they wish to.

Think of a citation as a giant thank you to the people who said something before you did, or who helped advance your own thinking.

We might not be scholars who need to format citations according to a specified style. But do I have advice around crediting sources anyway? Of course I do.

Here's how writers and creators like us can cite sources:

• Seek out primary, not secondary, sources. A primary source is the originator of an idea, statement, research, or any other material. A secondary source quotes the original source but is not the originator of it.

  Maybe this bullet feels like a big duh. But I'm always surprised by how often assets link to a secondary source (another site or writer who's sharing an article) instead of the original.

  Track down the primary source! For two reasons: (1) The credibility you gain is worth the extra click or two, and (2) your information will be more accurate since it will not have been inadvertently misinterpreted.

  Let's say you post in infographic on your site, for example. Cite the original source and link to it, even if you first discovered it elsewhere.

  If you create that infographic based on someone else's data, say that too.

  Or if you interview ...