Research Guides: CBE 101: Citing Sources

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Holly Surbaugh

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Subjects: Astronomy, Chemistry, Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics & Statistics, Physics, Physics & Astronomy

Citing your sources

ACS Style Quick Guide
An open-access chapter from the ACS Style Guide. Recommended as the first place to look for guidance on how to cite in ACS style.

The ACS Style Guide by Lorrin R. Garson (Editor); Anne M. Coghill (Editor)
Publication Date: 2006-07-20

Citing Your Sources: ACS
This guide -- developed at Williams College -- provides an overview of the American Chemical Society's citation style with examples.
Zotero Guide
Citation management software helps you manage sources and build your bibliography -- use the American Chemical Society style.
Zotero Quick Start Guide
Two page guide to get going quickly with Zotero.
Chemical Engineering Progress (CEP) Citation Style
This handout from the CEP Guidelines For Authors page details the CEP style, with examples.

Avoiding Plagiarism

UNM Plagiarism Policy: http://www.unm.edu/~unmvclib/handouts/somplagiarism.pdf

What is plagiarism?

Plagiarism is when you:

Copy from published sources without adequate documentation
Cut and paste (words or images) from a browser or .pdf and don’t give credit
Change every 5th word and don’t give credit
Change pronouns (he/she/they) and don’t give credit
Purchase and submit pre-written papers
Use work completed for another class
Let someone else write your paper

How to avoid plagiarizing

This guidance can be straightforward to understand, but harder to practice:

Always cite your sources, both in the text of the document and in the references list
Learn how to quote and paraphrase effectively
Use published sources
Use a citation manager like Zotero or Mendeley
Give yourself enough time to cite correctly

Take Care with Paraphrasing

Original Source

Differentiation as an instructional approach promotes a balance between a student's style and a student's ability. Differentiated instruction provides the student with options for processing and internalizing the content, and for constructing new learning in order to progress academically.

Plagiarized

Differentiation is a way to encourage equality between the approach and talent of the student (Thompson, 2009). This type of instruction gives students different ways to deal with and grasp information, and for establishing new learning to move on in education (Thompson, 2009).

Not Plagiarized

Teachers use differentiated instruction to help students learn, allowing the teacher to cater lessons to the way each student learns and each student's skill (Thompson, 2009).

Example from Walden University Writing Center. Want more? Watch their video on the paraphrasing process.

Sample ACS In-Text Citations

Original passage from page 51 of Cathy O'Neil’s 2016 book Weapons of Math Destruction: U.S. News’s first data-driven ranking came out in 1988, and the results seemed sensible. However, as the ranking grew into a national standard, a vicious feedback loop materialized. The trouble was that the rankings were self-reinforcing. If a college fared badly in U.S. News, its reputation would suffer, and conditions would deteriorate. Top students would avoid it, as would top professors. Alumni would howl and cut back on contributions. The ranking would tumble further. The ranking, in short, was destiny.

Recommended ACS Style:

O'Neil (2) claims that low college rankings have caused schools' reputations and conditions to worsen.

Using college rankings to select a school may not be as rational as it first appears given that rankings have proven self-reinforcing (2).

Want writing help?

Help writing papers is available to undergraduate students at the Center for Academic Program Support (CAPS) Writing and Language Lab. Among other types of assistance, they can double-check your work to catch any unintentional plagiarism.

Their services are offered online this semester, but don't hesitate to reach out!