Almost all college term papers require extensive research. The sources you use, such as books, and articles in magazines and journals, must be documented in your paper. This means acknowledging the original sources of the information and ideas in your paper. There are three important reasons for documenting sources.

References show that you did your homework. By documenting your sources, you prove that you have consulted other people's ideas in developing your own, have done the original research expected for such a project, and have learned new facts and ideas in the process.

References allow your reader to check your sources for themselves. Your reader may want to look further in the sources you used or examine them to evaluate how effectively you used them in your paper.

References to material found on the Internet should be used sparingly if at all. When using the Internet as a resource, be aware that much of the material has not been subjected to the the same exhaustive peer review or verification of statements as have have most printed materials. It is important to check with your instructor before including information found on the Internet in your paper.

Readers will expect you to give credit where credit is due.

Plagiarism is the use of words or ideas from another's work without giving proper credit. To represent, intentionally or unintentionally, the ideas of others as your own is plagiarism.

Stealing words and ideas is both immoral and illegal—the equivalent of shoplifting or grand theft auto. Plagiarism can result in severe academic penalty. (See Avoiding Plagiarism: The Proper Use of Sources.)