Why is it important to attribute and document your sources?
- It helps to avoid plagiarism, i.e. the presentation of another’s words or ideas as if they were one’s own.
- It allows the reader to find your research sources and to follow the steps you took toward formulating your ideas and reaching your conclusions.
- It strengthens the authority and credibility of your work by demonstrating that you have sought out and considered a variety of sources.
- It helps to place your own ideas into the framework of the larger intellectual conversation about your topic.
