Harrisburg University Library staff are available to help students understand the general principles and basic formatting rules of the APA Citation Styles or any other style required for a course.
Students are ultimately responsible for upholding Harrisburg University's Code of Conduct by using research material in an ethical manner.
Library staff can help with proper citing by:
- Explaining the general rules of attribution and the logic of the citation format.
- Providing samples of the required source type.
- Pointing out unique and frequently missed elements of the citation style.
- Searching for patterns of inadequate attribution and/or patterns of error in a bibliography or in-text citations and make general suggestions for improvement.
- Helping students construct citations for items that do not fit into predetermined categories.
- Teaching students how to use citation management and citing software such as Zotero.
When seeking help from a librarian for citation and attribution, students should be aware of the following:
- Students must proofread their own work for accuracy and adherence to the correct citation style. Library staff cannot engage in line-by-line editing of papers or projects.
- Students must keep track of their own research material and know what sources they are quoting or paraphrasing, as well as when another’s work is consulted in the body of a research paper.
- If the APA style is not used, students must know what citation style they are required to use for each project. Library staff cannot offer accurate advice without this information. This information is often found on your syllabus or assignment prompt.
More information about citing can be found on the Citing Sources guide.