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SOIL 430/630

Resources for students in Dr. Gale's Soil Science 430 and 630 classes. Find quality sources and learn about the research process. Updated Summer 2020

Citations

Make sure to cite everything you use, including images, videos, and primary sources!

Regardless of citation style, most citations include these elements:

  • Author or editor. The author might be an organization, such as the USDA. 
  • Date
  • Title of the work
  • Container title (such as a journal, publisher, or series)
  • Volume and issue number 
  • Some citation styles may also require page numbers, as well as a URL or DOI for digital materials. 

Make sure you check any copyright restrictions any images you find. If you need help, please don't hesitate to ask. Copyright can get tricky, even if you aren't using the resources for profit. I can help you figure out any use restrictions and navigate copyright. 

See below for an example of an image citation, found through the Library of Congress.

photograph titled Cranberry bog, southern New Jersey 1938

Russell, L. (1938). Cranberry bog, southern New Jersey [Photograph]. Retrieved from https://www.loc.gov/resource/fsa.8a22516/

Plagiarism Help

Just like with anything else, citing and avoiding plagiarism takes practice. The more you do this, the better you'll get at it. 

Practice paraphrasing every chance you get. Paraphrase magazine articles, your class notes, or a speech you heard. Practice citing appropriately.

Tips for paraphrasing: 

  1. Read the material once through.
  2. Look away for ten seconds and think about something else (puppies! tacos! playing the banjo!)
  3. Rewrite the material, capturing the content of what was said, not the format.
  4. Go back and reread the original material to make sure you accurately captured the argument. 
  5. CITE the paraphrased section just as you would a direct quotation.

Ask for help! If you're unsure if something might be plagiarism, ask your professor, the Writing Center, or a librarian. It's also helpful to create several drafts and have someone read over it. Even if you think you've perfectly avoiding plagiarism, ask the Writing Center to help you be sure. 

Created by Ann Agee at San Jose State University, this guide walks you through some of basic questions students often have about plagiarism. 

You can skip to a specific section using the navigators on the left side, or you can go through the whole tutorial using the arrows at the bottom.

plagiarism guide San Jose State University

This PowerPoint presentation was created by the Director of the Writing Center, Dr. Kelle Alden. She discusses some tips for paraphrasing and quoting, as well as good and bad examples of each.