English · History · Science papers
How to cite sources
If a fact, quote, or idea is not yours, you name where it came from. That is academic honesty. Colleges expect it. This helper stays on Life Academy — you do not need an off-site citation machine.
When you must cite
- A quotation — even a short one
- A paraphrase (you changed the words; the idea is still theirs)
- A statistic, date, or little-known fact you did not observe yourself
- An image or diagram you did not make
MLA vs APA (campus rule of thumb)
MLA — English and most history papers. In-text: (Author page). List: Works Cited.
APA — science and social-science write-ups. In-text: (Author, year). List: References.
Build a citation
Fill the fields, then tap Build.
Paste the Works Cited line into Paper Studio. Put the short in-text cite next to the borrowed idea.
Quote sandwich (do this every time)
- Lead-in in your words — who is speaking, and in what moment?
- Quoted words inside quotation marks, copied accurately
- Warrant — why those words prove your claim (the because-link)
Worked example (MLA): Odysseus is already isolated before the journey home; Homer has him sit “apart,” which is a social fact, not furniture (Homer, Book I).