Documentation and Citations for Your Projects

A flow chart that answers the question, Do I need to cite this? The answer is no, if you made it yourself, and the answer is yes if someone else made it.A professional project includes documentation for any resources (words, images, videos, audio clips, etc.) that the writer did not create. Read the details on Why to Use Documentation and What You Need to Document.

Before you submit any project, go through your draft and check for the following:

  • Any words, phrases, and sentences that you have taken from another source are enclosed in quotation marks.
  • Information that is quoted, paraphrased, or summarized from another source is indicated with a citation.
  • All sources you used in your project are listed in a bibliography at the end of the project.

Use These Resources to Learn More

Microsoft Word has built-in tools for managing your citations and bibliography. Watch these LinkedIn Learning videos, which demonstrate how the tools work in Word 2016. The series “Research and Create Citations Links to an external site.” will take 21m 50s overall to view. It includes

These videos are free with your VT login. Follow these instructions to login.

If you prefer reading to watching videos, the support page Add a citation and create a bibliography Links to an external site. on the Office website tells you how to complete all the steps. These instructions apply to Word 2016, 2013, 2010. and 2007.

icon of a light bulbTIP: Your citations and bibliography should use the format that is appropriate for your career field. For instance, an electrical engineer can use IEEE. If you are unsure what to use, check with a professor or graduate student in your major, OR contact a librarian for help.