Quality research is the hallmark of a great university and a program which solidly prepares you for your career.
Your professor should provide you with a set of instructions for research, writing, citation, and presentation. Short essays, papers, and case studies may have less complex requirements, while long research papers may have very detailed parameters you must follow. Be sure to clarify with your professor what is expected in his or her class.
In all cases, it is mandatory that you avoid plagiarism in any form. Consider the following excerpt from a widely respected source for research citation style and practice, the Purdue OWL Online Writing Lab.
Research-based writing in American institutions, both educational and corporate, is filled with rules that writers, particularly beginners, aren’t aware of or don’t know how to follow. Many of these rules have to do with research and proper citation. Gaining a familiarity of these rules, however, is critically important, as inadvertent mistakes can lead to charges of plagiarism, which is the uncredited use (both intentional and unintentional) of somebody else’s words or ideas.
While some cultures may not insist so heavily on documenting sources of words, ideas, images, sounds, etc., American culture does. A charge of plagiarism can have severe consequences, including expulsion from a university or loss of a job, not to mention a writer’s loss of credibility and professional standing.
Stolley, K. and Brizee, A. (2011, August 24). Overview and Contradictions. Retrieved from http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/589/01/.
The above material is correctly cited using APA (American Psychological Association) style. APA is a common citation style used in Business research. Chicago Style is also commonly used. There are other citation styles as well, such as MLA (Modern Language Association), a style more often used in Language Arts.
Be sure to determine which style your professor requires. If none is specified, APA style is recommended for citation in the Gary E. West College of Business.
Click GENERAL APA GUIDELINES to download the pdf version. You can also visit the Purdue OWL at http://owl.english.purdue.edu/ for more information.