Exploring Academic Integrity in Your Research: A Tutorial

What is attribution?

Attribution, fundamentally, is about “giving credit where credit is due” to those whose ideas you are building knowledge with. By acknowledging (through citation) where information comes from, you:

• show respect for the intellectual work of those who came before, and
• provide credibility and build a firm foundation for your new arguments and ideas.

Attribution is a scholarly habit of mind that everyone can and should cultivate. You are engaging in the scholarly conversation when you keep track of where you find information and properly cite your sources in your final product--everything from a final paper to a thesis, a presentation to a website.

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