Cite quotes, other people's ideas, and facts that are not common knowledge.

As a rule of thumb, there are three things that need citations in academic writing:

• Quotations

• Summaries of other people’s ideas

• Specific details and facts (like statistics)

There are two things that don’t need citations:

• Your own ideas (including the results of your own research)

• Facts that are common knowledge for your intended readers

For every source you cite, include a reference in your reference list.