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- Some students have taken product descriptions (books, etc.) verbatim from commercial websites (like Amazon.) Even if you find multiple occurrences of these descriptions, that doesn't mean that you can use them word for word without attribution. https://www.amazon.com/Promotional-Cultures-Advertising-Relations-Marketing/dp/0745639836/ref=sr_1_14?ie=UTF8&qid=1473340422&sr=8-14&keywords=branding+mass+media
- Some students have cited abstracts in their works cited lists, possibly because they find relevant article citations at commercial websites (like Science Direct). http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0167811615000737
- Do not cite abstracts. Do not order articles from the publisher. Use interlibrary loan! (Note: There was very little evidence of students using ILL last year.)
- Several students have used information from popular self-help websites to provide support for a claim. http://www.yanikdds.com/product-reviews.html
- Make sure in-text citations match the works cited list. (Note: This happened last year distressingly often.) Also, make sure that everything you cite in the text is actually IN your works cited list. Finally, if you don't cite a source in the text of the paper, don't include it in works cited.
- Pick a citation style and stay with it. Consult sources faculty provide to you in order to cite materials consistently and accurately.
- If you find a book chapter floating out on the Internet, be sure to cite it correctly. (The chapter title only doesn't cut it.) Similarly, if you use part of a book that you find at Google Books, be sure to cite it as such. https://books.google.com/books?id=REBY5ldTaAAC&lpg=PP1&dq=interracial%20comedy%20pdf&pg=PP1#v=onepage&q&f=false
- If you find a research paper online, check carefully to see if it is quality work. Many institutions put undergraduate papers online--so the quality of available material varies tremendously. Just an ".edu" as part of the URL doesn't guarantee quality.
- On the other hand, increasing numbers of masters' theses and doctoral dissertations are available online. http://dc.etsu.edu/etd/2515/
- If you cite a URL in your works cited list, make sure the URL works!
