Citation Styles   Tags: apa, chicago, citation, how_to_guides, mla  

The libraries at the University of California, Berkeley, give excellent reasons for citing sources in addition to the avoidance of plagiarism. The following is a bulleted, paraphrased, version.

• Quoting or basing ideas on another person's work must be documented. The author must be given proper credit
  

• Citations allow readers to locate and further explore the sources consulted. This shows the depth and scope of your research.
  

• Citations provide evidence for your arguments and add credibility to your arguments.

• Citing sources is standard practice in written academic work.                                                                             

University of California Berkeley Library. "Citation Styles, Style Guides, and Avoiding Plagiarism." 2007.