Giving credit to the original author by citing sources is the only
way to use other people's work without plagiarizing. But there are a
number of other reasons to cite sources:
- citations are extremely helpful to anyone who wants to find
out more about your ideas and where they came from.
- not all sources are good or right -- your own ideas may
often be more accurate or interesting than those of your sources. Proper
citation will keep you from taking the rap for someone else's bad
ideas.
- citing sources shows the amount of research you've done.
- citing sources strengthens your work by lending outside
support to your ideas.
From Plagiarismdotorg
