Why should you cite the source to your customers? How do I do it?

In our efforts to answer reference questions completely, we need to remember to cite the source of the information we’ve found. Why is this important and how do we do it?

First, citing the source assures the customer that the information we’re giving comes from an authoritative and reliable source.

Second, and this is especially important if you’re helping a student, citing the source gives the customer a way to verify and double check the information later on if necessary.

Third, sometimes there can be more than one ‘right’ answer to a question. Citing the source validates where the information was found.

Finally, citing the source is critical when working with customers electronically or over the phone since they can’t see the materials you’re using.

How do we cite sources? A lot depends on the type of source you’re using. A basic citation includes the author, title, publication date, and page or table number. If the source is part of a multi-volume set, mention the volume number, and, if it’s a particular edition, mention that, too. If you’re using a database or Website, give the URL. If the URL is a long one, another option is to tell the customer which search engine to use (Google, for instance), the words to type into the search box, and which document has the information (the third listing on the second page, for instance).  The Website Citation Machine gives examples of what elements to cite and how different types of sources should be cited.