Most of the writing mistakes we’ve covered so far can be found in all kinds of writing. Documentation errors, however, are specific to academic writing where you’re quoting and citing sources. They’re one of the most common errors found in student papers and also one of the most likely to be noticed by an instructor.
Proper documentation can sometimes feel like a nuisance—there are so many commas, and dates, and random italics, and does it really matter where this magazine was published? Don’t be intimidated by these intricacies. Students aren’t expected to memorize every rule in a given style guide. While correct formatting should be strived for, instructors will appreciate good faith efforts to cite properly. The point of the process isn’t to create a chore for writers—it’s to demonstrate that students have engaged with the material in their field of study and given credit where it’s due.
It’s important to remember to cite all borrowed information. No matter your documentation style, whether it is APA format, MLA format, or Chicago Style, all require some kind of citation for quoted, paraphrased, and summarized material.
REMEMBER: You must not only cite people’s words, but you must also cite their ideas. Errors of this nature can get you into trouble because incomplete or missing documentation is plagiarism.
To avoid documentation errors, make sure you’re checking trusted resources for the proper way to style citations. For more information on proper documentation in APA, MLA, or Chicago Style, be sure to check out the Citation & Documentation area of the Excelsior OWL.