Citing sources appropriately is not just a technical matter. It is a matter of integrity. In any academic environment, it is essential to be transparent about your sources and about where you discovered the information and ideas included in your work: books, articles, websites, interviews, AI generators, lectures, etc. Failing to do so is dishonest, and it is part of what constitutes plagiarism. Plagiarism has grave consequences at Calvin, ranging from failing a paper to failing a course to suspension from programs. These resources offer information about plagiarism and citation, both generally and at Calvin:  

The advice given above is valid across the disciplines. While the forms of citation can vary across disciplines, the technical questions about how to cite sources (e.g., whether to use footnotes or in-text parenthesis or how to format a reference list) are much less important than the fundamental principle that you must always give credit to your sources.

Professors may not penalize you seriously for making mistakes in formatting footnotes or works cited lists, but plagiarism is different, and they are required to report plagiarism to the Office of Student Conduct. Plagiarism—particularly intentional plagiarism—is a serious ethical offense. It erodes the trust between teachers and students, and between readers and writers, that is essential to the health of the whole academic community.