Giving Credit Where Credit is Due
Think of citing sources like tagging someone in your Instagram post when you’re showing off an outfit they helped style or a design they inspired. When we use someone else’s ideas, research, or creative work, giving them credit isn’t just polite, it’s ethical. Creative people understand intuitively that nobody wants their original designs to be used without acknowledgment, at the very least. When you cite sources properly, you’re recognizing the hard work others put into developing the ideas that are now helping you in your own work.
Three Simple Reasons To Cite:
- You’re Joining “the Conversation.” Citing sources connects you to the broader conversation happening in your field. The creative industries are constantly evolving through collaboration and inspiration. When you cite others, you’re essentially saying, “I see what’s happening in this world of ideas, and here’s how my ideas relate to it.” Citations create a network of knowledge that you can tap into, and they position your work within the context of what others are doing.
- You’re Building Professional Credibility. When you back your claims with solid sources, you instantly boost your credibility. There’s a difference between saying “trust me, oversized silhouettes are trending” and “according to WGSN’s Spring 2025 trend report, oversized silhouettes dominated 60% of runway collections.” Proper citations transform your work from casual observation to informed analysis. Plus, showing that you’ve done your research demonstrates professionalism, which is a quality that future employers will definitely notice.
- You’re Avoiding Plagiarism and Its Consequences. Yeah, we could have put this first, but we wanted to start on a positive note. On a very practical level, however, you need to understand that FIT’s Academic Integrity Policy defines plagiarism as “the act of presenting another person’s ideas, research, writings, or projects as their own.” When in doubt, cite your sources. It’s always better to over-cite than to risk consequences that could range from assignment revision to failing a class or even academic probation.
But why are there different citation styles!?
And why does it matter which one I use!?
As you move through your courses at FIT, you’ll probably encounter three major citation styles, APA, MLA, and Chicago (aka Turabian). Each was developed according to what matters most in different disciplines. Which one you use will probably depend as much on what you’re studying as on what your teacher prefers.
What all three have in common are in-text citations, comprehensive lists of cited sources, and methods for describing sources with enough detail that make them findable by other researchers. The FIT library has guides on how to cite commonly used sources in all three styles.
MLA is used in the humanities and arts, and is concerned with creators, media, and experience. Examples: Are you citing a poem in a book or a live poetry reading? Art in a museum or on a museum’s website?
Fun design industry comparison: Like a well-organized design portfolio with clear material specifications!
Chicago/Turabian, which uses a footnote system, is often used in history and art history. It is interested in the context of the sources, and allows you to add notes about each without disrupting the main text.
Fun design industry comparison: Like a garment with a clean exterior (main text) and detailed construction elements inside (footnotes)!
APA is mainly for the social sciences, including business, and stresses authorship and currency (timeliness) in its in-text citations. Things change quickly, and new information is highly valued.
Fun design industry comparison: Like a market research report with emphasis on the latest research by well-known firms!
