A Quick Guide to Citing Properly on Medium
Here are ways in which you can add references to your online articles.
If you are anything like me, you know that writing can be hard, and generating ideas can be harder. It is okay to do your research for ideas and sometimes draw from them. But if your article includes someone else’s idea (as-is or paraphrased), and you have not acknowledged their work, it is not only morally or ethically wrong, but it is also stealing!
If you don’t attribute the content of your writing appropriately, you and your articles can have severe consequences, not just on Medium, but on the Google search engine too.
When you “cite” something in a text, you are identifying the source. In a way, you let the reader know that you are drawing on someone else’s ideas. You can either provide a link to the citation or connect the citation to a “reference” list. Not citing someone else’s work leads to “plagiarism.” Plagiarism is taking other’s work and passing them off as your own intentionally or unintentionally. It is a severe offense against the original author, and they can take action against your article. Therefore, critical to your writing journey is referencing; remember to cite everywhere required!
