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If you want to borrow an idea from an author, but do not need his or her exact words, you should try paraphrasing instead of quoting.

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Whenever you change the original words of your source, you must indicate that you have done so.

Otherwise, you would be claiming the original author used words that he or she did not use. You could accidentally change the meaning of the quotation and falsely claim the author said something they did not.

There are also different forms of citation for different disciplines.

For example, when you cite sources in a psychology paper you would probably use a different form of citation than you might in a paper for an English class.

For example, If you have already introduced the author and work from which you are citing, and you are obviously referring to the same work, you probably don't need to mention them again.

However, if you have cited other sources and then go back to one you had cited earlier, it is a good idea to mention at least the author's name again (and the work if you have referred to more than one by this author) to avoid confusion.

The first time you cite a source, it is almost always a good idea to mention its author(s), title, and genre (book, article, or web page, etc.).

If the source is central to your work, you may want to introduce it in a separate sentence or two, summarizing its importance and main ideas.

If your sources are very important to your ideas, you should mention the author and work in a sentence that introduces your citation.

If, however, you are only citing the source to make a minor point, you may consider using parenthetical references, footnotes, or endnotes.