Citing a source means that within the body of the text, the writer has used words, ideas, images, figures etc., from others sources. It is essential to cite sources in a research paper for several reasons. Citation reveals to the person reading that the writer has performed good research. The writer has listed sources that they used to gather data. It also makes one a responsible scholar since, through citations, the writer gives credit to other researchers, and they concede with their ideas. It also helps to avoid plagiarism. It is by including the words and opinions of other authors in their text just as they have expressed them. Citations also allows the reader to track down the sources used by the author by accurately citing them in the paper. It is done via a reference list, a bibliography or via a footnote. (Wang, 2019)
Citations will make an author feel more confident about their writings and research because it builds their credibility as a scholar and also it establishes the credibility among peers in their field. It also increases confidence because the researcher is able to show off their scientific knowledge. Since the writer cites sources that they have read, the bibliographies are a hallmark of a scientist that is widely read and very well informed.
Inserting citations in your work can result to a higher grade. This is because the student shows the teacher that they have read widely and also shows the engagement of the student with the existing research and that they understand conventions about how to cite other peoples work. However, the number of citations must be secondary to the content of the essay. The citations must relate to the questions. Also, a student that loads up their paper with unnecessary citations most likely get lower grades. The teacher checks the quality of the citations and their necessity.