• Legal. Using another author's work without giving proper credit may violate copyright laws
• Ethical. Using another author's work without giving proper credit constitutes plagiarism
• Practical. Documenting your sources in detail allows your readers (and you!) to locate the same sources for further research

Understanding and following intellectual property and fair use guidelines will protect you from using authors' works illegally or unethically. Misuse of these guidelines could have serious consequences not only for your class grade but for your academic career. Documenting your research with a bibliography is one way to follow intellectual property and fair use guidelines.

Since much time and effort is expended in the production of works of literature and research, authors are understandably sensitive about who uses their work and how. Intellectual property laws help to protect the rights of authors and publishers.

When you take ideas from others' work for your research paper or speech, you must give credit to the author. The bibliography or reference list you provide with your research paper or speech gives complete information on the books, articles, Web sites, and other sources you used in your research.

If you don't provide proper credit for paraphrasing or quoting other writers' work, you are committing plagiarism and violating copyright laws.