We all know it, but a reminder never hurts: when using information that others have gathered, you have to give credit where credit is due. But what do we do now that we get a lot of our data from social sites?
I often find late breaking news on my Twitter feed or in a post that one of my friends on Facebook has shared. Brands and news outlets are sharing an increasing amount of news and statistics on sites like these and the information can be helpful to making your own point.
There are several sources to tell you how to cite social media, but as with everything digital, these platforms are always evolving. The Atlantic reports that when citing a tweet, you should include the Twitter handle, the entire tweet, the date and the time. While this seems easier than pulling information from a lot of other sources, it can start to be a little cumbersome, depending on the number of tweets you are using. If this is the case, you can use Tweet2Cite.com to do the work for you.
For information on how to cite other social media sources like Facebook and podcasts, check out the social media section of American Pyschological Association’s blog. Remember, you can never claim someone else’s work as your own—even if it is an idea they posted as a status update. Check out the tools available to you to rightfully give credit.
This new trend of using social media insights to add to your own ideas just lends further credibility to the strength, reach and power of these social tools. Keep using them!