Write first, cite later?

I always did the citations at the end. I'd write myself a note about where I got it but didn't bother with the full citation until later.

This: I fear if I don't cite it then I will forget where I got it or not cite it and set myself up for a plagiarism violation.

This absolutely will happen if you write first then try to "fill in the blanks" later. So you need to put in the citations as you're writing.

The citations don't need to be in full APA format in the initial drafts of the paper, however. Create an abbreviation of each citation to use while you're writing. Harlow, H. F. (1983). Fundamentals for preparing psychology journal articles. Journal of Comparative and Physiological Psychology, 55, 893-896" could become "Harlow JCCP 83 895" or whatever. Just write enough to be able to find the source and get it right when you're working on the finished paper.

First of all, to answer you question, it really depends upon the person. I have a very short attention span, especially when writing papers I do not really want to write, i.e., research papers. So for me, I do things in this order:

1. I determine my topic and develop a very rough thesis (which almost always will be adjusted, tweaked, or completely rewritten).

2. I like to read several articles that support or argue my point prior to beginning my actual writing of the paper.

3. I write as much as I can without feeling like I have lost focus or I hit a wall. Throughout that when I get to a place where I need a citation I do the following: if using the computer, I'll use highlight or change the color of text in a specific area where I need a source; or if writing on paper, I just use a highlighter to annotate where I will need a source.

4. When I feel like I've got a solid paper, I then go in and source everything. The key is to make sure you mark it as you go. It's super quick to use highlight (in Word) or simply type in bold SOURCE at the end of a sentence. I then assemble my works cited page at the same time I'm sourcing everything.

In response to Sam, you should obviously be writing down sources as you're reading the articles in advance. Otherwise, you will absolutely forget where you read it.

Hope that helps. Good luck!

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I usually write my paper first and then cite later. To make sure that I go back and cite everything, I always put "(cite)" next to things that need to be cited.