CHICAGO, IL -- (Marketwire) -- 11/08/12 -- With numerous essays and exams piling up, the end of the semester is typically a challenging time for students. Whether the paper is on Ancient Greece or William Shakespeare, a quality research paper includes multiple sources, all of which must be properly cited. However, locating the information necessary for citations can be difficult. To help motivate students to properly cite their research work, Questia, the premier online research and paper writing resource is conducting a nationwide search for the best and most correct use of citations in a research paper.

The "Citation Showdown" contest encourages students to locate and cite high-quality, scholarly research to create superior research papers. Questia (www.questia.com), the premier online library and research tool for students, will take nominations through December 31st, 2012 in which students can submit a copy of their bibliography for a chance to win one of $2,000 in prizes. The first place winner will receive $500, 2 second place runners-up will each receive $375 and 5 third place honorable mentions will be awarded with $150.

To enter, students must submit a copy of their bibliography along with the following information: student's name, title of the paper, email and phone number via the online submission form available on the "Citation Showdown" contest page at Questia by 5 p.m. on December 31st, 2012. All entries must incorporate at least 3 citations, one of which must be from a current source (published within the past 12 months), be formatted in an APA, MLA or Chicago style, and be based on one of Questia's research topics. Winners will be determined based on the best and most correct use of citations.

Questia is sponsoring this contest as a part of their ongoing effort to illustrate the importance of properly citing research. Students save valuable time on research papers and projects with Questia's organizational and paper-writing tools and tutorials, allowing them to accurately cite sources in multiple styles, automatically generate footnotes and bibliographies, and conveniently organize their notes, research and sources all in one place. Additionally, since Questia is accessible 24/7, students can research any time of day from anywhere, with the confidence that they're using credible content from trustworthy sources.

Please visit the contest page at Questia for complete contest details and to submit your bibliography for consideration in Questia's "Citation Showdown."

About Cengage Learning and Questia
Cengage Learning is a leading provider of innovative teaching, learning and research solutions for the academic, professional and library markets worldwide. Questia, part of Cengage Learning, is the Web's premier online collection of copyrighted scholarly books, academic journals and research periodicals for students and includes integrated tools for note taking, organizing research, citing sources, creating footnotes and building bibliographies to help students write better research papers faster. For more information, visit www.cengage.com or www.questia.com.