Explain why it is crucial that you identify the sources that you have used in your essay.

It is important to accurately identify the sources for a few reasons. First, you have to give credit if the information that you've used was not information that you, yourself, developed. Secondly, you need to back up your claims using information from noted experts. Lastly, you need to provide resources so that others wanting to continue researching the topic will have a starting point.