Referencing workshop

Using quotations and referencing is an important part of academic writing.

Quotations and references act as a tool to help you support your argument or theory.

Why reference?

1. To acknowledge other authors’ work.2. To allow the reader to trace the

information.3. To support your theory or argument.4. To let your tutor know that you have

been reading.5. To show your reader to know what is

going on in your particular field.

How?

Quotations – direct quotations.

‘This means that a sentence(s) is copied word for word from the original text. It is essential that you reference this or it will be seen as plagiarism (meaning passing somebody else’s work off as your own’ (Anon, nd:2)

Short quotations

If your quotation is under four lines it should be placed in the body of the text.

As Bell (1993, p.23) says, ‘finding information in the first place can be hard enough. Finding it again sometimes afterwards can be even harder unless your methods of recording and filing are thorough and systematic.’

As Bell (1993) says, ‘finding information in the first place can be hard enough. Finding it again sometimes afterwards can be even harder unless your methods of recording and filing are thorough and systematic’ (1993:23).

OR

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Longer quotations

• Quotations over four lines should be preceded with a colon (:).

• Indent the quotation itself with wider left and right margins and do not use quotations marks (the quotation is indented, so it is clear to the reader that it is a quotation).

Some of the most sensible advice for anyone carrying out literature search and on keeping records of their findings states that:

In the early stages of an investigation it may seem enough to jot down a reference on the back of an old envelope, but old envelopes thrown into a box will not provide you with a reliable resource, and the likelihood is that references will be incomplete and difficult to track down at a later stage. If you are going to need half a dozen references, then scraps of paper may serve, but as your investigation proceeds, you accumulate many sources of information, and an orderly system is necessary from the beginning (Bell 1993: 23).

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With direct quotations (words lifted directly from your source):

• Be accurate.

• Use them discreetly to emphasise a point and prove the author did write what you claim.

• Use them only if they are really worth using (Chambers and Northedge 1997 p. 169).

• Use square brackets [like these] within a quotation to signal your words, not the person you are quoting from (Chambers and Northedge 1997 p.170). You can also use these brackets to edit words that were in the quotation (Rose 2001 p.128).

• Use [sic] to indicate an error in the quotation itself, so as not to make it look as though you copied it out wrongly.

• Three dots…mean words are missing i.e. you split the quotation, or cut it off before the sentence had finished (Rose 2001 p.128).

It means "same source as last time" (previous note). Ibid is short for the Latin ibidem.

ibid

Some of the most sensible advice for anyone carrying out literature search and on keeping records of their findings states that:

In the early stages of an investigation it may seem enough to jot down a reference on the back of an old envelope, but old envelopes thrown into a box will not provide you with a reliable resource, and the likelihood is that references will be incomplete and difficult to track down at a later stage. If you are going to need half a dozen references, then scraps of paper may serve, but as your investigation proceeds, you accumulate many sources of information, and an orderly system is necessary from the beginning (Bell 1993: 23).

Exam

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‘finding information in the first place can be hard enough. Finding it again sometimes afterwards can be even harder unless your methods of recording and filing are thorough and systematic’ (ibid).

Indirect citation

• This means acknowledging where you have learnt specific information such as an idea or a theory. Even if you have paraphrased any theories or information, you still need to reference it.

• At the end of your work, you need to include a references list and/or bibliography. Check with your tutor to see what is required!

NOTE: you do not need the page number after the date in an indirect citation

Bibliography or reference list?

What's the difference?• References list is for all the books,

websites or journals referred to in the text.

• Bibliography is for all background reading.

Referencing the internet

• Use the authors surname (as with a book etc.)

• Use the date that the work was written (this is not the same as the date you accessed it)

• In the actual essay, you don’t need to write the web address – this is left until the end in your references list.

The celebrations at Facebook following its landmark floatation onto the stock market were somewhat over shadowed by a ‘…$15bn class action against the social network’ (Goodley, 2012), following allegations that the company has been tracking users online activity even after they had logged out of their accounts (ibid).Ex

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GOODLEY, S. 2012. Facebook users file class action suit in US over web tracking. [WWW]. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2012/may/18/facebook-users-file-class-action-suit?newsfeed=true (21st May 2012)

Give it a try

Read the following extracts, then compile:1. A short quote2. A long quote and3. An indirect citation

What's wrong here?

Add references here• ‘the common sense view of reflection is developed by examination of

how we use the word reflection…’

• It has been noted that due to the popularity of reflection and its abundant use in numerous professions, that several, often conflicting notions of what constitutes reflection have emerged.

• Reflection has gained in popularity during the past two decades ‘since the late 1990’s, the theory and practice of reflection have attained a much more significant role in educational contexts’. This popularity is not restricted to the educational profession but also, it has been suggested, due to it adoption in various other disciplines/professions including psychology and professional development.

• ‘the common sense view of reflection is developed by examination of how we use the word reflection…’(Name, Date: Page)

• It has been noted by NAME (date) that due to the popularity of reflection and its abundant use in numerous professions, that several, often conflicting notions of what constitutes reflection have emerged.

• According to NAME (date) reflection has gained in popularity during the past two decades ‘since the late 1990’s, the theory and practice of reflection have attained a much more significant role in educational contexts’ (name, date: page). This popularity is not restricted to the educational profession but also, it has been suggested, due to it adoption in various other disciplines/professions including psychology and professional development (Name, date) OR (ibid).

• When do we use a page number?• When do we use the date?• How do we reference a website?• Why do we use [ ]?• What do … at the start/end of a quotation mean?• What should we do with a quotation longer than

four lines?• When do we put the date in brackets but not the

name?• What part of the authors name do we put in the

text?• What can we use instead of repeating the same

name?• When do we reference?