Learning CentreInformation Skills - Referencing

Learning OutcomesBy the end of this session you should be able

to:Explain the purposes of researchExplain the reasons for referencingIdentify the correct format for referencing

different types of information sourcesDemonstrate the ability to reference different

types of information sources consistently and accurately

Purposes of ResearchTo learn more about your subject from what

others have writtenThe creation and support of objective argumentsTo demonstrate to your tutor that you have

studied the topic in depthTo see the “full picture” related to a topicTo give evidence of theoriesTo develop essential life and employment skills

of information searching and resource management

Referencing BasicsA reference is found within the text of an

assignmentA bibliography is found at the end of an

assignment and contains full bibliographic details about the information source (author, title, publisher etc)

A bibliography includes the list of information sources used both within the text and those used for background reading and research

Why Reference?Referencing acknowledges information

sources which are used whenever you do a piece of work

Referencing allows your reader to find the source of your information

You can lose marks if you do not reference accurately and consistently

If you do not use referencing to acknowledge your sources you will be guilty of plagiarism which can bring disciplinary action

Referencing Activity OneAttempt to locate the following reference:

Dougherty, D and Murthy, A. ‘What service customers really want’, Harvard Business Review.

What difficulties did you experience ?

Dougherty, D and Murthy, A. (2009) ‘What service customers really want’, Harvard Business Review, September 2009, p.22.

What should a Reference (within the assignment) include?Author surname or corporate authorYear of publicationPage number when possible

Parker (2009) suggests that….orParker (2009, p.5) suggests that “referencing is

considered to be good academic etiquette” in her report……

Referencing from a Teacher’s Point of View....It determines if the information you have relied

on is old or new, from the UK or abroad It identifies if you have used subject specialists

in the fieldIt determines whether you have researched the

subject effectivelyIt can be used to identify whether you have

relied heavily on one type of information sourceIt identifies if you have relied too much on

other peoples work – or too little!

What should a Bibliography include?How many references should I include in my

bibliography?A range of information sources: books,

websites, journals etc – don’t rely on one information source

Authors should be listed alphabetically, by author surname

Book

Petty, G. (2009) Teaching today: a practical guide, 4th edn, Cheltenham: Nelson Thornes.

Look at the title page for bibliographic information – or check the library catalogue

Journal/Magazine Article

Beames, S. and Atencio, M. (2008) ‘Building social capital through outdoor education’, Journal of Adventure Education and Outdoor Learning, vol. 8, no. 2, pp. 99-112.

Website/Web page Department for Education. (2011) Simple

behaviour checklist to help teachers maintain discipline in school. Available at: http://www.education.gov.uk/schools/pupilsupport/behaviour/a00199412/simple-behaviour-checklist-to-help-teachers-maintain-discipline-in-school (Accessed: 25 January 2012).

If an author is not immediately obvious look at the ‘About Us’ or ‘Contact Us’ section of the website

You may have to use a corporate author instead e.g. Ofsted, Defra, BBC etc

Referencing Activity TwoUse the interactive white board to practice

creating references for a:

BookWebsiteJournal article

Referencing Activity ThreeFor the purposes of this exercise you will

need to create a bibliography containing a :

Reference to a bookReference to a websiteReference to a journal article