Writing a Research Paper for Publication Referencing a Work Guide for preparing and writing paper, review and publication Bobby D. Gerardo, Ph.D. PSITE NCR Seminar October 10, 2011, TIPQC

2 Referencing and avoiding Plagiarism 2 Source: Chinese University of Hong Kong Available at:

3 Why is referencing so important? You must acknowledge the sources of information and ideas you have consulted when you write academic papers (an essay, a report, a dissertation or a thesis). If you failed to acknowledge the sources or plagiarize, you would lose marks or even risk not being able to complete your studies. 3

4 Good referencing can… make your writing more persuasive as you demonstrate that you have looked up a wide range of academic sources. give you due credit because of your effective referencing as your lecturers will recognize the extent of your background reading. allow your reader to retrieve the material you have cited.

5 In order to encourage academic honesty, you must avoid… Copying, quoting, paraphrasing, or summarizing words or ideas from any source without adequate documentation or proper acknowledgement. Purchasing a pre-written paper or letting someone else write a paper for you. Submitting someone’s unpublished work as your own. 5

When to reference? When you are including information that is not your own or “common knowledge”, you should always cite your sources even if you put the ideas into your own language. You must also note that most information on the Internet is not common knowledge even when you don’t find a copyright symbol. 6

7 How to reference? There are two basic ways to acknowledge the cited information: 1. Direct: quotation 2. Indirect:  paraphrasing  summarizing 7

8 Referencing and citation styles A good academic paper always uses the required referencing/citation style. Every discipline has its preferred or required referencing/citation style which is normally stipulated in your course handbook or you can check it with your lecturer or supervisor. 8

9 Some common referencing and citation styles footnotes, endnotes and in-text references There are three basic systems of referencing material: footnotes, endnotes and in-text references. Click to find out more about these citation styles: ◦ Harvard Harvard ◦ Vancouver Vancouver ◦ MLA MLA ◦ Chicago Chicago ◦ Oxford Oxford ◦ APA APA

10 Please remember… No matter which method you use, for every source you refer to, you should always note the following points: Name(s) of author(s)/editor(s) Name and edition/volume (if given) of the journal, book, magazine, or newspaper Title and page number(s) of the article or newspaper column Name of publisher Year of publication Place of publication Website address of your source Date accessed the online information 10

11 Citation styles and conventions Be familiar with the typical referencing style specified by your department. 11

12 Tips and Strategies for Avoiding Plagiarism 1.Cite all information that is not your own work or common knowledge. 2.Put in quotations everything taken directly from the reference materials. 3.If you paraphrase other’s ideas, cite them and list them in your bibliography. 4.Make notes in your own words. 5.Keep a record of the citation information. 6.Start early with your research and writing process to have more time to digest others’ ideas. 7.Be familiar with the preferred/required referencing or citation style of your discipline and always follow the standard guidelines. 8.Never buy a pre-written paper or let someone else write a paper for you. 12

End of section Thank you Bobby D. Gerardo