Referencing / Citing / Quoting

Let’s begin with the basics on this one. What is a reference list? A reference list is a list of all the works you have cited in your piece of work, as opposed to a bibliography, which is a list of all the works you consulted in the course of your research. Nowadays, reference lists are the more common. It is assumed that all the relevant texts you consulted will be brought into your work.

How do I create my reference list?

Creating your reference list is dependent on which system of referencing you are using. You will have been told which system to use by the course and you should adhere to this. Most courses will also provide a helpful link that provides complete guidance on referencing, either created by them, or an authoritative version that someone else has created. There are several particularly common referencing systems: Harvard, APA and MLA being the big ones. (Click on the links on these to find the most authoritative guide I use for each.)

Referencing seems complicated, but it really isn’t that bad if you follow the rules. The online instructions are generally so complete that they provide information on what to do in essentially any scenario. Web, media, film and art referencing is just as easy as referencing a boring old book if you just follow the rules. One thing to keep in mind though is that while referencing can be simple, it is also time consuming. Done properly, a good reference list requires time and attention. Try not to leave this until the last moment or you will make mistakes. Referencing properly is necessary in order to avoid plagiarism. It should not be a rush job.

How do I properly acknowledge the people cited in the text?

References in the body of your work can take many forms and, again, this will depend on what your university, school or subject stipulate. The three options are in-text citations, footnotes or end notes. In-text citations are the most common, footnotes second, and end notes not very common for undergraduate essays and dissertations, although they are frequently used in published books of academic essays.

The important thing to keep in mind with your in-text references is consistency. It is, of course, best to get the style right, but if you get it consistently wrong, this will be far less annoying to your marker than if you get it inconsistently wrong. In the course of one essay I have seen many students use pretty much every single system of in-text citation, as well as throwing in a few of their own that they have made up. This is messy and careless and it will not go down well.

How do I quote?

If there is one thing that people get consistently wrong, it is quotes. A lot of students mistakenly think that all quotes should be in italics, centralised and in quote marks; then, some quotes are indented, others run on in the text, some are in single quote marks, others in double. Again, what will make your marker like you best is consistency. But there are rules for this; learn them and you will never need to worry again.

This really is basic and once you have it you’ll stop giving it a second thought:

• Single or double quote marks is fine, but whichever you choose, use them consistently.
• If you use a quote with another quote within it, the other type of quote marks should be used on the quote within the quote. So: ‘Jane shouted “stop” as her dog ran into the road.’ Single quote marks on the main quote, double on the quote within the quote.
• Quotes that are 39 words or less should be run on in the text: ‘Jane shouted “stop”’. Quotes that are 40 words or more should be indented and set apart as a new paragraph. These indented quotes do not need quote marks at the start and finish, the indentation works as an alternative to this. So:

Jane shouted “stop” as her dog ran into the road. Hearing her just in time, her dog pulled back and a car skimmed past. Jane raced out and grabbed the creature by the collar, her heart racing. She pulled him back to the safety of the path and hugged the animal tight.

• The only reason to use italics for quotes is if they are used in the original text or if you want to highlight something in the text, in which case you should point out that you have done so: ‘Jane shouted “stop” as her dog ran into the road.’ (my italics).
• The other reason you might use italics is to distinguish between quotes from sources and your own research quotes. So, for example if you have undertaken interviews and are quoting this data, these could be in italics throughout.

How do I avoid plagiarism?

A lot of students are very scared of plagiarism. Naturally. The university drums it into you that if you are caught plagiarising, you will be failed on that piece immediately or, even worse, disciplined or thrown out of university. It goes without saying that copying other people’s work and passing it off as your own is bad practice and academically unsound. However, what about accidental plagiarism, referencing wrongly or forgetting that your idea was actually read elsewhere? I meet a lot of students who are very nervous about this.

Well, first of all, referencing is not meant to be unreasonable. You should reference when you are paraphrasing or quoting. If you are discussing an overall finding of one theorist, you will obviously reference it. Information you have learned on your course probably should be referenced as the course itself should have provided references for it. Your own knowledge, although helpful, is very often insufficient for an academic piece of work, so perhaps research this point, try to find authoritative work to substantiate it.

However, there are some facts that are generally accepted and by no means need to be referenced. For example, if I write that the world is round, I probably don’t need to reference this, particularly if this isn’t my main focus. If I am writing a piece about the shape of the world, I may, however, need to reference the early theories on this point.

So in sum: don’t panic, keep notes on where you found information and give referencing and citing time, or, better still, do it as you go along. Be precise. Don’t cut corners and, most importantly, don’t plagiarise. I can almost guarantee that if you are conscientious, honest and thorough, you will not get penalised for plagiarism. The institutions are trying to stop those who are subverting the academic system; they are not trying to root out human error.

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