The Importance of Citations and Referencing for Students
Citations and References are interconnected and used in academia to acknowledge the work of other researchers.
Citations occur in the text of your work in the form of direct quotations, a summary, or by paraphrasing concepts.
References are found at the end of the work and are a detailed list of all the sources you have mentioned throughout your work, they are the full bibliographic listing of the secondary source.
At university, citations and referencing are critical components of academic writing.
Why citations and references are important
Citations are a key part of academic writing practice and there are a lot of benefits that come from properly referencing the secondary sources used.
A well-written reference list evidences your attention to detail as well as your,
· Credibility
· Academic integrity
· Avoid plagiarism
· Foundation for further research
· Good academic practice
Add credibility
Citing your sources adds credibility to your work by showing the lecturer that you have read and understood the relevant secondary research in your subject area.
Through referencing you can show the source selection in your research process and through your focus on high-quality, peer-reviewed sources.
Referencing reputable sources in this way can show that you have considered different perspectives and through well-rounded reading are developing your own viewpoint on the subject.
The detail of citations and reference lists adds depth to your writing and provides evidence for the argument or view you are presenting in your writing.
The citations and bibliographic information allow the reader or your lecturer to trace your research back through the citations and gauge the robust nature of your research.
Demonstrate academic integrity
Referencing gives credit and acknowledges the contribution of the original author.
All the research which has been published in your field has provided a foundation of knowledge for you to study and develop your own research questions.
To demonstrate academic integrity, you must behave in an honest and ethical way throughout your research, this means giving attribution and credit to the original authors of the work you use through consistent use of citations.
Referencing provides transparency for the reader of your work to understand your research process.
When you make it clear through citations which sources you have used within your work you build trust with the reader.
Using the citations, the reader can understand the evolution of your argument and how you are connecting it to the established views in the field.
By giving credit and acknowledging the contribution of others’ work to your writing you can establish your academic integrity and credibility.
Citations and referencing help avoid plagiarism
How you apply and incorporate the research of others into your assignment is unique to you. If you don't cite or reference, you will risk your work being identified as plagiarism.
Plagiarism is when you use someone else's work or ideas without giving proper credit.
Referencing helps to avoid plagiarism by providing clear and concise audit trail showing the sources you have used within your writing.
Using references and citations you can distinguish between your ideas and the ideas of other people ensuring that the other authors’ work is properly credited.
Clearly referencing the source research in a way that is relevant to your research question creates an original perspective built on the foundation of existing research. This is what your lecturers want to see.
Create foundations for further research
Referencing can help you find new sources and create an archive of research relevant to your interests.
Once you have identified an academic source relevant to your research question you can use the citations and references from that source to find related research.
Keeping clear and consistent referencing when notetaking means you will have created an archive of research and references directly related to your subject of interest.
Demonstrate good academic practice
Referencing reflects good academic practice, by demonstrating respect for the intellectual property of others, clear and transparent research practices, and diligent efforts to avoid plagiarism.
Your lecturer may be an expert in the subject area, but you must approach your research as though they weren’t and provide citations and references to support each of your arguments.
Referencing allows you to clearly show the academic foundations of your argument or position and provides context for your research and where it fits in the larger research picture.
Summary
University assignments and submissions require referencing to be used, so it is important to understand the benefits so you can prioritise the time needed to ensure your citations and references are complete.
In your academic writing, it's important that every idea, thought, concept, or extract that you have used from another author’s work in your writing is credited appropriately.
This includes ensuring both the text of the article and your reference list include the correct citations and references.
By following good referencing practices, you can ensure that your university assignments are conducted responsibly, and ethically and receive the marks they deserve.
