This easy-to-use guide identifies and addresses the key areas where most students need help in searching for literature and referencing their sources in a correct academic manner and provides practical tips and solutions to help avoid plagiarism. It provides solid advice on integrating and referencing sources and research and on all of the major referencing styles currently in use.
This guide explains why referencing is an essential part of good writing, and shows how to do it. It explains what plagiarism is and how to avoid it. With clear explanations and examples, this handy easy-to-read guide has engaging illustrations and an informal style.
Covering all information sources used by students, this guide provides detailed examples of new media, such as the Internet, text messages and virtual learning environments and a comprehensive range of printed sources.
According to the Oxford English Dictionary:
Plagiarism is
"the practice of taking someone else's work or ideas and passing them off as one's own".
The best way to avoid plagiarism is to use a system to reference the information you use when researching for your essays, assignments and dissertations. You have probably seen this done many times.
It consists of:
A citation describes the information source you used in a way that would enable someone else to find the same information. A typical citation will look something like this:
Jennings, A. (2004) Structures : from theory to practice, London: Spon.
Within the text of your work you will also need to use a short version of the citation after you refer to a source. This will look something like this:
"Beams are straight bars which carry transverse loading by means of bending action" (Jennings 2004, p.177)
You will need to use a citation if you have:
A reference list is simply a list of full citations for all the material you have referred to in your text.
A bibliography is similar to a reference list but it includes citations for all the material you have used in your research, including material that you did not refer to in the text (eg background reading).
Referencing systems: There are many different systems used to create references, Harvard Referencing is one of the most widely used. You don't need to worry about this, your lecturer or supervisor should make clear what system you are required to use.
Software: Some people are happy to maintain their references and bibliographies manually but if you prefer there are a number of tools and websites that will help in this task. Some examples are:
Websites: There are thousands of websites giving instruction and guidance in referencing, citation and plagiarism. An internet search on any of the terms should bring back a selection.
Here are a few examples:
If you are still having difficulties in this area you can get some help in the library.
