The ‘how-to Reference and Why Even Bother’ Lesson

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Why should you reference?

• Information and ideas, much like tangible objects, belong to the authors or ‘owners’ of the information

• Much like you would not take your friends phone without permission, you CANNOT take someone’s ideas without giving them credit – otherwise the act becomes a form of theft

Why should you reference?• Additionally, if you choose not to reference, or do not do so

properly – you will be punished• In high school this may translate to a ‘zero’ for an assignment, but

in postsecondary institutions plagiarism is an Academic Offence • If you are caught you will have to stand before the Tribunal (court)

of your Academic Institution• You may choose to have a lawyer represent you• Simply put, plagiarism is a serious matter and it should not be taken

lightly • Also not knowing the ‘laws’ that surround referencing is no excuse

for having committed them • But do not be stressed – today you will learn what to do to avoid

such unpleasant situations and never be ashamed to seek help, now and in the future, if you are uncertain.

Why should you reference?

• Lastly, referencing helps to add validity to your ideas and statements

• If several people have had similar conclusions as yours, then chances are your findings are indeed correct and sound

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The How-to for Referencing

An example of what not to do…

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The How-to for Referencing

• So here’s the bad news – there exist more than two referencing styles (you likely know of MLA and APA referencing styles)…

• And here’s the other bad news, you will be expected to learn and apply several different referencing styles depending on what studies you pursue

• Now for the good news, all referencing styles are readily available at your finger tips on the world wide web…

• So take and deep breath and here we go…

The How-to for Referencing: MLA Style

• The Social Sciences and Humanities (Political Science, History, Geography, English etc.) largely rely on the Modern Language Association (MLA) referencing style

• The official website for MLA is: http://www.mla.org/• Unfortunately, you have to purchase the manual to

seek information on how to reference using MLA style• Thankfully, several universities have purchased the

manual and have made it available for students to use.• This link is helpful in providing this information:

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/section/2/11/

The How-to for Referencing: APA Style

• Psychology courses largely rely on the American Psychology Association (APA) referencing style

• The official website for APA is: http://www.apastyle.org/ • Unfortunately, you have to purchase the manual to seek

information on how to reference using APA style• Again, thankfully, several universities have purchased the

manual and have made it available for students to use.• This link is helpful in providing this information:

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/

The How-to for Referencing: Nature Style

• Biology Departments across several universities use the referencing style as it appears in the prestigious scientific journal Nature

• Nature is a well-established scientific journal that is held in high regard by researchers across several disciplines

• Nature makes its referencing style readily available and the guidelines can be found at this website: http://www.nature.com/nature/authors/gta/#a5.4

The How-to for Referencing: Nature StyleExample of in-text citation:

Example of reference Nature list:Online document/website with no author given

The How-to for Referencing: JBC Style

• Chemistry Departments across several universities use the referencing style as it appears in the prestigious scientific journal Journal of Biological Chemistry (JBC)

• JBC is another example of a well-established scientific journal, which is held in high regard by researchers across several disciplines

• JBC makes its referencing style readily available and the guidelines can be found at this website: http://www.jbc.org/site/misc/ifora.xhtml#_References

The How-to for Referencing: JBC StyleExample of in-text citation:

Example of reference JBC list:

The How-to for Referencing: What if I’m asked to use a different style?

1. Don’t panic2. Search for the referencing style online3. Pick a guide that is from a trustworthy source (ie.

from a University website (.edu) or directly from the association from which the style originates)

4. Verify the referencing style with other websites5. Confirm you are using the correct style by asking

your teaching or instructor for the course

In-text Citation – when do I use them?

• Whenever you present an idea that is not your own OR if the information is not common knowledge

• What is common knowledge? Information that is known to the audience prior to reading (ex. the Earth is round)

• What is your own information? (ex. your lab results, personal theories or hypotheses, thoughts or emotions)

• All other information that you obtain from any source needs requires an in-text citation

So now you know what not to do…

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What are Peer-Reviewed Journals?

Some examples are…

• Nature • Journal of Biological Chemistry• Cell• Science• Immunology & Cell Biology• Journal of Medical Genetics• American Political Science Review• And many, many more

But what makes this a Peer-Review Journal… And this not…

Conclusion

• A peer-reviewed article is one that has been critiqued and edited by several individuals, from around the world, who are experts in a given field

• It was then sent back to the author(s) and revised and sent back for peer-review until it was accepted by the experts of the field

• This stringent editing prior to publication is what adds validity to the published work and has given academic peer-reviewed journals the respect they currently hold