Would you like to improve your academic scores? If yes, then you need to concentrate more on your assignments and get to know the importance of referencing in academic writing. In scholastic life, assignments play a vital role. Especially, to secure high marks, you need to submit error-free, plagiarism-free, and premium-quality assignment content. Writing unique content is not at all easy, for which you must have strong subject knowledge. On the other hand, to come up with original academic research papers, you can refer to the work of other authors related to your topic and compose content based on such references. Note that, referencing is not copying.
When writing an academic paper, you can get inspiration from other relevant sources such as books, articles, journals, research papers, or magazines. But to make your paper look genuine, you must cite all those sources that you have used in your work by following a proper citation or referencing style. Continue reading this blog post to learn more about referencing, the importance of referencing, and how to cite a source in an academic paper.
What is Referencing?
Referencing or citation is a method of identifying and acknowledging someone’s work that you have used in your research. Citation helps readers to make a proper connection between the information and its source. The important factors you need to include while using referencing style are –
- The name of the author
- Date of publication
- Name and location of the publishing company
- Title of the journal or name of the book
- Title of the research or chapter’s name
- DOI (Digital Object Identifier)
Follow two basic methods for referencing: First, you need to provide a brief reference of work in the body section known as “in-text citation” and second, a detailed reference list is required to mention all references at the end of the paper (in a list format).
Also Read: Know How to Quote a Movie in Academic Writing
Purpose of Referencing in Academic Writing
Today, referencing become the most essential part of academic writing. It provides authenticity to students’ research work in which they put their effort and dedication.
- With the help of citations, readers can locate the sources of research work. Also, they can access the information or material from the sources and understand it in their way.
- Referencing helps to avoid plagiarism issues.
Why is it Important to Add References in Academic Papers?
Would like to know the importance of referencing in academic writing? Well, referencing is one of the essential sections that need to be included in academic papers because it gives more credibility to the entire work. Moreover, the authors of the sources will also earn some benefits from referencing. Here, let us see a few more reasons why is it necessary to add a referencing section in academic research papers.
- When you give credit to the author of sources using a proper citation style in your paper, then definitely their name and work will be exposed to a wider audience. In this way, an author earns more value.
- Including references in your academic paper will help your readers to read and get more information about your research topic from different relevant sources such as books, magazines, research papers, etc. This in turn helps to update the informational knowledge of readers.
- Referencing adds authenticity to your work. In specific, the readers will trust your work, if you include a reference list and mention the details of the sources that you have used in your work.
- Usually, to highlight your opinion or argument about a topic, it is necessary to include strong evidence. By adding references, you can support the ideas of your research work with proper evidence.
- With the help of references, you can also build a persuasive argument and defend it by using the points proved from research.
- If you include a references section, you will not get trapped in plagiarism issues.
What Types of Materials are required for Referencing?
Not only printed books require acknowledgment. Any words, ideas, or information obtained from any source must be cited.
Remember to make citations when you use terms or concepts from:
- Books and Journal Articles
- Newspapers and magazines
- Pamphlets or brochures
- Films, documentaries, TV shows, or commercials
- A webpage or electronic resources
- Letters, emails, online discussion boards
- Personal interviews
- Lecturers or tutors. (Not usually essential, but ask your professor or tutor about their preferences before using their ideas.)
- While reprinting any diagrams, illustrations, charts, or photographs
You need not cite when you
- write your findings from experiments or observations, such as a field trip report
- write in a reflective journal, for instance, about your personal experiences
- present your own opinions, remarks, or conclusions in an assignment
- assess or provide your analysis
- utilize folklore or “common knowledge,” which is defined as information that may be found in many locations and is probably known by a large number of people
Various Types of Referencing or Citation Styles
Referencing styles or citation styles are the various standard methods used to cite the source of work. Refer to the below list to learn some widely used citation styles:
- Harvard
- Vancouver
- American Psychological Association (APA)
- Modern Language Association (MLA)
- Chicago/ Turabian
- American Chemical Society (ACS)
- Australian Guide to Legal Citation (AGLC)
- American Medical Association (AMA)
- Council of Science Editors/Council of Biology Editors (CSE/ CBE)
- Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)
The last five referencing styles are rarely used but still required in some places. These styles depend on the terms of formatting, punctuation, and order of information. You will find the difference in both the level of citations (in-text citation and reference list). The use of citations reflects the discipline for which you are writing your documents. Furthermore, you need to follow the referencing style as per your academic institutions or publishers.
The numerous referencing styles follow two types of systems such as the documentary-note system and the parenthetical system.
- Documentary-note system: In this system, chronological numbers are used as in-text markers to either footnotes or endnotes, or both in which a numeric digit is usually placed after the full stop. The use of numeric digits in the reference list is not necessary as it depends on the specific referencing style.
- Parenthetical system: In this system, the brief information of author and date (or page number as in MLA format) is used in in-text citation enclosed by parenthesis (round brackets). At the end of the papers, you will find the detailed reference list.
Learn How to Do Referencing in Academic Papers
To do referencing, you can use any particular academic citation style and format based on your university guidelines. Some popular referencing styles that are commonly used to cite a source in an academic paper are Harvard, APA, MLA citation style, etc.
Here, let us have a look at some popular referencing styles and their usage.
Harvard Referencing Style
Harvard is a commonly used citation style based on author date and is mainly used in the U.K. and Australia. There is no specific manual for this style. The use of punctuation and other formatting varies from institution to institution. We are using Charles Darwin University’s (CDU) Harvard Referencing Style Guide 2016 version to explain the details of this style.
- This style uses the parenthetical system of referencing.
- The name of the author and year of publication are used in “in-text reference” and mentioned in round brackets. For example, (<author name><publication year>, <page number/s>). Use only the surname of the author and do not need to place a comma (,) between the author’s name and year of publication (Dickinson 2002). If the page number is included, then write in the following format (Dickinson 2002, p 30). This referencing style is used in different subjects of humanities.
- For the reference list, use a separate page to mention the detailed references at the end of the document and arrange all authors’ names in alphabetical order.
When you need to include more than one author, refer to the below format for both methods
For in-text citation: Only mention the surnames of the authors and use “&” to separate them. (<author #1 surname> & <author #2 surname> <Publication Year>)
Example: (Christie & Dickens 2009)
For the reference list: Use “&” to separate the late name and initials of the two authors. <Author#1 last name>, <author#1 first name/s initials> & <author#2 last name>, <author#2 first name/s initials> <Publication Year>, <title>, …
Example: Christie, Agatha & Dickens, Charles 2009, <title>, …
APA Referencing Style
There is a negligible difference between MLA and American Psychological Association referencing styles. APA is generally used in the USA. In this section, we are using the APA 6th edition Library guide for the University of Sydney. In both in-text and reference lists, use double-line spacing to mention the authors’ information in APA style. It is also known as an author-date-based referencing style.
- This style of referencing uses the parenthetical system.
- Use the name of the author and year of publication “in-text reference” and mention in round brackets. For example, (<author name>, <publication year>, <page number/s>). Use only the surname of the author and place a comma (,) between the author’s name and year of publication (Dickinson, 2002). If you include a page number, then write in the following format (Dickinson, 2002, p 30).
- students can use this referencing style in different fields of social sciences and some other subjects including education, business, and nursing.
- For the reference list, use a separate page to mention the detailed references at the end of the document and arrange all authors’ names in alphabetical order. Use double line spacing between each entry and place a full stop (.) to end each reference. Place the year of publication in parentheses.
Also, Read – What are the Differences Between APA vs. MLA
When you need to include more than one author, refer to the below format for both methods
For in-text citation: Only mention the surnames of the authors and use “&” to separate them. (<author #1 surname> & <author #2 surname>, <Publication Year>)
Example: (Christie & Dickens, 2009)
For the reference list: Use “&” to separate the late name and initials of the two authors.
<Author#1 last name>, <author#1 first name/s initials>. & <author#2 last name>, <author#2 first name/s initials>, (<Publication Year>). <title>, …
Example: Christie, Agatha. & Dickens, Charles. (2009). <title>, …
MLA Referencing Style
The Modern Language Association (MLA) style is one of the most popular citation forms. To accurately reference sources using MLA, you must do the following
- First choose the type of source, which could be a book, journal article, website, or another format.
- For each source, create an entry in your reference list that includes important information such as the author’s name, the title of the work, the publisher, and the publication date.
- Within the body of your article, incorporate in-text citations that direct your reader to the corresponding reference list entry. In-text citations normally include the author’s last name and the page number where the cited information is present.
- Include the reference list at the end of the work, with items ordered alphabetically by the author’s last name.
Following MLA criteria guarantees that your academic writing is properly attributed and maintains scholarly integrity. It also facilitates your reader’s ability to locate the sources you consulted. With continuous practice, creating appropriate MLA references will help you improve the quality and reliability of your written work.
Below are some examples of MLA citations in academic writing.
In-text citation:
Author’s last name and page number(s) in parentheses, separated by a space:
(Smith 24)
(Johnson 12-15)
If no author, use the title in parentheses:
(“The Great Gatsby” 54)
If no page number, use the author’s last name only:
(Williams)
Works Cited entry:
- Book:
Author’s Last Name, First Name. Title. City: Publisher, Year. Print.
Example: Smith, John. The History of Writing. New York: Oxford UP, 2010. Print.
- Journal Article:
Author’s Last Name, First Name. “Article Title.” Journal Title, vol. Issue, Year, pp. Page Range. DOI or URL.
Example: Johnson, Mary. “The Impact of Technology on Education.” Journal of Educational Research, vol. 10, no. 2, 2015, pp. 12-20. DOI: 10.1080/00220671.2015.1017611
Final Words
Hopefully, by now, you will have gained a complete understanding of referencing and its importance. If you want your academic paper to look authentic and avoid plagiarism-related problems, then make sure to cite the sources of the information you have used in your academic writing using any of the appropriate citation styles suggested by your university. In case, you are unsure how to cite your academic paper, approach us. The assignment experts from our team will help you reference your academic paper using the citation style of your preference.
