Learning Connection
Referencing, or citing, is the practice of acknowledging sources of information and ideas that you have used in an assignment (e.g. an essay or report). This means that whenever you write an assignment that requires you to find and use information from other sources, you are expected to refer to these sources in your writing. This is a university expectation linked to Academic Integrity. Referencing is also part of the process of being ‘information literate’, an important quality expected of graduates at UniSA. This means that you will be able to ‘locate, evaluate, manage and use information in a range of contexts’ – in other words, be ‘information literate’.
Using numerous references in an assignment demonstrates wide reading and your breadth of knowledge of a topic and strengthens your academic argument by providing evidence to support your point of view. These references are necessary so anyone reading your work knows the source of your information and can consult these sources if they choose to do so.
Referencing information from a variety of resources clearly identifies and distinguishes between information which comes from another source and information which is your own. By using references appropriately, you will avoid plagiarism, which is wrongfully claiming someone else’s words or ideas as your own
Three key principles of referencing are:
Each style requires you to provide similar essential referencing elements about the source you are citing, i.e. author’s name, date, title, and the location of the source. Each style, however, differs in the ordering of that information and required formatting (e.g. punctuation, capital letters). In addition, referencing varies according to the type of source i.e. books, journals or electronic materials.
Whenever you find a source of information which might be useful in an assignment, record all of the details of the source required for referencing. If in doubt, record more information rather than less. For example if the book is the 3rd edition, record that information and then check with the appropriate referencing guide.
When recording the referencing elements always include: name(s) of author(s) (i.e. surname, and initial); year of publication; title; page number(s); and, location of source. Note that the information that you record for the location of the source will vary according to the type of source. You might also record the catalogue or call number so that you can easily locate the item again if you need to.
Consult the referencing guide and format the source for the reference list. Insert this reference into the reference list of your assignment immediately. You may choose to manage your references electronically by using a reference management database, such as Endnote, Reference Manager, or Procite. For more information about these databases contact the Library.
For more detailed information about referencing including the requirements of different styles, see the Referencing Resources website.
Turnitin is an electronic tool used to promote academic integrity at the University of South Australia. The tool enables a student or lecturer to submit work to check for originality.
