The post is split into three parts:<\/p>\n
- \n
- What is a Reference and What is a Citation?<\/a><\/li>\n
- Why Reference? (4 Things you Should Know)<\/a><\/li>\n
- How to Reference (9 Strategies of Top Students)<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
If you think you\u2019ve already got a good understanding of the basics, you can jump to our 9 Advanced Strategies<\/a> section.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n Part 1: What is a Reference and What is a Citation?<\/h1>\n
<\/center><\/p>\n
What is a Citation?<\/h3>\n
An in-text mention of your source. A citation is a short mention of the source you got the information from, usually in the middle or end of a sentence in the body of your paragraph. It is usually abbreviated so as not to distract the reader too much from your own writing. Here\u2019s two examples of citations. The first is in APA format. The second is in MLA format:<\/p>\n
- \n
- APA: <\/strong>Archaeological records trace the original human being to equatorial Africa about 250,000\u2013350,000 years ago (Schlebusch & Jakobsson, 2018)<\/strong>.<\/li>\n
- MLA:<\/strong> Archaeological records trace the original human being to equatorial Africa about 250,000\u2013350,000 years ago (Schlebusch and Jakobsson 1)<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
In APA format, you\u2019ve got the authors and year of publication listed. In MLA format, you\u2019ve got the authors and page number listed. If you keep reading, I\u2019ll give some more tips on formatting further down in this article.<\/p>\n
And a Reference is:<\/p>\n
What is a Reference?<\/h3>\n
A reference is the full details of a source that you list at the end of the article. For every citation (see above) there needs to be a corresponding reference at the end of the essay showing more details about that source. The idea is that the reader can see the source in-text (i.e. they can look at the citation) and if they want more information they can jump to the end of the page and find out exactly how to go about finding the source.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s how you would go about referencing the Schlebusch and Jakobsson source in a list at the end of the essay. Again, I will show you how to do it in APA and MLA formats:<\/p>\n
- \n
- APA: <\/strong>Schlebusch, C. & Jakobsson, M. (2018). Tales of Human Migration, Admixture, and Selection in Africa. Annual Review of Genomics and Human Genetics<\/em>, 11<\/em>(33), 1\u201324.<\/li>\n
- MLA:<\/strong> Schlebusch, Carina and Mattias Jakobsson. \u201cTales of Human Migration, Admixture, and Selection in Africa.\u201d Annual Review of Genomics and Human Genetics<\/em>, vol. 11, no. 33, 2018, pp. 1\u201324.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
In strategy 1 below I\u2019ll show you the easiest and fool proof way to write these references perfectly every time.<\/p>\n
One last quick note: sometimes we say \u2018reference\u2019 when we mean \u2018citation\u2019. That\u2019s pretty normal. Just roll with the punches. It\u2019s usually pretty easy to pick up on what our teacher means regardless of whether they use the word \u2018reference\u2019 or \u2018citation\u2019.<\/p>\n
Part 2: Why Reference in an Essay? (4 Things you Should Know)<\/span><\/h1>\n
Referencing in an essay is important. By the time you start doing 200-level courses, you probably won\u2019t pass the course unless you reference appropriately. So, the biggest answer to \u2018why reference?\u2019 is simple: Because you Have To!<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n
Okay let\u2019s be serious though \u2026 here\u2019s the four top \u2018real\u2019 reasons to reference:<\/p>\n
1. Referencing shows you Got an Expert\u2019s Opinion<\/h3>\n
You can\u2019t just write an essay<\/a> on what you think you know. This is a huge mistake of beginning students. Instead this is what you need to do:<\/p>\n
Top Tip: <\/strong>Essays at university are supposed to show off that you\u2019ve learned new information by reading the opinions of experts.<\/p>\n
Every time you place a citation in your paragraph, you\u2019re showing that the information you\u2019re presenting in that paragraph was provided to you by an expert. In other words, it means you consulted an expert\u2019s opinion<\/em> to build your knowledge.<\/p>\n
If you have citations throughout the essay with links to a variety of different expert opinions, you\u2019ll show your marker that you did actually genuinely look at what the experts said with an open mind and considered their ideas.<\/p>\n
This will help you to grow your grades.<\/p>\n
2. Referencing shows you read your Assigned Readings<\/h3>\n
Your teacher will most likely give you scholarly journal articles<\/a> or book chapters to read for homework between classes. You might have even talked about those assigned readings in your seminars and tutorials.<\/p>\n
Great! The assigned readings<\/a> are very important to you.<\/p>\n
You should definitely cite the assigned readings relevant to your essay topic in your evaluative essay<\/a> (unless your teacher tells you not to). Why? I\u2019ll explain below.<\/p>\n
- \n
- Firstly,<\/strong> the assigned readings were selected by your teacher because your teacher (you know, the person who\u2019s going to mark your essay) believes they\u2019re the best quality articles on the topic. Translation: your teacher gave you the best source you\u2019re going to find. Make sure you use it!<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- \n
- Secondly,<\/strong> by citing the assigned readings you are showing your teacher that you have been paying attention throughout the course. You are showing your teacher that you have done your homework, read those assigned readings and paid attention to them. When my students submit an essay that has references to websites, blogs, wikis and magazines I get very frustrated. Why would you cite low quality non-expert sources like websites when I gave you <\/em>the expert\u2019s article!? Really, it frustrates me so, so much.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
So, cite the assigned readings to show your teacher you read the scholarly articles your teacher gave to you. It\u2019ll help you grow your marks.<\/p>\n
3. Referencing deepens your Knowledge<\/h3>\n
Okay, so you understand that you need to use referencing to show you got experts\u2019 opinions on the topic.<\/p>\n
But there\u2019s more to it than that. There\u2019s actually a real benefit for your learning.<\/p>\n
If you force yourself to cite two expert sources per paragraph, you\u2019re actually forcing yourself to get two separate pieces of expert knowledge. This will deepen your knowledge!<\/p>\n
So, don\u2019t treat referencing like a vanity exercise to help you gain more marks. Actually view it as an opportunity to develop deeper understandings of the topic!<\/p>\n
When you read expert sources, aim to pick up on some new gems of knowledge that you can discuss in your essays. Some things you should look out for when finding sources to reference:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Examples that link ideas to real life.<\/strong> Do the experts provide real-life examples that you can mention in your essay?<\/li>\n
- Facts and figures. <\/strong>Usually experts have conducted research on a topic and provide you with facts and figures from their research. Use those facts and figures to deepen your essay!<\/li>\n
- Short Quotes. <\/strong>Did your source say something in a really interesting, concise or surprising way? Great! You can quote that source in your essay<\/a>.<\/li>\n
- New Perspectives.<\/strong> Your source might give you another perspective, angle or piece of information that you can add to your paragraph so that it\u2019s a deep, detailed and interesting paragraph.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
So, the reason we ask you to reference is at the end of the day because it\u2019s good for you: it helps you learn!<\/p>\n
4. Referencing backs up your Claims<\/h3>\n
You might think you already know a ton of information about the topic and be ready to share your mountains of knowledge with your teacher. Great!<\/p>\n
So, should you still reference?<\/p>\n
Yes. Definitely.<\/p>\n
You need to show that you\u2019re not the only person with your opinion. You need to \u2018stand on the shoulders of giants.\u2019 Show what other sources have said about your points to prove that experts agree with you.<\/p>\n
You should be saying: this is my opinion and it\u2019s based on facts, expert opinions and deep, close scrutiny of all the arguments that exist out there<\/em>.<\/p>\n
If you make a claim that no one else has made, your teacher is going to be like \u201cHave you even been reading the evidence on this topic?\u201d The answer, if there are no citations is likely: No. You haven\u2019t.<\/p>\n
Even if you totally disagree with the experts, you still need to say what their opinions are! You\u2019ll need to say: \u201cThis is the experts\u2019 opinions. And this is why I disagree.\u201d<\/p>\n
So, yes, you need to reference to back up every claim. Try to reference twice in every paragraph to achieve this.<\/p>\n
Part 3: Strategies for How to Reference in an Essay (9 Strategies of Top Students)<\/h1>\n
Let\u2019s get going with our top strategies for how to reference in an essay! These are strategies that you probably haven\u2019t heard elsewhere. They work for everyone \u2013 from beginner to advanced! Let\u2019s get started:<\/p>\n
1. Print out your Reference Style Cheat Sheet<\/h3>\n
Referencing is hard and very specific. You need to know where to place your italics, where the commas go and whether to use an initial for full name for an author.<\/p>\n
There are so many details to get right.<\/p>\n
And here\u2019s the bad news: The automated referencing apps and websites nearly always get it wrong!<\/strong> They tell you they can generate the citation for you. The fact of the matter is: they can\u2019t!<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s the best way to get referencing right: Download a referencing cheat sheet and have it by your side while writing your essay.<\/strong><\/p>\n
Your assignment outline should tell you what type of referencing you should use. Different styles include: APA Style, MLA Style, Chicago Style, Harvard Style, Vancouver Style \u2026 and many more!<\/p>\n
You need to find out which style you need to use and download your cheat sheet. You can jump onto google to find a cheat sheet by typing in the google bar:<\/p>\n
![\"how](\"https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/Referencing_Embed_01.jpg\")
<\/center>Your university might also offer a cheat sheet for you.<\/p>\nDownload a pdf version of the referencing style cheat sheet, print it out, and place it on your pinboard or by your side when writing your essay.<\/p>\n
2. Only cite Experts<\/h3>\n
There are good and bad sources<\/a> to cite in an essay.<\/p>\n
You should only cite sources written, critiqued and edited by experts. This shows that you have got the skill of finding information that is authoritative. You haven\u2019t just used information that any old person popped up on their blog. You haven\u2019t just gotten information from your local newspaper. Instead, you got information from the person who is an absolute expert on the topic.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s an infographic listing sources that you should and shouldn\u2019t cite. Feel free to share this infographic on social media, with your teachers and your friends:<\/p>\n
\n ![\"good](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/helpfulprofessor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/sources-to-cite-in-essays.jpg?fit=519%2C1024&ssl=1\")
<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n3. Always use Google Scholar<\/span><\/h3>\n
Always. Use. Google. Scholar.<\/p>\n
Ten years ago students only had their online university search database to find articles. Those university databases suck. They rarely find the best quality sources and there\u2019s always a big mix of completely irrelevant sources mixed in there.<\/p>\n
Google Scholar is better at finding the sources you want. That\u2019s because it looks through the whole article abstract and analyses it to see if it\u2019s relevant to your search keywords. By contrast, most university search databases rely only on the titles of articles.<\/p>\n
Use the power of the best quality search engine in the world to find scholarly sources<\/a>.<\/p>\n
Note:<\/strong> Google and Google Scholar<\/a> are different search engines.<\/p>\n
To use Google Scholar, go to: https:\/\/scholar.google.com<\/a><\/p>\n
Then, search on google scholar using keywords. I\u2019m going to search keywords for an essay on the topic: \u201cWhat are the traits of a good nurse?\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"how](\"https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/Referencing_Embed_02.jpg\")
<\/center>Here\u2019s what came up when I pressed search:<\/p>\n![\"how](\"https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/Referencing_Embed_03.jpg\")
<\/center>Notice that the top source on this list doesn\u2019t have a link to a Pdf or Html document next to it? That means you don\u2019t have direct access to it. You\u2019d probably have to pay for it. So, look for sources that look relevant that have a direct link to the source. I\u2019ve circled those three sources in red above.<\/p>\nIf you really like the idea of that first source, I recommend copying the title and trying your University online search database. Your university may give you free access.<\/p>\n
4. Cite at least 50% sources you found on your Own Research<\/span><\/h3>\n
Okay, so I\u2019ve told you that you should cite both assigned readings and readings you find from Google Scholar.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s the ideal mix of assigned sources and sources that you found yourself: 50\/50.<\/p>\n
Your teacher will want to see that you can use both assigned readings and do your own additional research to write a top essay<\/a>. This shows you\u2019ve got great research skills but also pay attention to what is provided in class.<\/p>\n
I recommend that you start with the assigned readings and try to get as much information out of them, then find your own additional sources beyond that using Google Scholar.<\/p>\n
So, if your essay has 10 citations, a good mix is 5 assigned readings and 5 readings you found by yourself.<\/p>\n
5. Cite Newer Sources<\/span><\/h3>\n
As a general rule, the newer the source the better<\/a>.<\/p>\n
The best rule of thumb that most teachers follow is that you should aim to mostly cite sources from the past 10 years<\/strong>. I usually accept sources from the past 15 years when marking essays.<\/p>\n
However, sometimes you have a really great source that\u2019s 20, 30 or 40 years old. You should only cite these sources if they\u2019re what we call \u2018seminal texts\u2019. A seminal text is one that was written by an absolute giant in your field and revolutionized the subject.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s some examples of seminal authors whose old articles you would be able to cite despite the fact that they\u2019re old:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Education: <\/strong>Vygotsky, Friere, Piaget<\/li>\n
- Sociology:<\/strong> Weber, Marx, C. Wright Mills<\/li>\n
- Psychology:<\/strong> Freud, Rogers, Jung<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Even if I cite seminal authors, I always aim for at least 80% of my sources to have been written in the past 10 years.<\/p>\n
6. Reference twice per Paragraph<\/span><\/h3>\n
How much should you reference?<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s a good strategy: Provide two citations in every paragraph<\/a> in the body of the essay.<\/p>\n
- Sociology:<\/strong> Weber, Marx, C. Wright Mills<\/li>\n
- Facts and figures. <\/strong>Usually experts have conducted research on a topic and provide you with facts and figures from their research. Use those facts and figures to deepen your essay!<\/li>\n
- Examples that link ideas to real life.<\/strong> Do the experts provide real-life examples that you can mention in your essay?<\/li>\n
- Secondly,<\/strong> by citing the assigned readings you are showing your teacher that you have been paying attention throughout the course. You are showing your teacher that you have done your homework, read those assigned readings and paid attention to them. When my students submit an essay that has references to websites, blogs, wikis and magazines I get very frustrated. Why would you cite low quality non-expert sources like websites when I gave you <\/em>the expert\u2019s article!? Really, it frustrates me so, so much.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- MLA:<\/strong> Schlebusch, Carina and Mattias Jakobsson. \u201cTales of Human Migration, Admixture, and Selection in Africa.\u201d Annual Review of Genomics and Human Genetics<\/em>, vol. 11, no. 33, 2018, pp. 1\u201324.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- MLA:<\/strong> Archaeological records trace the original human being to equatorial Africa about 250,000\u2013350,000 years ago (Schlebusch and Jakobsson 1)<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- Why Reference? (4 Things you Should Know)<\/a><\/li>\n
![\"Essay](\"https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/Strategy_02.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"how](\"https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/Referencing_Embed_04.jpg\")
<\/center>c) Use a Hanging Indent in the Reference List<\/strong><\/p>\n