Referencing

Why reference?

"When you write assignments, it is an accepted  procedure to acknowledge the use of all statements, ideas, opinions, conclusions or data you used which came from other sources and authors. This means stating which textual, online or audiovisual material is the source, whether the work is directly quoted, paraphrased, or summarised. This is called citing your sources or referencing." (King, 2021, p. 1)

By acknowledging your sources, you:

• Support your research - your research for an assignment is supported by the quality of the sources you use and acknowledge

• Allow readers to locate your sources - by providing your sources, you enable readers to locate the information you have referred to in your work

• Avoid plagiarism - by citing your sources properly, you will avoid plagiarising the work of others 

• Demonstrate your research skills - you demonstrate your thinking through the sources you have selected to support your research

• Fulfil moral and legal obligations - you have a moral and legal responsibility to cite all sources you have used in your own work

Using AI tools and referencing 

If you have used an AI tool such as ChatGPT in the course of completing your work, this should be acknowledged and cited appropriately.  Refer to APA Style: How to cite ChatGPT for information about how to properly reference and cite ChatGPT.

Note:

• Remember to fact-check and apply critical thinking to any use of AI output. (Don't assume ChatGPT's sources exist. Always check and verify. ChatGPT can 'create' sources that don't exist!).

• Don't put any personal or identifying information into ChatGPT.

• Users must be at least 13 years old and under 18 year olds must have parent or legal guardian's permission to use ChatGPT.

In-text citations

When do you need to use 'in-text' references? Remember that if you have used information that has come from a book, website, journal or any other source - other than what is in your own head - you must acknowledge this in your essay or report (Year 10 students learn how to do this when completing the All My Own Work program). This applies not only to direct quotes but to any information you have summarised or paraphrased (i.e. written in your own words). For examples of how to do in-text citation, you may visit this website. You can find further helpful information at ELES Study Skills Handbook. 

Tools

A number of online tools are available to help with referencing. Remember that while these tools are helpful, it is your responsibility to check that you have correctly cited and acknowledged any sources used in your own work.

Some suggestions:

Citation Generators

MyBib

CiteFast

https://www.scribbr.com/apa-citation-generator/#/list

Websites:

https://student.unsw.edu.au/apa

https://libguides.library.usyd.edu.au/c.php?g=508212&p=3476096

https://library.westernsydney.edu.au/main/guides/referencing-citation

https://www.quetext.com/ (plagiarism checker)

Apps:

RefMe - a free tool to generate citations, reference lists and bibliographies.

Being organised

Being an effective researcher requires you to be organised throughout the entire process of working on an assignment. Ensure you keep a record of your sources at the time you use them so that you are adding them to your Reference List or Bibliography as you progress. This will save you time in the long run and will help you avoid plagiarising. Good referencing takes time and practice. The library staff and your teachers can guide you in developing your referencing skills. 

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