Referencing and Attribution

When completing any sort of work that includes research, it is typically a requirement that you reference the source material your information came from. The last thing you want to do is appear like you’re taking credit for someone else's hard work. This process includes referencing and attribution. Referencing is mainly used in academic writing and research papers. To reference a material you need to provide information to your readers so they can locate the source themselves. This includes information like the title, author, publication date, source type (book, journal, website), and URL if it’s a webpage. If the content used is licensed, open source, or in the public domain, then you need to provide attribution. Attribution is about acknowledging who created something and respecting their rights as creator. This includes information like the creator’s name, the title of the work, and any relevant licensing information.

• Direct - Copying text directly from your source without making any changes to it.

• Paraphrasing - Rewording or changing text from a source to pass it off as original.

• Mosaic - Weaving together phrases or sentences from different sources without acknowledging them directly.

Plagiarism comes with many consequences. Many K-12 schools have information about the consequences of plagiarism in their student code of conduct. These range from failure on the assignment, to repeated offences resulting in more severe disciplinary action. Plus, committing plagiarism damages the trust between you and your teacher. In professional settings, committing plagiarism can result in you being fired, damage to your professional reputation, and possible legal action.

An important piece to recognize about possible plagiarism is the difference between common knowledge and information that requires a citation. Common knowledge refers to facts, events, or ideas that are widely known by a large segment of the population. Examples of common knowledge include basic historical facts like the Earth revolves around the Sun, or widely known scientific information like water boils at 212 degrees Fahrenheit. This information does not require a citation. Alternatively, any specific information within a topic, opinions, data, and anything else original to a particular source require a citation. When in doubt, cite it!

How to Create Citations

As you complete your research on a topic, you should be keeping track of all the sources of information you are using. A list of all referenced material is usually called a “Reference List”, “Works Cited”, or “Bibliography”. While there are differences between the format and structure of these three page types, they all serve a common function of providing references to research materials. Within a document you should cite your source for individual pieces of information using in-text citations or footnotes. These act as signals within your writing that point to more detailed sources.

In order to properly cite your content sources, you need to collect relevant information about its creation. This information includes the author, title, source (book, journal, website, video, etc.), publication date, and URL if online. You then use this information to create references for a reference list or works cited page.

Creating a works cited page can seem daunting, but luckily there are plenty of online resources that are built to help you with the process. Websites like PurdueOWL are full of articles and information about how to properly create citations and reference lists in both APA and MLA formats. Citation Machine is a website that allows you to input reference information into organized boxes and it will create a reference or citation for you. Multiple word processing software programs have built-in bibliography or citation tools that can keep track of your references and provide citations where needed. Whatever the project, choose the tool that is right for you.