Integrating references with sophistication Chris McMillan Academic Skills Adviser
ASK WEEK Pathways to Success 18-22 November 2013
Lecture Outline
Why we reference
The importance of authority How to vary your referencing
Part 1:
The importance of referencing
(THE ‘WHY’)
Why do we reference? • • • •
Avoiding plagiarism and giving credit Tracing your research Academic development Establishing authority
Developing Authority • Academic writing is based around the collaborative creation of knowledge • It is vital that you recognise and utilise this knowledge to add authority to your writing
• Each point you make needs to be supported by reasoning and evidence
How is academic authority established? LOGOS aka The Rhetorical Triangle
PATHOS
ETHOS
Aristotle’s Three Appeals LOGOS
ETHOS
Argument Logic Structure Evidence
Clarity Style Referencing Presentation
PATHOS?
Part 2:
Doing it well
(The ‘How’)
Know your toolbox Indirect quotations (‘Paraphrasing’) When should you do this? What does it accomplish? • Demonstrates understanding of broad concepts or theories • Distils points and saves word count • Allows synthesis of various sources
Examples: Indirect quotations Most education researchers agree with Goodlad (1984) that some version of an objective, transmission-oriented, teacher-and-text-centred tradition is the most widely established approach in U.S. schools. As Bridges (2009) notes, folklore plays an important role in Buffy the Vampire Slayer because it functions for its adult audience the way is has for children throughout history – by making certain real world horrors more bearable.
What do these have in common?
Know your toolbox Direct quotations (using speech marks) When should you do this? What does it accomplish? • Demonstrates sophisticated language use • Lends energy and ‘punch’ to a claim • Should be integrated with your own sentences and ideas. Only directly quote when you couldn’t have said it better yourself.
Examples: Direct quotation Kuhn’s case is that ‘censorship is a productive process rather than a process of excision’ (1992, p. 34), but her analysis of The Big Sleep is based precisely on noting what material was too dangerous to leave in. Among the more surprising findings of Bickmore, et al’s (2005, p. 25) study is the fact that many teachers ‘were often not aware that their stated beliefs were at odds with their teaching practice’.
Sample scenario 1 Prior to 1939 the majority of youth work was organised and delivered on a voluntary basis. Additionally, the little training that was carried out was done so on an ad hoc basis and was largely uncoordinated. The post war period saw a decline in the number of full-time workers, prompting the Ministry of Education to point out the marginality of youth work in its 1952 annual report (Ahmad and Kirby, 1998).
What do you think?
A. The paraphrase is thorough and well-written. B. It is unclear which points the reference refers to, and which are the student’s ideas. C. The reference is incorporated correctly.
Answer It is unclear which parts of the paragraph are the student’s and which are referenced. This can even be construed as plagiarism. Questions to ask yourself: • Is it entirely clear who said what? • Do I need all this information from one source? • Where can I interact with the reference more? • Are there other references I could integrate for better synthesis?
Know how to vary your strategies What verbs can you use instead of ‘argues’ or the introductory ‘According to…’? maintains
implies
contends
claims
asserts observes
notes
justifies
suggests insists
reasons
Sample scenario 2 Blade Runner, filmed in 1982, continues to be a popular, wellknown film today. It is unique in that it has the status of both a cult classic and a box-office hit. Northman suggests that 'in many ways...the film is very traditional...regarding gender and racial politics' (1997, p.74). The cinematography is distinct in mirroring the film's fusion of the film noir and science fiction genres, sprawling yet muted in its dystopic vision.
What do you think?
A. The reference is incorporated correctly. B. There should be more quotations to back up the student’s ideas. C. The quote is irrelevant.
Answer The quote is irrelevant to the discussion at hand, and should be cut or replaced. This is sometimes called a ‘drop’ quote. Questions to ask yourself: • Am I putting in this quotation just ‘for the sake of it,’ to show I did ‘research’? • Does the reference add something to what I am arguing? • Is the statement written so well it is worth quoting directly? • Am I just dropping the quote in, or am I responding to and unpacking it?
Sample scenario 3 James wants to shorten a quotation because it has extra information he doesn’t need, and he’s already over his word count. The original quote is: ‘It is their task to answer those questions – and to do so in the absence of definitive evidence’ (Bridges, 1991, p. 93). He changes it to: ‘It is their task to answer those questions…in the absence of…evidence’ (Bridges, 1991, p. 93).
What do you think?
A. James has used the ellipsis to good effect here. B. James needs ellipses on either end of the quotation, too. C. James has changed the meaning of the statement.
Answer James has changed the meaning of the original quote – this is bad academic practice. Questions to ask yourself: • Why do I need to shorten the quote? Should I just paraphrase instead, then? • Do I need to use an ellipsis just to make the sentence fit grammatically with my own words… • …or am I trying to change the meaning?
Remember you only use an ellipsis to remove words from within a quote.
Final points • Remember that both under-referencing and over-referencing can be an issue • When in doubt, reference or ask for help to avoid plagiarising • Consistency in form is essential • Variation in content creates sophistication • Make your references work for you!
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