Handbook for Written Coursework Revised and updated Summer 2011
All information Š2011 Bishop Grosseteste University College Lincoln
Contents (This is a ‘clickable’ index if you are viewing electronically)
SECTION ONE: PLAGIARISM .............................................................. 4 1. What is plagiarism? ...................................................................................... 4 2. Examples of plagiarism ................................................................................ 5 3. How do I avoid plagiarism? ......................................................................... 7 Good practice .............................................................................................................. 7
4. What will happen if plagiarism is suspected? ............................................ 7
SECTION TWO: REFERENCING........................................................... 8 1. Introduction ................................................................................................. 8 1.1 What is referencing and why is it necessary? ...................................................... 8 1.2 How should I approach referencing? .................................................................. 9 1.3 When referencing is not necessary ...................................................................... 9
2. Citation in the text ..................................................................................... 10
2.1 A single authored work ...................................................................................... 10 2.2 If there are two authors ..................................................................................... 10 2.3 If there are three or more authors..................................................................... 10 2.4 A government department, organisation or company .................................... 10 2.5 Websites ............................................................................................................... 10 2.6 Citing several authors simultaneously ............................................................... 11 2.7 When one author is quoted by another ............................................................ 11 2.8 Referencing quotations within the text ............................................................ 11 2.9 Adapting parts of a quotation (use of ellipses and insertions) ...................... 12 2.10 Paraphrasing or summarising ........................................................................... 12 2.11 Citing religious texts within your assignment................................................. 12 2.12 Citing fiction, plays and poems within the text .............................................. 13 2.13 Maintaining the anonymity of workplaces, schools and settings ................. 13
3. Creating a reference list ............................................................................ 14 4. Books .......................................................................................................... 14
4.1 A book by a single author .................................................................................. 14 4.2 Books with more than one author..................................................................... 14 4.3 A book re-published in a new edition ............................................................... 14 4.4 Citing two or more books by the same author, published in the same year . 14 4.5 An edited book.................................................................................................... 15 4.6 A chapter in an edited book .............................................................................. 15 4.7 A secondary reference* ...................................................................................... 15 4.8 A play or poem published in an anthology ....................................................... 15 4.9 E-books................................................................................................................. 15 4.10 Kindle ................................................................................................................. 16 4.11 Citing standard reference texts, such as dictionaries and atlases.................. 16 4.12 Translations........................................................................................................ 16
5. Articles ........................................................................................................ 17
5.1 Article in a printed journal ................................................................................. 17 5.2 Article in an electronic journal ........................................................................... 17 5.3 Newspaper articles .............................................................................................. 17 5.4 Electronic newspaper articles ............................................................................. 17 5.5 Conference papers .............................................................................................. 17
6. Official sources ........................................................................................... 18
6.1 Government publications ................................................................................... 18
6.2 Official reports..................................................................................................... 18 6.3 Acts of Parliament ............................................................................................... 18
7. Images......................................................................................................... 18
7.1 A work of art ....................................................................................................... 18 7.2 Online images or photographs .......................................................................... 18
8. Electronic sources ....................................................................................... 19
8.1 Websites ............................................................................................................... 19 8.2 Online discussion lists or blogs ........................................................................... 19 8.3 Personal email ..................................................................................................... 19
9. Audio-visual material ................................................................................. 20
9.1 Film, video and DVD ........................................................................................... 20 9.2 Television or radio ............................................................................................... 20 9.3 Sound recordings................................................................................................. 20 9.4 CD-ROMs .............................................................................................................. 20 9.5 Podcasts................................................................................................................ 20
10. Information gathered from museums, exhibitions and heritage sites.. 21
10.1 Information Boards ........................................................................................... 21 10.2 Exhibitions ......................................................................................................... 21
11. Unpublished sources ................................................................................ 21
11.1 Theses and dissertations ................................................................................... 21 11.2 Oral sources (interviews and lectures) ............................................................. 21 11.3 Documentation and policies from workplaces, schools and settings ............ 22 11.4 Archival sources ................................................................................................. 22
12. Missing information ................................................................................. 22 13. A sample reference list ............................................................................ 23
SECTION THREE: PRESENTATION .................................................... 24 1. Introduction ............................................................................................... 24 2. Technical Conventions ............................................................................... 24
2.1 Title page ............................................................................................................. 24 2.2 Technical Conventions ........................................................................................ 25 2.3 Lists ....................................................................................................................... 26 2.4 Illustrations, tables or figures ............................................................................. 26 2.5 Contents Page...................................................................................................... 26 2.6 Appendices .......................................................................................................... 26 2.7 Word count .......................................................................................................... 26 2.8 Printing ................................................................................................................ 26
3. Presentation advice for different assignment types ................................ 27 4. Use of Terms ............................................................................................... 28
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SECTION ONE: PLAGIARISM 1. What is plagiarism? Plagiarism is a form of cheating. Academic work at university level requires you to express your own ideas and opinions, evidenced by information, opinions, ideas and quotations from other authors. While it is vital that you use the work of other authors, it is essential that you distinguish between your own work and that of other people. Unless a piece of information is common knowledge, you must provide a reference to the original source. Plagiarism is defined by Bishop Grosseteste University College Lincoln (BG) in the Code of Practice for Academic Misconduct as: The unacknowledged incorporation in a student’s work of material derived from the work, published or unpublished, of another is plagiarism. Assignments presented as collaborative group assessments are plagiarised if they include the work of others that has not been acknowledged. Plagiarism might include: •
the inclusion in a student’s work of more than a single phrase from another person’s work without the use of quotation marks and acknowledgement of the sources;
•
the summarising of another person’s work by simply changing a few words or altering the order of presentation, without acknowledgement;
•
the use of the ideas of another person without acknowledgement of the source;
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copying the work of another student, without their knowledge or agreement;
•
copying the work of another student with their knowledge. If two or more students plan to share their work and submit it for independent assessment, this is collusion. If the words are not identical, but the ideas behind them and the way they are expressed are remarkably similar, this is still collusion. It is important that individual assignments demonstrate independent thought. While you might recommend some relevant sources to a colleague you should not share entire bibliographies and specific quotations;
•
using ideas or information from social networking sites such as blogs or discussion boards. Although such sites can provide an excellent environment for discussing ideas, the same standards apply to online discussion as to academic work. Therefore students must ensure that they reference the source of any information, evidence and literature they post so as to avoid confusion for themselves or others and/or accusations of plagiarism;
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buying an essay, or getting someone else to write it, and submitting it as your own work;
•
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2. Examples of plagiarism The following paragraph is a quotation from a book. It is plagiarised because it does not indicate that it is a word for word copy and there is no mention of the original author: The politest thing that may be said about it is that for much of his career, Churchill’s oratory was far more important and interesting to himself than it was to the British political classes or to the British people in general, and that he was often rude and vituperative, bullying and overbearing, apocalyptic and irresponsible.
To include this direct quotation correctly, it should be indented (as it is more than one line long), and attributed to the author:
The politest thing that may be said about it is that for much of his career, Churchill’s oratory was far more important and interesting to himself than it was to the British political classes or to the British people in general, and that he was often rude and vituperative, bullying and overbearing, apocalyptic and irresponsible (Cannadine 2002: 111).
The citation at the end shows where the quote was originally from. More information about this would be included in the reference list at the end of the piece of work, like this: Cannadine, D. (2002) In Churchill’s Shadow. London: Penguin.
If the quotation were shorter than one line, it would not need to be indented. Instead it would be included in the text and should be placed inside single quotation marks (double quotation marks are reserved for direct speech): Churchill’s speeches were ‘often rude’ (Cannadine 2002: 111).
Cannadine (2002: 111) comments that Churchill was ‘often rude and vituperative, bullying and overbearing, apocalyptic and irresponsible.’ You should avoid too many long quotations in your work. Paraphrasing is re-writing in your own words. If you do this, you still need to say where the information came from.
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For example, this is a paraphrase of the sentence about Churchill quoted earlier. It is good academic practice because it is in the student’s own words, and it is attributed to the original author: Churchill could be insulting when speaking publicly and, despite his wartime reputation, his speeches were sometimes considered boring and insignificant (Cannadine 2002: 111). The following paraphrase is not acceptable – only a few words have been changed, the structure is the same and, most seriously, it is not attributed: The kindest comment on his career is that Churchill’s speaking was more significant and exciting to him than other people in Britain. If you use another person’s argument, opinion or interpretation it is still vital that you acknowledge the original author. The following is good academic practice. Note that a page number is not given here, as this is a summary of the general argument used throughout Cannadine’s chapter: This essay will further explore and support Cannadine’s assertion that Churchill’s public speaking was not always as successful as it was during the Second World War (2002). Whereas the following is plagiarism, as there is no mention of the original author. The student is giving the false impression that this is their idea: This essay will argue that although Churchill was well-known for his speaking ability in wartime, for much of his career his speeches were less well received. For more information about plagiarism and correctly referenced work visit the ‘Learning Advice and Study Skills’ area of Blackboard, where you can access additional advice and guidance, including links to interactive tutorials.
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3. How do I avoid plagiarism? It is essential that you indicate and acknowledge when you have taken the work of another author, from all types of published and unpublished sources, including the internet. The following list indicates the types of material that need referencing in your work: • • • • • • • • • •
Quotations Paraphrasing Ideas Opinions Arguments Illustrations Photographs Maps Statistics Research data
SECTION TWO of this Handbook explains how to reference correctly in the text and how to create a reference list.
Good practice 1. It is essential to be organised in your preliminary reading and research. Keep well organised notes. You should note down the details of each source used and be clear when you are copying down word for word or paraphrasing; 2. Do not leave your referencing until you have finished your essay. Noting where you have used the work of others in your assignments as you go along will help to prevent unintended plagiarism; 3. Use the Handbook for Written Coursework when you are writing and checking an assignment to ensure referencing is full and accurate; 4. Web-based materials should not be directly downloaded or cut and pasted into an assignment. All internet material used must be referenced fully; 5. Do not take information on social networking sites at face value. Always chase up references and ensure you are confident about the accuracy, quality and origin of information; 6. Paraphrasing of material from others must be referenced clearly. Ideas, opinions and interpretations taken from other sources should also be fully acknowledged.
4. What will happen if plagiarism is suspected? See the Code of Practice for Academic Misconduct. This can be found on the BG website, in the Corporate section under Academic Quality, Codes of Practice. If you are viewing this document electronically, click here.
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SECTION TWO: REFERENCING 1. Introduction All students at BG are required to use the Harvard system (also known as the ‘Author Date’ method) when referencing their work. This system is the most widely used and is relatively straightforward. This guide aims to introduce students to BG’s version of the Harvard system. Incorrect referencing can cost marks, so you should use this guide and become familiar with a system you will be required to use throughout your studies. If in doubt about any aspect of referencing, seek advice from a member of the appropriate course team or from Learning Advice (learning.advice@bishopg.ac.uk).
1.1 What is referencing and why is it necessary? When writing a piece of work you will need to refer to material written by other authors, in order to provide information, offer evidence for your arguments and demonstrate knowledge of the relevant subject debates. Whether you use direct quotations within your text, or summarise or paraphrase another person’s ideas, it is absolutely essential to give credit to the authors used: this is called referencing. It can also be referred to as citation. The Harvard system requires you to place information about your sources both: a) within the text and b) at the end of a piece of work, in a reference list Unless this is done your work will be plagiarised, even if this is unintended. Referencing allows: 1. Acknowledgment to be given to the people whose ideas and opinions were used in the preparation and writing of the assignment (and means you will not be accused of plagiarism). 2. Your tutors to see the levels of research undertaken for the piece of work. 3. Individual sources used to be clearly identified and easily traceable.
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1.2 How should I approach referencing? Proper referencing begins at the start of the research for an assignment and should not just be an afterthought when the assignment is completed. It is important that referencing is consistent and accurate. In order to ensure this happens, keep a list of all the resources used as you work. It is very important to keep an accurate record of where you have taken information from. When taking notes, be sure to copy down the necessary information required for referencing each source (including internet sites): • • • • •
author date of publication title place of publication and publisher (or URL and date accessed) page numbers
Be clear about whether you have copied text verbatim (word for word) or paraphrased/summarised it. Note page numbers in the margin against the relevant notes. In addition, composing the reference list as you go along will save considerable time and trouble when you come to the end of a piece of work. Websites Any information taken from the internet, whether words or images, must be properly referenced. You need to check the copyright information to find out if it is legal to download pictures, diagrams, charts etc. Often this is allowed for educational purposes, but it still needs to be correctly referenced. If there is not a copyright statement then email the owner or webmaster to ask for permission, explaining what the assignment is about and that you are a student.
1.3 When referencing is not necessary Common Knowledge A fact is common knowledge when it is likely to be found in many places and is generally known by many people. For example: that the Battle of Hastings happened in 1066 is common knowledge and does not need to be referenced. The estimate that 8,000 men died during the battle is not widely known and could be disputed, so this information would need a reference.
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2. Citation in the text In the Harvard system, references to all sources are provided within the text in parentheses (brackets) by giving the author’s surname, year of publication and (where possible) a page number. Note that the reference is part of the sentence and the full stop therefore comes after the brackets.
2.1 A single authored work whether this is a book, article, website or any other type of source, simply use the surname, the year of publication, and a page number if appropriate: ‘A few words, carefully chosen, make the most powerful quotations’ (Cottrell 2008: 131).
2.2 If there are two authors the names of both should be given: Both theory and practice in Education are rooted in the modernist tradition (Usher and Edwards 1994: 24).
2.3 If there are three or more authors you should give the first author’s name and add et al. which literally means ‘and others’: Singleton et al. (1999) argue that…
In the Reference List, however, give all the authors’ names.
2.4 A government department, organisation or company can be named as an author instead of a person. This is often the case with government publications or websites. You should use this name in the reference, for example: (DCSF 2008) or (Ofsted 2008). If it is impossible to identify an author (whether personal or corporate) it is possible to provide an anonymous citation in the text by using Anon. in place of an author’s name. However, you should be wary of doing this. See the section on Missing information.
2.5 Websites Some websites and electronic documents may not have a named author. NEVER give the website address (URL) in the text. Instead, look for who is responsible for the creation of the document, whether that is an organisation, corporation or department, for example: (Tate Britain 2008).
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2.6 Citing several authors simultaneously Sometimes you may wish to acknowledge that several authors make the same point. This has the advantage of using fewer words, but more importantly indicates that you are able to synthesise information from a variety of sources. Put the authors in date order rather than alphabetical order: Cohen (2000), Howell (2005) and Kent (2010) have all argued that...
Or use semi-colons to separate the authors: There have been several studies (Cohen 2000; Howell 2005; Kent 2010) which indicate...
2.7 When one author is quoted by another You may wish to acknowledge an author’s idea or quote when you’ve found it in a second author’s work. You should always try and access the original source if possible, especially at postgraduate level. If you cannot do this, you will need to provide a more detailed citation. This is sometimes called secondary referencing. For example, in an article which examines Theatre in Education, Helen Nicholson begins her discussion with a quote from a personal interview she conducted with Edward Bond on the performance of his play The Children. It would not be possible for a student to gain access to the original interview, so a secondary reference is appropriate. To quote from the interview and demonstrate where you found it, you need to provide a citation which tells the reader both who made the original comments and where you found them, so you should do the following in the text: The first performance of The Children has been described by its author as ‘almost a touchstone for what theatre is all about’ (Bond 2000, in Nicholson 2003: 9).
2.8 Referencing quotations within the text There are two principal ways of referencing a direct quotation: ‘The case-study approach is particularly appropriate for individual researchers’ (Bell 2002: 10).
or Bell (2002: 10) states that ‘the case-study approach is particularly appropriate for individual researchers’.
Both tell the reader that Bell is the author who is being quoted, the book was published in 2002 and the quotation is taken from page 10. In the second, the name of the author is included in the sentence, so it does not appear in the parentheses (brackets) as well. Block quotations are over a line long. They are indented, single spaced and separated from the main body of the text. The reference can go at the beginning: According to Tracy (2002: 139): Plagiarism is the theft of intellectual property. A plagiariser takes other people’s material …without stating its author’s origin. This isn’t always deliberate fraud because many students do it unwittingly.
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Or at the end: Plagiarism is the theft of intellectual property. A plagiariser takes other people’s material … without stating its author’s origin. This isn’t always deliberate fraud because many students do it unwittingly (Tracy 2002: 139).
2.9 Adapting parts of a quotation (use of ellipses and insertions) Ellipses (points of omission) are three dots… which indicate that some words have been omitted from within a quotation (see example above). Ellipses are generally used in the middle of a quotation to indicate where words have been missed out. If a block quotation starts mid sentence, use them at the beginning. You do not need to use them at the end of a quotation. If an ellipsis is part of the original material, it must be retained: never delete it. If you decide to insert a word or words to a quotation to make more sense in the context of your assignment, you should put them in square brackets [like this]: It [the computer spellcheck] has already had a positive impact on helping reduce the number of spelling errors in students’ writing (Wyse 2006: 127).
2.10 Paraphrasing or summarising If you are not using a direct quotation, but have paraphrased or summarised the ideas of another author you must still provide the reference: Bell (2002:10) believes that case-studies are an effective method of research, especially for lone researchers.
If your summary is of the whole of a book, chapter or section it will not be possible to provide a page number: Bell (2002) introduces many styles of research and suggests that case-studies are particularly accessible to the teacher-researcher.
2.11 Citing religious texts within your assignment In the text, references to the Bible should include the book (abbreviated if necessary), chapter and verse, but not a page number. A colon is used between chapter and verse: (Hebrews 13:8). (Ruth 3:1-18).
Use the appropriate numerical system for other religious texts, such as the Koran. Unusually, classical religious texts do not have to be included in your reference list at the end of a piece of work, unless you are making a particular point about the edition or translation. If this is the case, follow the guidance for standard reference texts.
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2.12 Citing fiction, plays and poems within the text As a general convention, always place the titles of novels, plays and poetry collections in italics (Atonement, Hamlet, The Lyrical Ballads) and the titles of novellas, short stories and individual poems in single inverted commas (‘Metamorphosis’, ‘The Dead’, ‘The Tyger’). For fiction, cite the author, date, and page number(s): In Surfacing Joe is described as ‘pallid as though he’s been living in a cellar’ (Atwood 1972: 35). When plays and poems are annotated with line or verse numbers you should include these within your reference. In such cases it is often preferable to introduce the author and date within the main body of the text before the quotation. For plays, cite the appropriate act, scene, and line number(s): Edmund’s first soliloquy in King Lear (Shakespeare 1997) establishes an important distinction between nature and the social order: Thou, nature, art my goddess; to thy law My services are bound. Wherefore should I Stand in the plague of custom (Act 1, Sc.2. L. 1-3)
For poems, cite the line number(s): The opening of ‘The Waste Land’ (Eliot 1999) challenges traditional views of spring as a season of optimism and rebirth: April is the cruellest month, breeding Lilacs out of the dead land (L.1-2).
If the play or poem is not annotated with line or verse numbers, simply use the appropriate page number. Endgame (Beckett 2006) repeatedly draws attention to its own status as a theatrical performance: CLOV: What is there to keep me here? HAMM: The dialogue. (27)
Note that all these citations include the publication date of the edition that is being quoted and not the original publication date of the work: It is King Lear (1997) not King Lear (1623)
2.13 Maintaining the anonymity of workplaces, schools and settings This is achieved by using a pseudonym consistently throughout the text, for example Bigtown Primary, Zebra Nursery or Leafy Children’s Centre: The prospectus notes that: Healthy eating is promoted through a range of curriculum initiatives as well as by the meals and snacks prepared for children (Leafy Nursery 2009: 2).
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3. Creating a reference list The reference list appears at the end of your piece of work. It should be arranged in alphabetical order, according to the surnames of the authors who have been cited. You should not separate different types of sources in your reference list. An example Reference List is provided at the end of this section. Your reference list should include only those items that have been cited (referred to in the main body of an assignment). Its purpose is to provide the more detailed bibliographic details of your sources, so they can be clearly identified and easily traceable. (Certain assignments may also ask you to provide a list of additional reading which has informed your work but is not directly quoted). There are strict rules governing the presentation of a reference list. Use the following examples to ensure that the order, punctuation and presentation of all elements is correct.
4. Books Author’s Surname, INITIALS. (Year of publication) Title. Place of publication: Publisher.
4.1 A book by a single author Tracy, E. (2002) The Student’s Guide to Exam Success. Buckingham: Open University Press.
4.2 Books with more than one author Brown, F., Amos, J. and Mink, O. G. (1985) Statistical Concepts. New York: Harper and Row.
Note that you need to provide the names of all the authors here, whereas you use the first author and et al. when citing books with more than two authors in the text.
4.3 A book re-published in a new edition Turabian, K. L. (1996) A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses and Dissertations. 6th edition. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
4.4 Citing two or more books by the same author, published in the same year Lawton, D. (1989a) Education, Culture and the National Curriculum. London: Hodder and Stoughton. Lawton, D. (1989b) The Education Reform Act: choice and control. London: Hodder and Stoughton.
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4.5 An edited book Bahn, P. (ed.) (2001) The Penguin Archaeology Guide. London: Penguin Books.
4.6 A chapter in an edited book Author’s surname, INITIALS. (Year of publication) Chapter title. In: Editor’s surname, INITIAL. (ed.) Book title. Place of publication: Publisher. Smith, C. (2006) From special needs to inclusive education. In: Sharp, J., Ward, S. and Hankin, L. (eds) Education Studies: An issues-based approach. Exeter: Learning Matters.
Note that this is not the same as a secondary reference. For a chapter or item from a collection you only need to cite the chapter’s author and date of publication in the text, with a page number if appropriate: for example, (Smith 2006: 143).
4.7 A secondary reference* Although in the text, secondary references involve a more complex citation (see section 2.7), in the reference list you should only provide details about the secondary source: the text you actually used. So for the following citation in the text (Ramsden 1992, in Cottrell 2001: 4) the reference list entry would simply be as follows: Cottrell, S. (2001) Teaching Study Skills and Supporting Learning. Basingstoke: Palgrave.
*MA students are advised to note course specific guidance on this issue.
4.8 A play or poem published in an anthology Name of author. (Year of edition) Play or poem title. In: Name of editor. (ed.) Title of Anthology. Place of publication: Publisher. Wilde, O. F. (1995 edition) A Woman of No Importance. In: Raby, P. (ed.) The Importance of Being Earnest and Other Plays. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
4.9 E-books Author’s surname, INITIALS. (Year of publication). Title. [online] Place of Publication: Publisher. Available from: platform’s root URL [Accessed date]. Dunne, R. and Wragg, T. (1994) Effective Teaching [online] London: Taylor & Francis. Available from: http://www.myilibrary.com [Accessed 29th May 2008]. Lundin, A. (2004) Constructing the Canon of Children’s Literature. [online] London: Routledge. Available from: http://lincoln.etailer.dpsl.net [Accessed 16th July 2008].
These examples illustrate E-books held in the two collections subscribed to by the Sibthorp Library: MyiLibrary (http://www.myilibrary.com) and the Taylor and Francis Collection (http://lincoln.etailer.dpsl.net). If you use E-book collections found on the internet, look for their root URL (e.g. books accessed via Project Gutenberg would be www.gutenberg.org).
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4.10 Kindle Author’s surname, INITIAL. (Year of Kindle version used) Title. [Kindle version] Available from: root URL. [Accessed date]. Smith, A. (2008) The Wealth of Nations. [Kindle version]. Available from: http://www.amazon.com [Accessed 11th March 2011].
Referencing a direct quotation in the text (as Kindle does not have page numbers): (Author year: chapter number). (Smith 2008: Chapter 2).
4.11 Citing standard reference texts, such as dictionaries and atlases While such works do have editors and compilers, it is accepted practice to refer directly to them as sources of information, rather than to cite the names of the editors or compilers. The Oxford Dictionary for Writers and Editors. (2000) 2nd edition. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
In the text refer to (The Oxford Dictionary for Writers and Editors 2000).
4.12 Translations Author’s Surname, INITIALS. (Year of publication) Title. Translated from (language) by (name of translator). Place of publication: Publisher. Canetti, E. (2001) The Voices of Marrakesh: A Record of a Visit. Translated from German by J. A. Underwood. San Francisco: Arion.
For major works of historical significance, the date of the original work may be included along with the date of translation. Kant, I. (1785) Fundamental Principles of Metaphysic of Morals. Translated by T. K. Abbot. 1988. New York: Prometheus Books.
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5. Articles 5.1 Article in a printed journal Author’s surname, INITIALS. (Year of publication) Title of article. Journal name. Volume number (issue number). First and last page numbers for the article. Marzillier, J. (2004) The Myth of Evidence-based Psychotherapy. The Psychologist. 17 (7). 392-395.
5.2 Article in an electronic journal Author’s surname, INITIALS. (Year of publication) Title of article. Journal name. [online] Volume number (issue number). First and last page numbers for the article. Available from: URL [Accessed date]. Ozanne, S. E. (2001) Metabolic Programming in Animals: type 2 diabetes. British Medical Bulletin. [online] 60. 143-152. Available from: http://bmb.oupjournals.org/egi/content/abstract/60/1/143 [Accessed 3rd June 2003].
Some online databases (e.g. Jstor) produce excessively long urls incorporating search term information which can run to four or more lines of text. Discretion should be used in the editing of these for presentation.
5.3 Newspaper articles Author’s surname, INITIALS [or Newspaper title if author unknown]. (Year of publication) Title of article. Newspaper name. Date. Page number. Jones, B. (2004) The Wrong Prescriptions for Intelligence. The Independent. 23rd July. 39.
5.4 Electronic newspaper articles Author’s surname, INITIALS [or Newspaper title if author unknown]. (Year of publication) Title of article. Newspaper name. [online] Date. Available from: URL [Accessed date]. Vasagar J., and Shepherd, J. (2010) Clearing scramble for remaining university places. The Guardian. [online] 19th August. Available from: http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/ [Accessed 19th August 2010].
5.5 Conference papers Name of author. (Year) Title of paper. Name of conference. Place. Date. Watkins, T. (2001) Signs Without Words: the prehistory of writing. Conference of the British Association of Near East Archaeology. London. 13th-15th December.
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6. Official sources 6.1 Government publications Name of government department. (Year) Title of document. Place of publication: Publisher. Department for Education and Skills. (2002) Key Stage 3 National Strategy: Access and Engagement in Music. London: DfES Publications.
In the text refer to (DfES 2002).
6.2 Official reports Name of chairperson et al. (Year) Title of report. Place of publication: Publisher. Warnock, M. et al. (1978) Special Educational Needs - Report of the Committee of Enquiry into the Education of Handicapped Children and Young People. London: HMSO.
Include the report number if there is one (before the Title of report) In the text refer to The Warnock Report (1978).
6.3 Acts of Parliament Title of statute Year. Place of publication: Publisher. Education Reform Act 1988. London: HMSO.
In the text refer to Education Reform Act 1988.
7. Images 7.1 A work of art Name of artist. (Year produced) Title of work. Medium. Size. Location. Canaletto, G. A. (1754) Eton College. Oil on canvas. 61.6 x 107.7 cm. National Gallery: London.
7.2 Online images or photographs Name of artist or originator. (Year) Title or description of image. [online image] Available from: URL [Accessed date]. Stroinski, B. (2004) Polish Landscape. [online image] Available from: http://www.sxc.hu/photo/194828 [Accessed 19th August 2010].
In the assignment, include the image with a caption including its title and a citation (Stroinski 2004). Alternatively, for an assignment with several images included, use labels such as ‘figure 1’ in the text and provide a list of figures with their details at the beginning of the piece of work.
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8. Electronic sources 8.1 Websites Author’s surname, INITIALS. (Year of publication) Title. Place of publication: Publisher. [online] Available from: URL [Accessed date]. Waterfield, J. and West, B. (2002) SENDA Compliance in Higher Education. Plymouth: University of Plymouth [online] Available at: http://www.plymouth.ac.uk/pages/view.asp?page=3243 [Accessed 7th May 2004].
If the place of publication and publisher are not available, then it is acceptable to miss them out. Smith, M. K. (2002) Jerome Bruner and the Process of Education. [online] Available from: http://www.infed.org/thinkers/bruner.htm [Accessed 15th September 2004].
Some websites and electronic documents may not have a named author. NEVER give the website address (URL) as the author at the start of the reference. Instead, look for who is responsible for the creation of the document, whether that is an organisation, corporation or department. Bishop Grosseteste University College Lincoln. [2008] Research Ethics Policy. [online] Available from: http://www.bishopg.ac.uk/?sid=564&pgid=867 [Accessed19th August 2010].
8.2 Online discussion lists or blogs Name of author. (Year) Title of message. Discussion list. [online] Date. Available at: email address or web address [Accessed date]. Thomas, R. (2002) Employment Policy. European-Sociologist [online] 27th October. Available at: jiscmail@ac.uk [Accessed 20th November 2002].
8.3 Personal email Name of author. (Year) Subject of email. [email] Date. Author’s email address. Richardson, L. G. (2004) Visit to Teaching & Learning Unit. [email] 1st March. Lloyd.Richardson@bgc.ac.uk.
Permission should be obtained from the persons concerned before quoting from online discussion lists, blogs or personal email.
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9. Audio-visual material 9.1 Film, video and DVD Name the film (Year) Director. Production company. Format. Shadowlands (1993) Richard Attenborough. Spelling Films International. DVD.
In the text refer to (Shadowlands 1993).
9.2 Television or radio Name of programme. (Year) Name of broadcast company. Name of episode (where relevant). Transmission date. Format. British Isles: a natural history (2004) BBC1. Episode two. 6th October. Television.
Make clear if the programme is a repeat. Panorama (2003). BBC1. War in the Gulf. Repeated 7th February 2004. Television.
In the text refer to the name of the programme and the year, e.g. (Panorama 2003). There may be cases, for example for factual interviews, when it is more appropriate for contributions within a programme to be cited as follows: Blunkett, D. (2004) Interviewed on BBC2 Newsnight. 5th March. Television.
In this case, you would refer to (Blunkett 2004) in the text to indicate you were quoting or paraphrasing his views, rather than those of the programme makers.
9.3 Sound recordings Name of the originator (individual or group). (Year when the recording was made). Title. Publisher: the medium. Gray, D. (2010) The Foundling. Polydor: MP3 Download.
9.4 CD-ROMs Name of author/editor. (Year) Title. Title of text database. [CD-ROM] Date. Page. Riddell, P. (2001) Isn’t there anything new to worry about? The Times and Sunday Times. [CDROM] 31st December. 18.
9.5 Podcasts Title of podcast. (Year). Place of publication (if available): broadcaster/podcaster. Date. Available from: URL [Accessed date]. Shiva and Parvati Sculpture. (2010) London: BBC Radio Four. 7 July. Available from: http://www.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/series/ahow [Accessed 19th August 2010].
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10. Information gathered from museums, exhibitions and heritage sites 10.1 Information Boards Location. (date) Title of exhibition. [Information board]. Name of site. Nettleham Heritage Association. (undated) The Bishop’s Palace at Nettleham in the Middle of the Twelfth Century. [Information board]. Nettleham Heritage Association.
10.2 Exhibitions Location. (Year) Title of exhibition. [Exhibition] Dates held. Place: Gallery/Museum. Royal Academy of Arts. (1987-8) Age of Chivalry: Art in Plantagenet English, 1200 – 1400. [Exhibition]. 6 March – 6 November. London: Royal Academy of Arts.
11. Unpublished sources 11.1 Theses and dissertations Name of author. (Year) Thesis title. Level of thesis: Awarding institution. Smith, R. (1994) The Role of the LEA in Post-compulsory Education. Ph.D. thesis: Brunel University.
11.2 Oral sources (interviews and lectures) Students should seek consent if they wish to cite information obtained in interviews. Where school placements are involved it is good practice to anonymise the participants and institutions concerned. Recordings or transcripts of interviews and lecture notes should be kept, partly because it is good scholarly practice to do so, but also because students may be asked to provide evidence of such sources. See the Research Ethics policy for further information. As with other unpublished material, they should be presented under an appropriate heading and cited using the author-date format. Interviews Name of interviewee. Year (Date) Interview subject. [interview] Institution. Smith, J. 2004 (19th February) Art Therapy. [interview] The Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists.
Lectures Note that it is not normally considered good practice to reference your course lectures in assignments. You should use these as a basis for further research. However, it is appropriate to make reference to lectures by guest speakers or talks attended elsewhere. Name of lecturer. Year (Date) Lecture subject. [lecture] Institution. Fines, J. 2003 (16th March) Teaching History in the Primary School. [lecture] University of Exeter
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11.3 Documentation and policies from workplaces, schools and settings Retain anonymity by using the same pseudonym established in your text (see section 2.11). Pseudonym. (Year) Title. Leafy Nursery. (2009) Healthy Eating Policy.
11.4 Archival sources Author. (Year) Title. [material type] Collection. Shelfmark. Repository: Location. Home Office. (1916-1933) War: Pacifist activities of Archibald Fenner Brockway, conscientious objector. [manuscript] Home Office Registered Papers. 144/17490. National Archives: Kew.
12. Missing information Some printed sources do not include all of the information that is normally required for the completion of a reference list. For instance, a document may be undated, the author’s name may be omitted, or the place of publication and the name of the publisher may not be stated. Where this happens, you should indicate that this is the case. Thomas, R. (undated) Frocks and Fripperies: ladies dress and accessories from the 17th to the 20th century. Lincoln: Usher Gallery, Museum of Lincolnshire Life and Lincolnshire County Council.
Where publication details are not given this should be indicated in the bibliography or reference list, by putting sine loco (i.e., without place) in brackets for the place of publication, and sine nomine (i.e., without name) in brackets for the publisher. Chartered Institution of Wastes Management. Anaerobic Digestion. (2004) Northampton: (sine nomine).
If the author’s name is missing, you can use ‘anonymous’ or ‘anon.’ but you should think carefully before doing this. It is preferable to use a corporate name if possible. If you have absolutely no idea of who the source can be attributed to, be wary of using it at all.
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13. A sample reference list Use this as a model for the presentation of reference lists. Note it is in alphabetical order by surname and does not separate different types of source.
Reference List Alexander, P. A. and Kulikowich, J. M. (1992) Learning from Physics Text. Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association. San Francisco. 14th April. Black, P. and Wiliam, D. (1999) Assessment for Learning Beyond the Black Box. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Centre for Educational Leadership and Management. (2002) Research Page. [online] Available from: http://www.le.ac.uk/se/centres/celm/research.html [Accessed 1st May 2004]. Crystal, D. (1997a) English as a Global Language. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Crystal, D. (1997b) The Cambridge Encyclopaedia of the English Language. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Dochy, F. J. R., Segers, M. and Buehi, M. (1999) The Relationship Between Assessment Practices and Outcomes of Studies: the case of research on prior knowledge. International Journal of Educational Research. 69. 147-188. Fazey, J. A. and Parker, S. (1995) How Students Acquire Research Skills. In: Smith, B. and Brown, S. (eds) Research, Teaching and Learning in Higher Education. London: Kogan Page. Graham, G. (2002) Behaviourism. [online] Available from: http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/behaviorism/ [Accessed 3rd May 2004]. Jean Piaget Society. (2004) Resources for Students: the clinical method. [online] Available from: http://www.piaget.org/students.html [Accessed 6th May 2004]. Law, L. (ed.) (2001) Oxford Language Reference. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Pramling, I. (1990) Learning to Learn: a study of Swedish pre-school children. New York: Springer Verlag.
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SECTION THREE: PRESENTATION 1. Introduction Why does presentation matter? The way in which text, images and other information are organised influences how easy it is to read your work. Good presentation ensures that your work is viewed in the best possible light and that it will go on to serve as a useful resource for subsequent assignments and exam revision. By considering how your work is presented you are developing skills that will be used in every assignment. This section contains a list of BG conventions and we recommend that you follow these to ensure uniformity and consistency across your coursework. The section does not cover every relevant consideration and you will find that different types of work pose different challenges. Circumstances may arise when you have to make your own decisions about one or another aspect of presentation. In these situations it is most essential that you apply your decision consistently throughout the text.
2. Technical Conventions 2.1 Title page All coursework should include a dedicated title page in a plain font without the use of bold, italics (except for book titles) or pictures:
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2.2 Technical Conventions
Left Margin 2.54 cm (Word 2007 default)
Gutter 2.54 cm (Word 2007 default) Font should be Arial or Times New Roman, 12pt
Titles and subheadings may be up to 16pt Alignment should be to the left
Line Spacing 1.5 or 2
Titles of published works should be italicised in the text
Quotations over a line long should be indented 1cm and single spaced. Quote marks are not needed for block quotations (except to indicate a quote or speech within the quote)
Make clear where a new paragraph begins. Either leave a line space between paragraphs or have no space but indent the first line. Be consistent
Coursework should be paginated with the page numbers printed centrally at the bottom of the page in the footer
Quotations in the text should be indicated by ‘single quotation marks’. Reserve “speech marks” for direct speech
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2.3 Lists Lists may be ordered (numbered) or unordered (bullet points). There should be one clear line of white space separating lists from blocks of text and they should be indented 1cm from the left.
2.4 Illustrations, tables or figures There is no fixed formula that describes how to insert graphics into text documents, but these tips may help: • • • • • • •
Ask yourself whether the usefulness of an illustration justifies its inclusion. Do not try to wrap text around pictures ( i.e. insert graphics on a new line). Align illustrations centrally. Provide a clear descriptive title. Avoid leaving too much white space. Use references such as ‘see figure 1’ in the text so that pictures can be placed more freely than if they have to be adjacent to the text they refer to. If an illustration requires supplementary text (e.g. labels for the axes of graphs) providing these in the main body of the text or in a dedicated legend can make it easier to resize pictures within text documents.
2.5 Contents Page If a piece of work is split into subsections and if it contains appendices or similar documents, it should have a contents page that clearly indicates the names and page numbers of different components. In order to ensure that a contents page is clear and accessible, pay attention to vertical as well as horizontal alignment and use text formatting consistently. Also be sure that section headings and the references to these on the contents page are the same.
2.6 Appendices Appendices are used to provide copies of supporting material that cannot be referred to in the reference list, for example: lesson plans, journal entries or copies of children’s work. Only create an appendix if you make direct reference to the material in the text. Generally speaking an essay does not contain appendices, but they may form part of a report or portfolio. Each appendix should have a clear title as well as an appendix number and each one should begin on a new page – although they should continue the overall sequence of page numbers. Titles and page numbers of different appendices should be noted on the contents page.
2.7 Word count The length of your assignment should be within 10% (+or-) of the word limit specified in your assignment brief. For example, for a 2000 word essay, the maximum word count allowable is 2200, the minimum 1800.
2.8 Printing Assignments may be printed either double or single-sided in black ink.
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3. Presentation advice for different assignment types Essays:
An essay is typically a piece of written work on a specific subject and of a specified length. Essays do not normally need illustrations and you should avoid physically splitting the text into sections and the use of subheadings.
Reports:
Reports tend to give the author more scope to explore different approaches to questions of research methodology, structural approach and presentation. In this situation it is often appropriate to use subheadings to describe sections that serve a discrete purpose within the report or to make the structure of a complex piece of work explicit. It is also possible to include appendices (see above) and to cross reference between these and the main body of the report. In addition, since reports tend to involve more independent research, they are more likely to contain visual supplements such as tables, graphs or illustrations (see above).
Dissertations:
Dissertations are structured into chapters or distinct sections. For example: the introduction, literature review, methodology, report of findings, analysis and discussion of findings and conclusion. Appendices can be included as with a report. However, the precise structure of a dissertation can vary considerably according to subject, so consult your module leader for details.
Lab Reports:
These documents share characteristics of reports. They should be clearly structured and should convey information as clearly and as concisely as possible. You should always employ full and grammatically correct sentences, but these may be arranged in lists of points as well as in formal paragraphs. Lab reports also contain subheadings, but are much more likely to be written to a fixed formula in which headings and subheadings are established as part of the assignment brief.
Portfolios:
These should be well organised with a contents page and page numbers. Include only relevant material, there is little point in submitting documents that you have not commented on. Items for inclusion should be part of directed course work and should be accompanied by appropriate commentary. Once again, requirements can vary according to subject so consult course documentation and course tutors for details.
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4. Use of Terms •
When using terms or phrases that only make sense in a specific intellectual or professional context, single quotation marks can be useful for indicating that they are being employed in an unconventional way, or that you do not mean to personally endorse the application of a term.
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Foreign words that have not been wholly adopted by the English language should be italicised. i.e. caché would not be italicized, but volkerwanderung would be italicized.
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Always check your use of words and phrases to ensure that your language is inclusive and acknowledges diversity. Avoid gender specific or discriminatory language where this could be interpreted as sexist or racist or may cause offence. It is no longer the case that we can confidently assume that a given profession or activity is the preserve of one or another gender or race. In fact to do so is contrary to the agenda established by law and by the constitutions of organisations such as BG. Where possible you should reflect this in your writing. (See the University College policy documents on Diversity and Equality which can be found on the Intranet.)
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Numbers should be expressed in words for numbers below and including ten. For numbers above ten figures should be used, e.g. 57. Use words for indefinite amounts, such as ‘one in a million’. In non technical contexts use commas in numbers of more than four figures, e.g. 4,596. Numbers are made plural without an apostrophe in both words and figures, e.g. 1970s or the Sixties.
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Bishop Grosseteste University College Lincoln
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