Correct source quotation in texts and
bibliographies
Rien Elling (TPM-IT&C)
August 2009
How to deal with sources correctly
Right from the start, all students are expected to apply the rules for references and
quotations very precisely in all their texts, reports, articles and essays. Many courses
include special instruction on this, e.g. in Written Reports courses. As a reminder,
and for those students who do not receive special instruction within their curriculum,
this text clearly explains the rules. It also clarifies the situation for teaching staff as
to what they can expect from students. If you are in doubt as to how to deal with
sources correctly, consult the information given below.
Do not run the risk of being accused of plagiarism!
Using extracts from others’ texts without correctly quoting the source in texts and
bibliographies is plagiarism. Plagiarism is a type of fraud and is not tolerated in an
academic environment. Anything which applies to written text also applies to ideas,
diagrams, figures and other data. It is largely irrelevant whether their incorrect use is
due to negligence or a deliberate attempt to commit fraud: negligence conflicts with
the expectations of an academic course to the extent that the question of whether
the plagiarism is deliberate or accidental is not really an issue.
More TPM information on fraud, such as the information brochure, procedure and
sanctions can be found via:
http://www.tudelft.nl/live/pagina.jsp?id=e9f3b304-fe6c-435e-88f1ba420cd35c1e&lang=nl
Self-assessment
Do you want to test whether you know the main rules of source quotation? Do the
self-assessment!
Information Literacy (part of Academic Skills Module)
This part of the self-assessment test of Module 3 is a short quiz about plagiarism. It
consists of 10 questions with feedback, and was created by Dr Theodore W. Frick
from the School of Education at Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, USA.
http://www.indiana.edu/~tedfrick/plagiarism/item1.html
Reference and quotation criteria
1. The source of all text extracts, ideas, diagrams and other data which are not your
own needs to be correctly stated in texts and bibliographies.
2. Literal quotation is indicated with inverted commas and page numbers.
3. Paraphrases do not adhere too strongly to the original in phrasing, wording and
syntax.
4. A consistent, recognised method of referencing needs to be applied (APA, CMS,
Harvard etc.; see http://www.library.tudelft.nl/tulib/citing/examples/index.htm), or one
which is in accordance with the system used in a specific journal.
Bibliography criteria
Bibliographies must:
−
contain title descriptions which either fulfil the guidelines laid down by a
recognised system (APA, CMS, Harvard etc.), or by a system used in a specific
journal for the relevant field of expertise;
−
only contain titles which are referred to in the text;
−
contain all titles referred to in the text.
More information?
•
http://www.library.tudelft.nl/tulib/citing/index.htm
•
http://www.plagiarism.org/
Frequently asked questions
What is an example of a frequent form of accidental plagiarism?
What are the consequences if I commit plagiarism?
What is better: a quotation or paraphrasing?
When do I not need to name a source?
May I use sources such as Wikipedia?
Which system should I use for naming sources?
How do I keep track of all my sources? Using Endnote.
How do I quote a source which I found in another source?
How do I deal with internet sources?
How do I refer to an article in a digital journal?
Do I need to refer to course material?
What do I do if I took all the information for a chapter from a single source?
What is an acceptable paraphrase?
How do you quote two or more references in the same brackets?
How do I refer to a diagram or table?
What does a correct bibliography look like?
How is my work scanned for plagiarism?
Is it possible to plagiarise yourself?
What is an example of a frequent form of accidental plagiarism?
As part of your academic skills, you are expected to develop your own view which
questions existing views and to be able to defend this view clearly and convincingly.
It is therefore essential that there is clear demarcation between your own ideas and
those of others. The example given below demonstrates two types of plagiarism: the
student has adhered to the formulation of the source too closely and it is unclear
where the student’s own view starts (in fact there is no own view, but the text
suggests that the second paragraph gives the student’s opinion).
original
Mason (1997: 298): “The personal benefits from working to agreed safety
procedures are often non-existent in an organisation. By comparison,
individuals may see many benefits of breaking rules and procedures, in
addition to the financial gains which can often arise.
Instances are often reported of people being praised for their initiatives
if they improvise to ‘get the job done’ under difficult conditions. The violating
of rules and procedures which this involves may appear to have been
condoned as long as they did not result in unwanted events such as injury or
plant damage.
An attitude often develops where strictly adhering to the rules is seen
as conflicting with the objectives of the organisation – e.g., where working to
rule is an industrial or commercial threat.“
source: Mason, S. (1997). Procedural violations – causes, costs and cures. In:
F. Redmill & J. Rajan (eds). Human factors in safety-critical systems (pp. 287318). Oxford etc.: Butterworth-Heinemann.
plagiarism
According to Mason (1997), working to agreed safety procedures often creates
no personal benefits. On the contrary, people may see many benefits of
breaking rules and procedures, in addition to the financial gains which can
often arise.
People are often praised when they improvise to get the job done
under difficult conditions, by violating rules and procedures. Strictly adhering
to the rules is often seen as incompatible with the objectives of the
organisation.
correct version (paraphrase)
Mason (1997) argues that violating safety rules and procedures often has
advantages, according to the organisation and workers themselves. He sees it
as a danger that following the rules is interpreted as harming the interests of
the organisation.
correct version (quotation)
Mason (1997) argues that violating rules and procedures often has
advantages, according to the organisation and workers themselves. Strictly
adhering to the rules risks to be seen, he says , “as conflicting with the
objectives of the organisation – e.g., where working to rule is an industrial or
commercial threat” (298).
What are the consequences if I commit plagiarism?
TPM’s Course and Examination Regulations contain the following articles on this:
•
The board of examiners is watchful of the quality of studies offered and
takes action against every form of fraud and plagiarism. Examiners and
lecturers report fraud to the board in all end products. (There is ‘fraud
information’ on the TPM-Campus-website)
•
The board of examiners can bar all students found guilty of copying,
cheating or riding along on the efforts of others from all tests and
examinations held by the institute for up to one year.
More information on fraud can be found on:
http://www.tudelft.nl/live/pagina.jsp?id=e9f3b304-fe6c-435e-88f1ba420cd35c1e&lang=nl
What is better: a quotation or paraphrasing?
It is almost always better to paraphrase rather than quote a source. In the case of
legal topics and questions of definition the precise formulation may be relevant, but
in most cases the important thing is the idea. A text containing many long quotations
comes across as unprofessional: as if the writer has simply gathered together
extracts instead of processing the ideas into his or her own argument. Moreover,
ideas can often be explained more succinctly in your own words.
Too many quotations can also cause copyright problems: it is prohibited to copy
large extracts of text or diagrams which are subject to copyright.
When do I not need to name a source?
You do not need to quote the source of generally available information which is easy
to find and undisputed, on condition that you use your own words. If in doubt as to
whether something is standard knowledge: name your source.
Example
In Wikipedia (consulted on 18 August 2009) you will find the following information:
“The second law of thermodynamics is an axiom of thermodynamics concerning
heat, entropy, and the direction in which thermodynamic processes can occur.
For example, the second law implies that heat does not flow spontaneously from
a cold material to a hot material, but it allows heat to flow from a hot material to
a cold material. Roughly speaking, the second law says that in an isolated
system, concentrated energy disperses over time, and consequently less
concentrated energy is available to do useful work. Energy dispersal also means
that differences in temperature, pressure, and density even out. Again roughly
speaking, thermodynamic entropy is a measure of energy dispersal, and so the
second law is closely connected with the concept of entropy..”
Do not use Wikipedia in an academic text: it is better to turn to academic textbooks
which are more reliable. If you find the same information in all textbooks, you do not
need to name your source if you include it in your own text:
•
The second law of thermodynamics implies that heat does not flow
spontaneously from a cold material to a hot material, but it allows heat to
flow from a hot material to a cold material.
The words used are so general that it is not a problem in this case that these are not
strictly your own words. It becomes riskier if you copy a longer and more specific
extract, even if the content is still generally known to be true:
•
The second law says that in an isolated system, concentrated energy
disperses over time, and consequently less concentrated energy is
available to do useful work. Energy dispersal also means that differences in
temperature, pressure, and density even out. Roughly speaking,
thermodynamic entropy is a measure of energy dispersal, and so the
second law is closely connected with the concept of entropy.”
As you are copying the original formulation almost in its entirety, it is better to name
your source. (Second law … 2009)
Bibliography
Second law of thermodynamics. Wikipedia. (2009, 16-08-2009).
Retrieved 18-09-2009 from
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_law_of_thermodynamics
May I use sources such as Wikipedia?
Although the information in Wikipedia is usually reasonably reliable, it is not an
academic source. Its use makes your text come across as non-academic. It is better
to use original sources or textbooks. You will often find these quoted at the bottom
of the page. If you do use Wikipedia, you must name your source, otherwise this is
plagiarism.
Which system should I use for naming sources?
There are hundreds of systems, and academic journals also often have their own
versions. Teaching staff may prescribe a specific style, e.g. one of the four most
commonly-used systems:
•
APA
•
Chicago Manual of Style
•
Harvard
•
Number style (e.g. IEEE)
See TULIB for examples of each style
(http://www.library.tudelft.nl/tulib/citing/examples/index.htm). It is challenging to
apply a style completely correctly unless you use a program such as Endnote. Make
sure you are consistent and that you include the elements required by all systems:
from page numbers for an article to the place name for a book.
How do I keep track of all my sources? Using Endnote.
Endnote is a very handy database program for saving sources. With just a few clicks
you can input search results from Scopus, Web or Science or other databases, place
a source quotation in your text and automatically create a bibliography: cite while
you write. See http://www.endnote.com/. You can easily change from one system
(e.g. numbers) to another (e.g. APA). You can also use other programs such as
Zotero or Reference Manager, but Endnote can be downloaded for free via
Blackboard (student info) and is supported by TU Delft Library (see
http://www.library.tudelft.nl/tulib/endnote/index.htm).
We recommend it for use in your Master’s degree thesis, but also if you do any prior
literature study.
How do I quote a source which I found in another source?
You may only refer to information which you have yourself not seen if you clearly
indicate that it is quoted second-hand. If you have found an idea from Johnson
(2006) in Anderson (2008), you refer to it as follows: Johnson (2006, quoted in
Anderson, 2008). You only include works which you yourself have seen in the
bibliography, i.e. Anderson (2008).
Example:
•
While over the short term these programs may be rational with respect to
public or private policy objectives, over the longer term many result in both
economic inefficiency and the erosion of natural services (Turner and Jones,
1991 as cited in Balmford et al., 2002).
Always look for the original source, only if you really cannot find it can you use the
above construction.
How do I deal with internet sources?
A text which mainly refers to internet sources is not truly academic. Some internet
sources are of course reliable because they are supported by a reliable organisation
(e.g. a government body, such as http://www.energy.gov/ ). Remember that less
reliable information can also be placed on the sites of reliable organisations by
individual employees (e.g. TU Delft).
Make sure to reference your source precisely, using the same data you would use for
a regular publication but by adding the date of consultation.
Example:
• Bioethanol Fuel - Alternative Fuels. Retrieved August 20, 2009, from
http://www.uk-energy-saving.com/bioethanol_fuel.html.
• National report on the joint convention on the safety of spent fuel
management and on the safety of radioactive waste management (June
2009). Retrieved 26 June 2009 from
http://www.vrom.nl/pagina.html?id=2706&sp=2&dn=9190
References in texts to web publications with long titles are usually abbreviated: (see
National report on the joint …, 2009). Give the full reference in your bibliography.
How do I refer to an article in a digital journal?
If the article exists on paper as well as in digital form, no URL and no consultation
date are required. If applicable, add ‘Electronic version’ after the title.
Whitmeyer, J.M. (2000). Power through appointment [Electronic version]. Social
Science Research, 29, 535-555.
Do I also need to refer to course material?
When you copy information from course material, e.g. PowerPoint slides, readers or
similar, you must name your source as usual. Only if it involves generally available
information, expressed in your own words, no reference is required. If in doubt:
name your source!
Example:
Ubacht, J. (2009) Powerpointslides for EPA2941 Master Thesis. Delft, Delft University
of Technology, Department TPM.
What do I do if I took all the information for one chapter from a single
source?
We do not recommend basing an entire chapter on a single source. If it cannot be
avoided, include a sentence at the start of the chapter like: “All information in this
chapter is based on Source X (20XX).” This avoids repeat referrals to the same
source. You still have to use your own words!
What is an acceptable paraphrase?
If you copy more than two or three consecutive words from a text, or use a term
which is used in a unique fashion in the source, this is generally not an acceptable
paraphrase. The example given below contains too many original formulations,
including the grammatical constructions. Furthermore, ‘commodity service provider’
and ‘strategic partner’ are such crucial terms in the original that writers may not give
the impression that they have thought of the terms themselves. This applies much
less to terms such as ‘vulnerability’.
Note that the dividing line between the authors’ view and that of the student is
unclear: the second paragraph wrongly appears to be the student’s view.
original (Van Grembergen & De Haes 2009:1-2)
“Information technology (IT) has become pervasive in current dynamic and
often turbulent business environments. While in the past, business executives
could delegate, ignore or avoid IT decisions, this is now impossible in most
sectors and industries. This major IT dependency implies a huge vulnerability
that is inherently present in IT environments. System and network downtime
has become far too costly for any organization these days, as doing business
globally around the clock has become the standard. Take for example the
impact of downtime in the banking sector or in a medical environment. The
risk factor is accompanied by a wide spectrum of external threats, such as
errors and omissions, abuse, cyber crime and fraud.
IT of course has the potential not only to support existing business
strategies, but also to shape new strategies. In this mindset, IT becomes not
only a success factor for survival and prosperity, but also an opportunity to
differentiate and to achieve competitive advantage. In this viewpoint, the IT
department moves from a commodity service provider to a strategic partner.”
source
Grembergen, W. van & Haes, S. de (2009). Enterprise Governance of
Information Technology. Boston: Springer.
plagiarism
Information technology (IT) has become omnipresent in current business
environments. While in the past, managers could delegate, ignore or avoid IT
decisions, this is now impossible in most situations. This IT dependency
implies an enormous vulnerability. System and network downtime has become
far too expensive for any organization these days. Take for example the
impact of downtime for banks or hospitals. In addition, there are all kinds of
external threats, such as errors and omissions, abuse, cyber crime and fraud.5
IT of course has the potential not only to support existing business
strategies, but also to shape new strategies. In this way, IT becomes not only
a success factor for survival and prosperity, but also an opportunity to
differentiate and to achieve competitive advantage. In this viewpoint, the IT
department moves from a commodity service provider to a strategic partner.
5
Grembergen, W. van & Haes, S. de (2009). Enterprise Governance of
Information Technology. Boston: Springer.
correct version
Van Grembergen & De Haes (2009) argue that dependence on information
technology (IT) has made companies vulnerable: they cannot afford any
downtime caused by errors or fraud. They see the IT department move from
“a commodity service provider” to “a strategic partner” (2).
How do you quote two or more references in the same brackets?
APA prescribes an alphabetical sequence:
Various studies have shown (Balda, 1980; Kamil, 1988; Pepperberg & Funk, 1990)...
If you wish to single out the most important source, you can do so as follows:
(Minor, 2001; see also Adams, 1999; Storandt, 1997)
How do I refer to a diagram or table?
Give a reference after the title: from Johnson (2009:124).
What does a correct bibliography look like?
The list below is structured using the APA system and contains various types of
sources (books, chapters in collections, internet sources, reports, journal articles).
Bibliography
Lagendijk, A. (2008). Survival guide for scientists. Amsterdam: Amsterdam
University Press.
Mason, S. (1997). Procedural violations – causes, costs and cures. In: F.
Redmill & J. Rajan (eds). Human factors in safety-critical systems (pp. 287318). Oxford etc.: Butterworth-Heinemann.
Sterk, W., Mehling, M. & Tuerk, A. (2009). Prospects of linking EU and US
Emission Trading Schemes. Wuppertal Institut für Klima, Umwelt, Energie.
Retrieved 21 August 2009 from
http://www.wupperinst.org/publikationen/entnd/index.html?beitrag_id=1120&
bid=6
Tariq L., Gelder B.M. van, Zutphen M. van, & Feenstra T.L. (2009). Smoking
cessation strategies targeting people with low socio-economic status. A first
exploration of the effectiveness of available interventions. Bilthoven: RIVM.
Tidwell, L.C., & Walther, J.B. (2002). Computer-mediated communication
effects on disclosure, impressions, and interpersonal evaluations: Getting to
know one another a bit at a time. Human Communication Research, 28(3),
317-348.
How is my work scanned for plagiarism?
Students’ work is scanned for plagiarism at various times during degree courses. Two
plagiarism scanners are used alongside each other: SafeAssign and TurnItIN.
Teaching staff also occasionally use a search engine such as Google to scan for
sources.
More information: http://www.icto.tudelft.nl/en/ict-in-education/plagiarism-scanner/
Is it possible to plagiarise yourself?
Reusing your own text, or large extracts, e.g. for another subject or a different
journal, is also a form of fraud, unless you state this at the start of the text, e.g.:
‘this text has previously been published in a different version in ...’. You can also
treat the previous publication as a normal source which you paraphrase briefly,
including a source quotation.