The ‘how-to Reference and Why
Even Bother’ Lesson
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Why should you reference?
• Information and ideas, much like tangible
objects, belong to the authors or ‘owners’ of
the information
• Much like you would not take your friends
phone without permission, you CANNOT take
someone’s ideas without giving them credit –
otherwise the act becomes a form of theft
Why should you reference?
• Additionally, if you choose not to reference, or do not do so
properly – you will be punished
• In high school this may translate to a ‘zero’ for an
assignment, but in postsecondary institutions plagiarism is
an Academic Offence
• If you are caught you will have to stand before the Tribunal
(court) of your Academic Institution
• You may choose to have a lawyer represent you
• Simply put, plagiarism is a serious matter and it should not
be taken lightly
• Also not knowing the ‘laws’ that surround referencing is no
excuse for having committed them
• But do not be stressed – today you will learn what to do to
avoid such unpleasant situations and never be ashamed to
seek help, now and in the future, if you are uncertain.
Why should you reference?
• Lastly, referencing
helps to add validity to
your ideas and
statements
• If several people have
had similar
conclusions as yours,
then chances are your
findings are indeed
correct and sound
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The How-to for Referencing
An example of what not to do…
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The How-to for Referencing
• So here’s the bad news – there exist more than
two referencing styles (you likely know of MLA
and APA referencing styles)…
• And here’s the other bad news, you will be
expected to learn and apply several different
referencing styles depending on what studies you
pursue
• Now for the good news, all referencing styles are
readily available at your finger tips on the world
wide web…
• So take and deep breath and here we go…
The How-to for Referencing: MLA Style
• The Social Sciences and Humanities (Political Science,
History, Geography, English etc.) largely rely on the
Modern Language Association (MLA) referencing style
• The official website for MLA is: http://www.mla.org/
• Unfortunately, you have to purchase the manual to seek
information on how to reference using MLA style
• Thankfully, several universities have purchased the
manual and have made it available for students to use.
• This link is helpful in providing this information:
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/section/2/11/
The How-to for Referencing: APA Style
• Psychology courses largely rely on the American
Psychology Association (APA) referencing style
• The official website for APA is: http://www.apastyle.org/
• Unfortunately, you have to purchase the manual to seek
information on how to reference using APA style
• Again, thankfully, several universities have purchased the
manual and have made it available for students to use.
• This link is helpful in providing this information:
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/
The How-to for Referencing: Nature Style
• Biology Departments across several universities use
the referencing style as it appears in the prestigious
scientific journal Nature
• Nature is a well-established scientific journal that is
held in high regard by researchers across several
disciplines
• Nature makes its referencing style readily available
and the guidelines can be found at this website:
http://www.nature.com/nature/authors/gta/#a5.4
The How-to for Referencing: Nature Style
Example of in-text citation:
Example of reference Nature list:
Online document/website with no author given
The How-to for Referencing: JBC Style
• Chemistry Departments across several universities
use the referencing style as it appears in the
prestigious scientific journal Journal of Biological
Chemistry (JBC)
• JBC is another example of a well-established
scientific journal, which is held in high regard by
researchers across several disciplines
• JBC makes its referencing style readily available and
the guidelines can be found at this website:
http://www.jbc.org/site/misc/ifora.xhtml#_Referen
ces
The How-to for Referencing: JBC Style
Example of in-text citation:
Example of reference JBC list:
The How-to for Referencing: What if
I’m asked to use a different style?
1. Don’t panic
2. Search for the referencing style online
3. Pick a guide that is from a trustworthy source (ie.
from a University website (.edu) or directly from
the association from which the style originates)
4. Verify the referencing style with other websites
5. Confirm you are using the correct style by asking
your teaching or instructor for the course
In-text Citation – when do I use them?
• Whenever you present an idea that is not your
own OR if the information is not common
knowledge
• What is common knowledge? Information that is
known to the audience prior to reading (ex. the
Earth is round)
• What is your own information? (ex. your lab
results, personal theories or hypotheses,
thoughts or emotions)
• All other information that you obtain from any
source needs requires an in-text citation
So now you know
what not to do…
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What are Peer-Reviewed Journals?
Some examples are…
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•
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•
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Nature
Journal of Biological Chemistry
Cell
Science
Immunology & Cell Biology
Journal of Medical Genetics
American Political Science Review
And many, many more
But what makes this a PeerReview Journal…
And this not…
Conclusion
• A peer-reviewed article is one that has been
critiqued and edited by several individuals, from
around the world, who are experts in a given field
• It was then sent back to the author(s) and revised
and sent back for peer-review until it was
accepted by the experts of the field
• This stringent editing prior to publication is what
adds validity to the published work and has given
academic peer-reviewed journals the respect
they currently hold