Effective
Learning Service
References and Bibliographies
References and Bibliographies
A M E M B E R O F
University of Bradford, School of Management References and Bibliographies
Effective Learning Service 1
Academic writing is special in an age of rapid communication. Most assignments in higher education require you to slow the tempo and carefully explore and test outideas, either for their own sake or in relation to real or hypothetical situations.This requires you to, not just present and describe ideas, but to be aware ofwhere they came from, who developed them - and why. Ideas, theories, models,practices are often shaped by the social norms, values and practices prevailing atthe time and place of their origin and the student in higher education needs to beaware of these influences. Referencing plays a role, therefore,http://www.ttc-switch.com/Thesis_Tips/Reference/ in helping to locateand place ideas and arguments in their historical, social, cultural and geographicalcontexts.
Referencing can also help you to find your own voice in assignments, by helpingyou construct essays and reports that project the way you see or perceive things,but supported by a body of evidence that strengthens your opinions - andconverts them into arguments.Education needs ideas, arguments and perspectives to thrive, but these have tobe tested rigorously and subjected to the critical scrutiny of others. This is doneby researching, preparing and presenting work into the public domain; aformidable task for any writer or commentator, and one that can take yearssometimes to achieve.Referencing is then, also about respecting and honouring the hard work of writersand commentators – by acknowledging them in your assignments.Colin Neville
Effective Learning Service
PREFACE
The Effective Learning Service at the School of Management is part of a UK
government funded LearnHigher project, which involves collaboration between
16 UK institutions of higher education.
The aim is to develop a resources network to enable students to gain access to
high quality learning support material produced by UK universities.
The Effective Learning Service at the School of Management has been selected to
develop resources on referencing to share with students. A website on
referencing is currently being developed, and a book on this topic: The Complete
Guide to Referencing and Avoiding Plagiarism’, by Colin Neville, is due to be
launched by The Open University Press in August 2007.
More information can be found on the LearnHigher project at:
www.learnhigher.ac.uk
University of Bradford, School of Management References and Bibliographies
Effective Learning Service 2
REFERENCES and BIBLIOGRAPHIES
It is an expected academic practice that students will refer to (or cite) the
sources of ideas, data and other evidence in written assignments.#p#分頁標題#e#
This is not just practice for tradition’s sake; it is done for valid academic reasons.
There are four main reasons related to your academic studies why referencing is
important:
1. to support your arguments and give credibility to the information you
present in assignments;
2. to enable your tutors to check the accuracy and validity of the evidence
presented;
3. to enable your tutors and other interested readers to trace the sources you
cite and to use the same evidence for their own purposes;
4. to avoid the accusation of plagiarism.
As mentioned in the preface, referencing is also a way of acknowledging the hard
work that goes into the research, preparation, writing and revision of academic
texts. Accurate referencing is also one way of giving indirect thanks to this
invisible and invaluable effort and achievement.
More pragmatically, it also shows a tutor you have, at least, read some of the
sources listed on a reading list!
And last, but probably not least from a student perspective, accurate and
intelligent referencing will enhance a good essay and contribute to the marks you
gain. Selection of relevant evidence and accurate referencing is an important
element in the marking criterion.
This booklet will: