October 12 2016 Citing Sources in Research Writing About Me BA in English wConcentration in Professional Writing Certificate in Technical Writing MBA Instructor for MME Department teaching Technical Communication ID: 572743
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Alysoun Taylor-HallOctober 12, 2016
Citing Sources in Research WritingSlide2
About MeBA in English w/Concentration in Professional Writing
Certificate in Technical Writing
MBA
Instructor for MME Department teaching Technical Communication
Technical Writer/Editor for CEPRO research groupSlide3
Citing Sources in Research Writing
Why to cite
When to cite
When citations are not needed
To cite or not to cite?
Types of material to cite
Notes on web-based content
Common sense tests
How to cite
Types of citations
Style guides
Tips
ResourcesSlide4
Why to CiteGives credit to those whose work you are using
Allows your readers to verify your work
Points your readers toward more information
Protects you from charges of plagiarism Slide5
When to Cite
Always provide citations for original material that is not your own:
Wording
Concepts
Data
Figures, Pictures, Charts you did not createSlide6
When Citations Are Not Needed
Information that is readily available:
Chicago is a city in Illinois
Water freezes at 32 degrees Fahrenheit
It snowed yesterday
Information that is considered general knowledge within your field:
Example: The 10-bar truss problem for ME studentsSlide7
To cite or not to cite?
Depends on Context:
Who is your audience?
Example:
“Chicago is a city in Illinois”
Writing in U.S. for adult readers
vs.
School child in India writing a report for a teacherSlide8
To cite or not to cite?
Depends on Context:
Is it important, relevant, or precise?
Example:
“It was 32 degrees in Dayton”
Creative writing
vs.
Experimental condition in which ambient temperature is an important factor
If you took the measurement yourself, you should say so
If you used someone else’s environmental data, you need to provide a citationSlide9
To cite or not to cite?
Important
Quoted material must ALWAYS be cited, regardless of content
Dictionary definitions
Even if the concept is general knowledge, you must still credit the wording
Figures from textbooks (example: 10-bar truss)
Even if the concept is general knowledge, you must still credit the figureSlide10
Types of Material to CiteSummaries
Paraphrases
Quotations
Charts, figures, graphs, pictures
Works consultedSlide11
SummarizingThe most common type of citation in engineering papers
You refer to another writer’s work, but you do not reproduce it
Summary must be in your own words
Reader must be able to tell where the summarized material starts and stopsSlide12
SummarizingCan be comprehensive or brief:
Brief: “Jones investigated using Latin Hypercube Sampling”
Frequently occurs in literature reviews
Comprehensive: An actual summary of some portion of the content of a previous work
Frequently occurs in introductions
May recap previous work or introduce necessary conceptsSlide13
ParaphrasingMore specific and/or detailed than a summary
Reproduces specific points (example: conclusions)
Original writer’s comments are restated in your own words
Example:
“Jones found that Latin Hypercube Sampling could be used effectively”Slide14
Paraphrasing
Important:
A paraphrase MUST be in your own words:
Both words and sentence structure must be substantially different from the original source
If a paraphrase closely resembles wording from the original document, use a quotation instead
For examples of good, bad, and plagiarized paraphrases, please visit this Purdue University website:
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/563/02/Slide15
QuotingReproduces the original writer’s exact words
Should be brief
Use quoted material sparingly
Rewrite long passages in your own words (paraphrase or summary instead of quote)
More on summarizing, paraphrasing, and quoting:
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/563/1/Slide16
Charts, Figures, Graphs, Pictures
You must give credit unless you created the content yourself
If you did create it yourself, let the reader know
Credit can be given within the graphic or in the accompanying caption
Disclose any significant alterations you made to the graphic
Example:
Figure 1: Geographic Distribution of Automotive Plants in Ohio (Ohio Department of Development; legend items added)
In academic writing, avoid phrases like “used by permission,” which are more appropriate for commercial useSlide17
Charts, Figures, Graphs, PicturesIn Engineering, credit for graphics is usually separate from in-text citations:
In some cases, such as a map or a picture, credit for the graphic is all that is needed
If you refer to the graphic or its contents in your text, you must also include a citation within the text
In other disciplines, you may be required to include the source of your graphic material in the same manner as any other referenceSlide18
Works ConsultedUsed when your paper draws on an important source, but you don’t explicitly refer to that source in your paper.
Example:
You started from one paper, but then you went back to find a primary document. You end up citing the primary document but not the first paper. List the first paper as a work consulted.Slide19
Notes on Web-based ContentAlways be careful when using content obtained from a website
The value of web content depends entirely on the credibility of the source
Examples of credible web resources:
University Library Databases
Electronic access to journal articles
Generally provide pre-formatted citations, including stable URLs
Informational/instructional sites maintained by Universities
Government/scientific sites, such as NOAA and NIHSlide20
Notes on Web-based ContentArticles found on websites must be traced back to their original sources: Do not use content from websites that merely repackage content from other sources
A hyperlink alone is not sufficient to document web-based content
When quoting from a website, you must provide reference information that will persist even after the website itself is taken downSlide21
Common Sense TestsDo I need to cite? Ask yourself . . .
How did I obtain this information?
Can a person with my background in my field of study reasonably be expected to know this material without referring to a source?
Am I using my own words or someone else’s?
Does this work extend someone else’s work?Slide22
Common Sense Tests
Sample case: Should I include references for this presentation?
I created the content in my own words without consulting sources
I include hyperlinks to resources, but I don’t quote any content from those sources
The hyperlinks point the reader to additional resources but do not reproduce any web-based content
I have the necessary expertise to write this content myself, as demonstrated by the credentials listed in my opening slide
If I inadvertently duplicate phrasing, it would be reasonable, given my credentials, to assume that minor duplications are coincidental
Conclusion: References are not required to avoid a charge of plagiarism
Even so, providing references can strengthen a presentation, make it more authoritative, and point readers toward additional resourcesSlide23
How to CiteStudents generally find the mechanics of citing to be difficult at first, but . . .
Knowing when to cite is far more important than
the specific format
of the citation
Failing to cite is plagiarism!
A citation that includes the correct material but is formatted incorrectly is just a formatting error
You may lose points, but you won’t be disciplined for plagiarism
Do your best to meet the spirit and intent of citations
Formatting citations gets easier with practiceSlide24
Types of CitationsParenthetical citations
In text: The name of the author cited appears within the text in close proximity to the content cited
Most common form of citation in research writing
Numbered Footnotes or Endnotes
Usually numeric
Only the number appears in the text: The name of the author appears at the bottom of the page (footnotes) or at the end of the paper (endnotes)
The type of citations used is determined by the style in use for your disciplineSlide25
Style Guides
How do you know what format to use for your citations?
Style guides provide specific guidelines:
Examples: MLA, APA, Chicago/
Turabian
Provide specific guidance on many style issues, including citations
Many disciplines have a standard style
Examples: Psychology uses APA; English uses MLA
Unfortunately, Engineering does not have a standard style guideSlide26
Engineering Styles
What style should you use?
Check the University Libraries website to find style guides for your discipline:
http://guides.libraries.wright.edu/content.php?pid=59883&sid=0
Check publications in your discipline and follow their format
Ask your professor or advisor
Ask the University Librarian
Use a software resource, such as
RefWorksSlide27
Tips for CitationsPlace citations as unobtrusively as possible, so long as the citation is clear:
Jones used Latin Hypercube Sampling to obtain a random sample (11).
If more than one author is cited, place the citations such that credit is clear:
This optimization scheme was first proposed by Smith (11), and Jones (12) and Miller (13) added sampling methods.Slide28
Tips for CitationsFor extensive summaries or paraphrases, you can bracket the cited text by using the author’s name at the beginning and the rest of the citation at the end:
In 1998, Jones developed an algorithm incorporating Latin Hypercube Sampling. This allowed . . . .
. . . . . However, Jones was unable to solve one aspect of the problem (11).
With practice, you can learn to include appropriate citations without interrupting the flow of your writingSlide29
Tips for CitationsRemember, the intent is to clearly identify all content that was created by other authors
Regardless of the format used, the reader must be able to:
Distinguish between your own original content and cited content
Match cited content to the original authorSlide30
Resources
Useful web resources for research writing:
The
Graduate School
Thesis and Dissertation Handbook:
http://www.wright.edu/graduate-school/graduate-thesis-dissertation-handbook
University Libraries:
http://www.libraries.wright.edu/
University Writing Center:
http://www.wright.edu/uc/success/services/writing-center.html
Other University-based Writing Websites:
Purdue Online Writing Lab:
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Writing Center:
http://writingcenter.unc.edu/handouts/
Rensellaer
Center for Communication Practices:
http://www.ccp.rpi.edu/resources/
Grammar Girl:
http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/grammar-girlSlide31
References
Works Consulted:
Bullock, Richard H. 2006.
The Norton field guide to writing
. New York: W.W. Norton & Co.
Finkelstein, Leo. 2008.
Pocket book of technical writing for engineers and scientists
. McGraw-Hill's BEST--basic engineering series and tools. Boston: McGraw-Hill Higher Education.
Gibaldi
, Joseph. 2009.
MLA handbook for writers of research papers
. New York: Modern Language Association of America.
Note: These references are formatted in the Chicago citation styleSlide32
Contact Me
Email:
alysoun.taylor-hall@wright.edu
Phone: 937-775-5148
Office Hours:
Tuesday and Thursday, 1:15 pm to 3:00 pm
By appointment
Office Location: 214 RussSlide33
Questions?