StudyTrekk 1
Your first semester
StudyTrekk 2
Making lectures and tutorials work for you
StudyTrekk 3
You and online learning
StudyTrekk 4
Preparing your first assignment
StudyTrekk 5
More about assignments
StudyTrekk 7
Giving a presentation
StudyTrekk 8
Working in a group
StudyTrekk 9
There's never enough time!
StudyTrekk 10
Surviving tests and exams
What is referencing?
Why reference your information?
Referencing styles
Plagiarism and avoiding it - some examples
Tips for Trekkers
Referencing involves letting your reader know exactly where you found your information. It is a standard method of acknowledging the sources of your information and others' ideas.
In your essays you must provide a reference for any information you 'quote' (use the exact words), 'paraphrase' (use the idea in different words) or 'summarise' (express the main points of) when it is someone else's opinion, theory or information.
References are given to information sources such as books, journal articles, newspaper articles, films, music, web sites, reports, even 'personal communication' such as an email, a letter or even a conversation.
There are two parts to correct referencing:
For more detail on how to reference, have a look at InfoTrekk: Trek 9. See Links.
Referencing is necessary so that you avoid being accused of 'plagiarism' (writing other people's ideas as if they were your own). This is seen as dishonesty.
Your reader and the person marking your assignment then knows exactly where to check your quotes, read more about the cited author's arguments and understand how your own ideas were formed.
At university, when you prepare your bibliography or list of references, you must use an accepted referencing style. You may have heard of some of these styles, such as:
Your unit outline or lecturers will tell you which style is preferred. Whichever style you use, it is important to be consistent.
See the Links to the Library's style guide sheets.
"Plagiarism occurs when the work of another person, or persons, is used and presented as one's own, unless the source of each quotation or the piece of borrowed material is acknowledged with an appropriate citation."
from the Curtin University Statement on Plagiarism
Sometimes, it can be difficult to work out what plagiarism is and what isn't. Here are some specific examples.
The original text
" There is a strong market demand for eco-tourism in Australia. Its rich and diverse natural heritage ensures Australia's capacity to attract international ecotourists and gives Australia a comparative advantage in the highly competitive tourism industry."
(Weaver, D. (Ed.) 2000, The encyclopedia of ecotourism, New York: CABI Publishing: p. 143).
The plagiarised text
There is a high market demand for eco-tourism in Australia. Australia has a comparative advantage in the highly competitive tourism industry due to its rich and varied natural heritage which ensures Australia's capacity to attract international ecotourists.
Why is this plagiarism?
One or two words have been changed but this copies the same basic wording and structure of the original text. By not citing the original source of the text, the student is suggesting that the words and ideas are his/her own.
The original text
"Dramatic changes in the non-Aboriginal community's appreciation of the importance of women as social and ceremonial agents in Aboriginal society had translated into pressure of demand in the art world for Papunya women's paintings."
(Johnson, V. 1994, Aboriginal artists of the western desert, Roseville East, NSW: Craftsman House : p. 18).
The plagiarised text
Johnson (1994) explains that dramatic changes in the non-Aboriginal community's appreciation of the importance of women as social and ceremonial agents in Aboriginal society had translated into pressure of demand in the art world for Papunya women's paintings.
Why is this plagiarism?
Although the author has been cited, the student presents the exact words as if he or she had written them. This 'direct quote' should be enclosed in quotation marks ("...").
Here are two examples of correct referencing, not plagiarism.
The original text
" More and more occasions require negotiation; conflict is a growth industry. Everyone wants to participate in decisions that affect them; fewer and fewer people will accept decisions dictated by someone else."
(Fisher, R., & Ury, W. 1991, Getting to Yes - negotiating an agreement without giving in. London, Random House : p. xiii).
Correctly used in an essay
Fisher & Ury (1991) believe that because people want to be involved in the decision making process, rather than be given instructions, negotiation is an essential skill.
Why is this not plagiarism?
The authors are named at the beginning of the sentence, so it is clear this is not the writers original idea even though the writer has expressed the original text in his/her own words ('paraphrasing').
The original text
" For a cinema whose heroic male leads had been figures like Bryan Brown, Jack Thompson, and Paul Hogan, the films of the early 1990s represented a radical shift in its image of Australian masculinity".
(Butters, P. 2001, 'Becoming a man in Australian films in the Early 1990s' in I. Craven (Ed.), Australian cinema in the 1990s. London, Frank Cass : p. 79).
Correctly used in an essay
Butters (2001) discusses a move away from the traditional movie heroes, and suggests that more recent films "represented a radical shift in its image of Australian masculinity".
Why is this not plagiarism?
Again, citing the author at the beginning of the sentence highlights that this is not the student's own opinion. Quotation marks are used around a direct quote.
You are writing your assignment in this Quiz!
Then, why not prepare yourself for class presentations in 'S'Trek 7 ?
InfoTrekk: your guide through the information maze (and referencing)
Referencing style guides (Curtin University Library)
Send the StudyTrekk team your comments
For most assignments you will need to read and then write about other writers' work on a topic and also come to your own conclusions. At university, it is essential that you learn how to reference and quote correctly to avoid 'plagiarism' (using other people's ideas and words as if they are your own).
In this Trek, we introduce you to referencing and show you how to avoid plagiarism. Then a Quiz!
