Literature Referencing

Question 1

What is referencing?

Answer 1

Referencing is a standardized method of giving credit to the sources of information and ideas used in your work, ensuring they can be clearly identified and traced.

Question 2

What are the two essential components of referencing?

Answer 2

1. Citations
2. Bibliography

Question 3

What are the two reasons citation is necessary in professional and academic writing?

Answer 3

1. To adhere to ethical andacademic standards by avoidng plagiarism
2. To enhance your work by displaying your extensive reading and research efforts.

Question 4

What are the three main systems of citing sources?

Answer 4

1. Author-Date System: Examples include the Harvard style and APA, where citations include the author’s name and publication year.
2. Numeric System: An example is the Vancouver style and OSCOLA, which uses numbered citations linked to a reference list.
3. Notes and Bibliography System: Examples include the MHRA style, which relies on footnotes or endnotes combined with a bibliography.

Question 5

APA is an author-date system commonly used in ____, while OSCOLA is a notes and bibliography system designed specifically for ____.

Answer 5

Psychology
Legal studies

Question 6

What are reference management systems?

Answer 6

Reference management systems like are tools designed to help researchers, students, and academics efficiently organize and manage their references and citations.

Question 7

Mention 4 popular referencing systems.

Answer 7

1. Zotero: Open-source, user-friendly, and ideal for individual researchers and collaborative projects.
2. Mendeley: Combines reference management with academic networking features.
3. RefWorks: Cloud-based, subscription-required, and often used institutionally.
4. EndNote: A comprehensive tool with advanced features but a steeper learning curve.

Question 8

Mention 5 major features of referencing systems

Answer 8

1. Reference Organization: Users can store and categorize references into folders or libraries.
2. Citation Integration: These tools integrate with word processors (e.g., Microsoft Word) to insert citations and automatically format them.
3. Collaboration: Platforms like Zotero and Mendeley support sharing libraries with collaborators.
4. Web Import: Many systems allow users to import references directly from online databases or websites using browser extensions.
5. Cross-Platform Syncing: Cloud-based systems like RefWorks and Zotero synchronize libraries across devices.

Question 9

What is plagiarism?

Answer 9

Plagiarism is the representation of other people’s work or ideas as your own without appropriate referencing or acknowledgement.