4-1 Copyright 2007 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Communication Skills for International...

4-1 Copyright 2007 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Communication Skills for International Students in Business, by Bretag, Crossman and Bordia

Chapter 4

Academic conventions: referencing and avoiding

plagiarism


Learning objectivesOn completion of this chapter students will know

how to: understand the ethical underpinnings of

academic scholarship and research in the Australian/New Zealand context

value the integral nature of referencing for all academic work

be able to use summarising, paraphrasing and quoting in the development of an academic research paper.


Learning objectives (cont.) understand the need to incorporate their ‘voice’

in academic argument be able to use connecting words and reporting

verbs appropriately have the skills to use both the first and the third

person in academic writing, depending on course requirements

appreciate the importance of establishing good administrative systems for note-taking and referencing.


Educational integrity Educational integrity is based on the premise

that students and teachers in any learning institution will adhere to honest methods of teaching, learning and assessment even when they are faced with adverse or stressful situations.


Educational integrity (cont.) Five major tenets of educational integrity:

– honesty– trust– fairness– respect– responsibility (www.academicintegrity.org/)

Students need to take responsibility for their education by:– preparing for class, assignments and exams – avoiding cheating– referencing sources appropriately– refraining from any activities that will compromise the integrity

of their learning experience.


Why study at university? The aim of studying in a university setting is

not to acquire a degree by any means possible but to apply the knowledge we gain in prospective jobs or our life in general.

Any degree is partly meant to benefit the individual who acquired it and partly meant to benefit the society this individual will work in.


Importance of referencing The first step towards achieving educational

integrity is learning to reference correctly. Referencing enhances your writing and helps

the reader by:– showing the breadth of your research

– strengthening your academic argument

– showing the reader your source of information

– allowing the reader to consult and verify your sources independently.


Using references In an academic record references must be

provided whenever you use someone’s ideas, opinions or words. That is, when you:– ‘quote’ (use their exact words)

– copy (use graphs, figures, tables)

– paraphrase (use their idea in your own words)

– summarise (give a brief account of their ideas).


Activity 1 Complete the ‘Using sources’ quiz on p. 63 of

your textbook.


‘Blue chair theory’


Harvard referencing Keep a copy of the referencing guide with you

(Appendix 1, p. 325) and check it constantly when you are organising the references for any assignment.

There are two main parts to the author-date system:– in-text reference: acknowledges the information

used in the text.

– reference list: lists all the sources cited in the text.


Harvard referencing (cont.) To acknowledge a source within the text of an

assignment or report, state the following:– author’s family name

– year of publication

– page numbers (especially when you quote, paraphrase or copy).


In-text referencingThere are two ways of citing references: Author-prominent

– Gives prominence to the author by using the author’s name as part of the sentence, with the date and page number in brackets.

• E.g. Smith (1992, p. 5) has argued that ‘the relative seriousness of the two kinds of errors differs from situation to situation’.

Information-prominent– Gives prominence to the information, with all the

details in brackets.• E.g. It has been argued that ‘the relative seriousness of the

two kinds of errors differs from situation to situation’ (Smith 1992, p. 5).


Page numbers Page numbers are one of the three ‘must-dos’

of the author-date system. Page numbers must be used whenever you

quote, copy, paraphrase or summarise an idea from a particular page or pages.

Note: Web pages do not have page numbers.


Referencing broad ideas You do not have to give the page number if

you have summarised a large portion of an author’s work or if the idea is a general one gleaned from a large work.


Referencing online sources In-text references do not include the URL. Use

the same principles (author, date, page) that you use for other in-text references.– E.g. One researcher has suggested that new

technology will radically alter tertiary education (Brown 1995).

• NB. The page number is not usually available for online documents. In this case, simply state the author (or the organisation) and the date. Give the full URL in the reference list. It is equivalent to a page number.


Referencing online sources (cont.)

If a Web page has no author, use the sponsoring (or publishing) body.– E.g. The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial

Research Organisation employs 6500 staff at Australian and international locations (CSIRO 2003).

If there is no author or organisation use the title of the web page and the date in-text.


Reference list The reference list is arranged:

– alphabetically

– at the end of the essay, article or report

– on a separate page

– only with references that have been referred to in your work (not everything you have read on the topic)

– using consistent punctuation and layout (see Appendix 1).


Listing books Include the following information in this order:

– author’s surname and initials


– publisher

– place of publishing E.g. Rayner, K. & Pollatsek, A. 1989, The Psychology of

Reading, Prentice-Hall, New Jersey.


Listing journal articles Include the following information in order:

– author’s surname and initials


– title of article (in quotation marks)

– title of journal (in italics)

– volume number (if applicable)

– issue number (if applicable)

– page number(s).


Listing online sources Include the following information in order:

– the author (editor or compiler) (If there is no author use the publishing or sponsoring body.)

– date (of creation or most recent update)

– title of the Web document (this may be in italics or in ‘quote marks’)

– publishing or sponsoring body (do not use this twice if you have used this as ‘author’)

– date accessed

– the FULL URL link.


Important It is not enough to simply add a reference list

to the end of an essay or report. Do not give one reference at the end of a

paragraph! All references in the list must match your in-

text references. Double-check that you have used a consistent

and correct punctuation style in the reference list.


Activity 2 Complete the ‘Referencing’ quiz on pp 69–70

of your textbook.


What is plagiarism? Plagiarism is to take someone else’s words or

ideas and present them as your own. For example:– using someone else’s ideas or words without

referencing– using a direct quote without referencing (note: you

need to show a quotation by using ‘quotation marks’)

– copying another student’s work and submitting it as your own

– submitting another student’s work in whole or in part.


What is plagiarism? (cont.)– submitting work which has been written by someone

else on your behalf

– using lecture/tutorial notes without referencing (including lecture notes from another course/institution)

– paraphrasing work by only changing a few words (you still need to give the full reference for paraphrases).


Penalties for plagiarism Plagiarism is considered to be serious

academic dishonesty. Penalties can include:

– a note on your student file

– a formal reprimand from a senior academic

– failure in the assignment or exam (including a score of ‘zero’)

– failure in the subject or course

– expulsion from the course

– suspension or expulsion from the university.


Activity 3 Complete the ‘Plagiarism attitude scale’ on

pp 72–73 of your textbook.


Strategies to avoid plagiarism Referencing (discussed above; see guides to

referencing styles in Appendix 1 and Appendix 2)

Direct quotation Summarising Paraphrasing Developing your own ‘voice’ in academic

writing


Strategies to avoid plagiarism (cont.) Using connecting words and phrases carefully Using reporting verbs appropriately Writing in academic style Developing an argument Establishing efficient scheduling and

administrative systems


Referencing Keep a copy of the referencing guide

(Appendix 1, p. 325) with you as you write every draft of your assignment.

Use a card index system to help you keep track of your references.

Use a software package such as ‘Endnote’ to catalogue references.


Direct quotation A quotation is an excerpt of the exact words of

a source, presented as they originally appeared, and enclosed within ‘quotation marks’. – Quotations longer than 20 words are indented and

therefore do not need quotation marks.

– All quotations need a full reference, including author’s name, year of publishing and page number.


Direct quotation (cont.) Only use a quotation when it contributes to the

argument you are developing in your essay. Ask yourself:

– Does the quotation support my argument?

– Is it memorable?

– Does it add weight of an authority?

– Is the quotation necessary because it provides the specific details of a law or regulation?


Summarising See Chapter 2 for full details on how to

summarise. A summary gives the main points or ideas of

an article, clearly and concisely in your own words.

A good summary follows the organisation of the text.

Ask yourself:– What point is the author actually making?

– What ideas or evidence are used to support this point?


Paraphrasing See Chapter 2 for full details on how to

paraphrase. To paraphrase means to read and understand

a piece of source material and then rewrite it in your own way.

The exact meaning of the source is kept, but the way the meaning is expressed is changed.


Paraphrasing (cont.) You need to:

– change the grammatical structure

– rearrange the sequence of information

– use different words (except for specific terms)

– use your own style

– provide a reference to the original source (e.g. Hamp-Lyons & Courter 1984, p. 3).


Developing your own ‘voice’ Voice’ refers to the argument and the purpose

of the writer. The student/writer should be constantly asking:

– Who is saying this? Is this my own view or the view of another

writer/researcher? If it is my view have I made that clear to the reader? If it is the view of someone else is that obvious to the

reader?


Developing your own ‘voice’ (cont.) A student’s ‘voice’ guides the reader through

an essay by:– explaining the ideas of other writers

– identifying a key idea and presenting evidence from published work to support it

– comparing and contrasting the ideas of writers

– summarising the ideas of one or more published writers

– using the work of one or more writers to indicate why the student disagrees with a particular perspective or point.


Using connecting words and phrases Some connecting words and connecting

phrases may confuse the voice of the writer with that of a referenced source. – E.g. therefore, unless, clearly, as a result,

nevertheless, it follows that.

The writer must make very clear who is making the connection between one idea and the next.


Using connecting words and phrases (cont.) Whose opinion is expressed in the following

extract (yours or the referenced research)? How is the connector ‘therefore’ confusing?– Smith (1997, p. 2) argues that accountants as a

professional group lack an ethical framework. Therefore, all accounting courses should include an introduction to basic ethics.

How could you rewrite this to indicate that the opinion is yours?

How could you rewrite it to indicate that the opinion is Smith’s?


Examples of clear ‘voice’ Your opinion:

– Smith (1997, p. 2) argues that accountants as a professional group lack an ethical framework. Using Smith’s argument as a basis, it could therefore be concluded that all accounting courses should include an introduction to basic ethics.

Smith’s opinion:– Smith (1997, p. 2) argues that accountants as a

professional group lack an ethical framework. The author further suggests that all accounting courses should include an introduction to basic ethics (Smith 1997, p. 7).


Reporting verbs Choosing appropriate nouns and verbs is

important in conveying a particular perspective. Be very precise in your choice of words to

present research.


Reporting verbs (cont.) Two main types of reporting verbs:

1. Neutral verb Simply passes on what a cited author has written and does

not indicate your own opinion or interpretation. Example: Gabbott (2004) states that people want a brand

so that they can bond with the product beyond the simple functional level (p. 265).

2. Interpretative verb Indicate your opinion or interpretation. Example: Gabbott (2004) claims that people want a brand

so that they can ‘bond’ with the product beyond the simple functional level (p. 265).


Activity 4 Which of the following verbs are neutral and

which are interpretative? (Some may be used for both purposes.)

maintain challenge claim

outline argue doubt

remark report demonstrate

describe agree question

clarify show state


Using reporting verbs in academic writing The following sentences use reporting verbs

inappropriately. Why?– Batey (2002, p. 85) says that ‘All brands have a

body and soul’.

– Batey (2002, p. 87) mentions that whether more weight is given to emotional or rational values depends on the kind of brand being promoted.

– Batey (2002) tells us that there is not much difference in quality between Japanese and South Korean brands.


Writing in academic style Most business research papers are written in

the third person. The idea is to focus on the information itself,

not on the writer or the reader.Incorrect example

– ‘We want a brand so that people can bond with a product at other than the simple functional level.’ (Gabbott 2004, p. 266)


Writing in academic style (cont.) This could be rewritten in several ways, so that

the information is emphasised:Correct examples:

– Brands enable people to bond with a product at other than the simple functional level (Gabbott 2004, p. 266).

– People bond with a product beyond the simple functional level because of its brand (Gabbott 2004, p. 266).


Using your voice in early drafts Although objective language is a mark of

academic writing, giving yourself permission to use ‘I’ may help you develop your own voice or position in relation to a question/topic.

The ‘I’ makes you write your ideas, thoughts and convictions and helps you to find clarity.


Using your voice in early drafts (cont.) Use ‘I’ in first drafts only.

– For example, every time you give your opinion, view or idea, start the sentence with: ‘I think…’ ‘In my opinion…’ ‘I agree/disagree with…’ etc.

– During this first draft process, differentiate the views of other researchers by starting sentences with: ‘According to…’ ‘X says…’ ‘One study found that…’


Edit in academic style In subsequent edited drafts, change the ‘I’ to

the third person (academic style).– ‘I think…’ = ‘The research suggests…’

– ‘In my opinion…’ = ‘It is apparent that…’

– ‘I agree…’ = ‘The evidence makes it clear…’


Rewrite in academic style1. My research has shown that branding saves

consumer search time.

2. To determine consumer preferences, we developed a questionnaire to be completed by each participant.

3. The questionnaire was based on our review of the literature.

4. We questioned the rationale for the change in advertising policy.

5. You should verify the accuracy of this report by asking the directors to review the information.


Develop an argument Refer to Chapters 1, 2 and 3 for full details on

how to develop an argument. Review:

– Closely analyse the topic/question.

– Develop an essay plan based on careful reading and note-taking.

– Ensure that a central ‘thesis’ is evident from the introduction.

– Use topic sentences for each paragraph.

– Write a conclusion that summarises your position.


Establish efficient scheduling and administrative systems

Plagiarism is not always a deliberate act of academic dishonesty.

It often occurs because students have not developed adequate organisational skills to ensure that: – their various assignments are carefully scheduled to

meet deadlines

– all sources used in those assignments are easily accessible to double-check details for references.


Efficient scheduling1. At the beginning of each semester, plot all of

your assessment items on a semester or yearly planner.

2. Use an electronic calendar such as the one provided in Outlook, or an old-fashioned wall calendar.

3. Ensure that the assessment calendar is constantly visible.

4. Using your preferred calendar, schedule key dates for each assignment.


Efficient scheduling (cont.)5. Schedule the various activities you need to

complete for each assignment (e.g. reading, note-taking, drafting) and note any family/social commitments. (See example on p. 82 of your textbook.)

6. Allocate time according to the percentage value of the assignment.

7. Keep in mind the nature of the assignment (e.g. research essay vs. short answer assignment).


Efficient scheduling (cont.)8. Use a system of symbols or colours to

highlight important dates or to group activities.

9. Try to schedule small or easier tasks on weekends so you have time to relax.

10.Plan your social calendar after you have organised your study schedule.


Good administrative systems Develop a system (such as index note cards or

a software program) to keep track of all your references.

Write full bibliographic details on all notes, summaries and drafts.

Include full in-text references from the very first draft.

Do not simply add a reference list to the end of an essay or report.


Good administrative systems (cont.) All references in the list must match your in-

text references. Double-check that you have used a consistent

punctuation style in the reference list. Allow at least one hour per 1000 words to

finalise referencing.


Summary Academic integrity is essential in a successful

learning experience. Academic misconduct in the form or plagiarism

will attract severe penalties from Australian/NZ universities.


Summary (cont.) Some strategies to avoid plagiarism include:

– referencing

– quoting, summarising and paraphrasing

– using connectors and reporting verbs appropriately

– developing an argument

– differentiating your ‘voice’ from the cited sources

– developing efficient scheduling and administrative systems.


Activities 5–8 Complete Activities 10, 11, 12 and 13 in your

textbook.

4-1 Copyright 2007 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Communication Skills for International...

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