Chapter 30

Citing

Referring to Previous Publications

• Research reports must provide accurate reference information for every publication that is used to support the methods, findings, and conclusions of a new study.

• A typical article in the health sciences refers to about 20 or 30 other articles published in peer-reviewed journals.

Referring to Previous Publications

• Journal articles are the preferred source of evidentiary support for scientific articles.

• Books, book chapters, and formal reports are also acceptable.

• Fact sheets, websites, and other materials that have not been published in a formal online or print venue by a trusted organization should be cited only when a more reliable and permanent source of information is not available.

FIGURE 30- 1 Characteristics of Formal Scientific Reports

FIGURE 30- 2 Citable Sources

Writing in One’s Own Words

• Few scientific articles quote directly from another source word for word.

• Borrowing phrases and sentences from other writers can make the writing in a document choppy.

• Paraphrasing helps ensure that the article being cited has been understood.

• Both quotations and paraphrases require a citation of the original source.

FIGURE 30- 3 Examples of Quoting

and Paraphrasing

Common vs. Specific Knowledge

• Specific knowledge = a statistic or the results of a particular field or laboratory study → must be cited

• Common (general) knowledge = what a typical person in the discipline would know → does not need to be cited

Plagiarism

Plagiarism occurs when someone’s wording, thinking, or creative output is repeated in a new document without attribution, such as: •Copying the exact words of another person without using quotation marks and providing a full citation•Paraphrasing a unique theory or observation without providing a citation•Using an image without permission and an acknowledgment are all forms of plagiarism

Plagiarism

• Plagiarism is a major violation of scholarly integrity, and it can have a damaging long-term impact on a professional career.

Avoiding Plagiarism

• Never cut and paste information from a website, article, or any other source into a document file that contains any draft material for an article.

• Include a reference in research notes about any paraphrased observation that will later require a citation.

Citation Styles

Citations typically appear in two formats:•As in-text citations where the sources of information are briefly identified in the text.•In a reference list at the end of the document that provides full bibliographic information for each source.

Citation Styles

• No one citation style is used in the health sciences. • Many journals have their own customized styles. • The goal should be to use a consistent citation and

reference style throughout the document.

In-Text Citations

• In-text citations are abbreviated bits of information about the cited work that allow the full reference to be located in the reference list at the end of the article.

FIGURE 30- 4 In-Text Citation Styles

Reference Lists

• The reference list at the end of the article presents cited works either alphabetically by the first author’s last name or in the order of first appearance of the cited work in the text of the article.

• When preparing a manuscript for submission to a journal, check the document carefully for compliance with the journal’s house style.