Using source material Using source material appropriatelyappropriately

• Academic styleAcademic style

• The different meanings of The different meanings of plagiarism and how it can be plagiarism and how it can be avoided avoided

• Effective summarising techniquesEffective summarising techniques

• The reasons we refer to sources The reasons we refer to sources within a textwithin a text

• Identifying acceptable attributionsIdentifying acceptable attributions

Task – can you rewrite the following in Task – can you rewrite the following in a more formal style?a more formal style?

Are aggressive people more likely to get Are aggressive people more likely to get a cold than good natured people? a cold than good natured people? That’s an important problem that That’s an important problem that scientists have been looking into for a scientists have been looking into for a long time. At last someone has found long time. At last someone has found out something definite. Dr Evans says in out something definite. Dr Evans says in his latest study that there’s a his latest study that there’s a connection between a crabby mood and connection between a crabby mood and getting a cold.getting a cold.

Sample answer to taskSample answer to task

Scientists have been conducting Scientists have been conducting research for many years to investigate research for many years to investigate a possible link between aggression and a possible link between aggression and becoming unwell with a cold. The becoming unwell with a cold. The results of a recent study (Evans 2006) results of a recent study (Evans 2006) show it is highly likely that there is a show it is highly likely that there is a connection between a hostile mood connection between a hostile mood and susceptibility to colds.and susceptibility to colds.

What is plagiarism? Some definitionsWhat is plagiarism? Some definitions

• The wholesale copying of another’s work and The wholesale copying of another’s work and claiming it as your own claiming it as your own

• Rephrasing someone else’s original ideas and not Rephrasing someone else’s original ideas and not acknowledging the source. acknowledging the source.

• Using material which is recognised as common Using material which is recognised as common knowledge in your field but copying the knowledge in your field but copying the information word for word from a text book. information word for word from a text book.

• Acknowledging the source but using the exact Acknowledging the source but using the exact wording of the original or wording that is very wording of the original or wording that is very close to the original; although you can use a cited close to the original; although you can use a cited author’s exact words if making a direct quotation, author’s exact words if making a direct quotation, you should only use direct quotations selectively.you should only use direct quotations selectively.

Avoiding plagiarismAvoiding plagiarism

By developing effective By developing effective reading, referencing, reading, referencing,

summarising and summarising and paraphrasing skills, the risk paraphrasing skills, the risk

of plagiarism can be of plagiarism can be avoided.avoided.

What is a summary? For what What is a summary? For what purposes would you write a purposes would you write a

summary?summary?• A concise overview of a source textA concise overview of a source text

• Length and content varies according to Length and content varies according to the purpose and contextthe purpose and context– An abstract is a summary of a complete An abstract is a summary of a complete

paperpaper– An extension of note taking to help you An extension of note taking to help you

remember and understand a source textremember and understand a source text– A summary of a single point from a A summary of a single point from a

source/s to support your argumentsource/s to support your argument

Which of the characteristics below Which of the characteristics below are appropriate for an effective are appropriate for an effective

summary?summary?• The same order of words as the sourceThe same order of words as the source

• Similar wording with some phrases Similar wording with some phrases exactly the sameexactly the same

• Different sentence patterns to the Different sentence patterns to the originaloriginal

• Simpler vocabulary than the originalSimpler vocabulary than the original

• The key points made in the source textThe key points made in the source text

• It is longer than the source textIt is longer than the source text

A recommended process for writing a A recommended process for writing a summary (an overview of a text)summary (an overview of a text)

• Read source and highlight key pointsRead source and highlight key points• Make notes of important points in your own Make notes of important points in your own

words (pattern or linear notes)words (pattern or linear notes)• Acknowledge your source and write your Acknowledge your source and write your

summary from your notessummary from your notes• Start with the most important idea and add Start with the most important idea and add

major supporting pointsmajor supporting points• Change the order if necessary to improve Change the order if necessary to improve

flowflow• Check original to see if all important points Check original to see if all important points

have been included and that you have used have been included and that you have used your own wordsyour own words

What is a reference? What is a reference?

In contemporary U.S society, many In contemporary U.S society, many adolescents spend considerable amounts of adolescents spend considerable amounts of time in online interactions (Subramanyam, time in online interactions (Subramanyam, Greenfield, Kraut and Gross 2002)Greenfield, Kraut and Gross 2002)

Waldron (2005) suggested that water leakage Waldron (2005) suggested that water leakage targets are often inaccurate as they are targets are often inaccurate as they are based on assumptions and lack direct based on assumptions and lack direct measurement. measurement.

In-text referencing systems and the

bibliography

In-text referencing styleSequence of entries in the ‘List of references’ or ‘Bibliography’

Harvard system: Author surname (or occasionally, first name and surname) and year of publication of the work cited. (Most widely used format across a wide range of disciplines.)

Alphabetical list of references according to author surnames.

Numerical system: A large number is used after the referenced information in the text. (More common in Science and Engineering disciplines.)

Numerical list of references corresponding to the order in which each reference first appears in the main body of text in the dissertation or thesis.

Footnotes or endnotes: A small subscript number is used after the referenced information in the text; the full reference is given at the bottom of the page in a footnote or at the end of the chapter in an endnote (Common in disciplines such as English literature.)

Alphabetical list of references according to author surnames.

Why do we refer to sources in academic Why do we refer to sources in academic writing?writing?

• To acknowledge and show respect for To acknowledge and show respect for other researchers’ contributions to the fieldother researchers’ contributions to the field

• To demonstrate your allegiance to a To demonstrate your allegiance to a particular research communityparticular research community

• To establish your own credibility by the To establish your own credibility by the location of your work within a particular location of your work within a particular fieldfield

• To provide justification and support for To provide justification and support for your assertions and argumentsyour assertions and arguments

• To give an illustration of how you have To give an illustration of how you have developed your argumentdeveloped your argument

• To create a niche for your own research by To create a niche for your own research by showing how you wish to extend or showing how you wish to extend or challenge previous studieschallenge previous studies

Why do we refer to sources in academic Why do we refer to sources in academic writing(2)?writing(2)?

• To compare, contrast and evaluate the To compare, contrast and evaluate the work others have done in the fieldwork others have done in the field

• To illustrate your own understanding of To illustrate your own understanding of the subject matter by demonstrating that the subject matter by demonstrating that you have read widely and are able to you have read widely and are able to select relevant informationselect relevant information

• To enable readers to track down your To enable readers to track down your source texts easily if they wish to find out source texts easily if they wish to find out more informationmore information

• To allow the accuracy of your work to be To allow the accuracy of your work to be checkedchecked

• To avoid plagiarism. To avoid plagiarism.

Acceptable and unacceptable Acceptable and unacceptable references references

The source:The source:In summary, this study suggests that, overall, the In summary, this study suggests that, overall, the

rates of tropical forest clearing have increased by rates of tropical forest clearing have increased by 10% from the 1980s to the 1990s. This is in 10% from the 1980s to the 1990s. This is in contrast to Forest Resource Assessment (FRA) contrast to Forest Resource Assessment (FRA) statistics that report declining rates. The increase is statistics that report declining rates. The increase is largely in southeast Asia, with only slight decreases largely in southeast Asia, with only slight decreases in clearing rates in Latin America and Africa.in clearing rates in Latin America and Africa.

Adapted from: DeFries, R.S., Houghton, R.A., Hansen, M.C., Field, C.B., Skole, D.,and Townshend, J. (2002) Carbon emissions from tropical deforestation and regrowth based on satellite observations for the 1980s and 1990s Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Vol. 99, 22

Which are acceptable paraphrases/citations and which are not? Why/why not?

1)Generally speaking, tropical forest clearing has gone up by 10% during the 1980s and 1990s. In contrast, the FRA state that the rates are going down. The main increases are in SE Asia with small decreases in rates in Latin America and Africa.

2) DeFries et al. (2002) found that tropical forest clearing has gone up by 10% during the 1980s and 1990s. In contrast, the FRA state that the rates are going down. The researchers also noted that the main increases are in SE Asia with small decreases in rates in Latin America and Africa.

Which are acceptable paraphrases/citations and which are not? Why/why not?

3) A recent study (De Fries et al. 2002) has provided evidence which contradicts the Forest Resource Assessment (FRA) statistics. Whereas the FRA figures suggest that the speed of tropical forest destruction is declining, the research by DeFries et al. found that there had been a 10% rise in tropical forest clearing rates during the 1980s and 1990s, in particular in Southeast Asia.

4) DeFries, R.S., Houghton, R.A., Hansen, M.C., Field, C.B., Skole, D.,and Townshend, J. (2002) found that, ‘overall, the rates of tropical forest clearing have increased by 10% during the 1980s and the 1990s. This is in contrast to Forest Resource Assessment (FRA) statistics that report declining rates. The increase is largely in southeast Asia, with only slight decreases found in clearing rates in Latin America and Africa’.