When it comes to academic writing, everything that is written contributes to a conversation that has happened before. The basic goal of citation is to give readers a way to retrace their steps through the ongoing conversation. However, many students find using a referencing guideline to be tedious. Not including proper referencing can cost them marks. So, many of them turn to professional writers who help them put it together. Similarly, this post provides some great insights on essay referencing that will help you simplify the process.
Citation is all about giving due recognition to writers of the work to which you are referring to. When a work that has been already published is passed off as their own, it results in plagiarism. However, it is a different case when you get help from a friend or a custom essay writing service to help you edit, proofread, or produce new work. But if you take someone else’s published work, you are compelled to reference it. You need to cite your references according to the format prescribed in your course guide. Using citations will show your instructors what you have been reading.
How to Cite Your References?
It is suggested that you first talk with your instructor about the style of citation they expect from you. Note that the way you cite the sources in the reference list will differ depending on whether you are citing an essay or a book in an essay or the prescribed style. It is better that you refer to your course guide:
What are the Main Referencing Styles?
- Harvard style in-text referencing: this style of referencing has become the most common over time. However, it is not used on websites like Wikipedia since some say that it breaks the flow of the text, which makes it more difficult to read. However, most people skip over references when reading a sentence and use them only to reference the source material. In this referencing style, the writer acknowledges the author by placing their name and date of publication in parentheses, at the end of the sentence, and before the final punctuation. With that type of referencing, the reader can make out that this is not a direct quotation but only information from the text. The date and name will correspond with a full bibliographic entry under’ References’ at the end of the essay. In case there is more than one source from which the information is drawn, teh citations will be separated by semicolons. You may also include the writers in the text if needed, followed by the date.
- Chicago style Footnote referencing: This style of referencing allows the writer to get teh referencing data out of the way of the text. It includes the use of a superscript number at the end of a sentence in which the reference is used. This follows up with an acknowledgment of the source material at the bottom of the page, which is separate from the main body of the text. This format is laid out differently from the previous one.
The Bottom Line
Therefore, it is suggested that you keep a record of the books and sources from where you gather information for your essay and follow the style guide provided by your instructors. If you are still not sure, you can always ask your tutor about the specifics of citations in your course.
Featured Iamge Source: https://cdn.pixabay.com/photo/2016/11/29/18/09/correcting-1870721_1280.jpg
