Citing Sources in Research Writing

1. Citing Sources in Research Writing Alysoun Taylor-Hall October 19, 2011

2. About Me BA in English w/Concentration in Professional Writing Certificate in Technical Writing MBA Program Coordinator for Ph.D. in Engineering Program Technical Writer/Editor for CEPRO research group

3. Citing Sources in Research Writing • Why to cite • When to cite • When citations are not needed • To cite or not to cite? • Types of material to cite • Notes on web-based content • Common sense tests • How to cite • Types of citations • Style guides • Tips • Resources

4. Why to Cite Gives credit to those whose work you are using Allows your readers to verify your work Points your readers toward more information Protects you from charges of plagiarism

5. When to Cite Always provide citations for original material that is not your own: • Wording • Concepts • Data • Figures, Pictures, Charts you did not create

6. When Citations Are Not Needed Information that is readily available: • Chicago is a city in Illinois • Water freezes at 32 degrees Fahrenheit • It snowed yesterday Information that is considered general knowledge within your field: Example: The 10-bar truss problem for ME students

7. To cite or not to cite? Depends on Context: • Who is your audience? Example: “Chicago is a city in Illinois” Writing in U.S. for adult readers vs. School child in India writing a report for a teacher

8. To cite or not to cite? Depends on Context: • Is it important, relevant, or precise? Example: “It was 32 degrees in Dayton” Creative writing vs. Experimental condition in which ambient temperature is an important factor • If you took the measurement yourself, you should say so • If you used someone else’s environmental data, you need to provide a citation

9. To cite or not to cite? Important Quoted material must ALWAYS be cited, regardless of content • Dictionary definitions Even if the concept is general knowledge, you must still credit the wording • Figures from textbooks (example: 10-bar truss) Even if the concept is general knowledge, you must still credit the figure

10. Types of Material to Cite Summaries Paraphrases Quotations Charts, figures, graphs, pictures Works consulted

11. Summarizing The most common type of citation in engineering papers You refer to another writer’s work, but you do not reproduce it Summary must be in your own words Reader must be able to tell where the summarized material starts and stops

12. Summarizing • Can be comprehensive or brief: Brief: “Jones investigated using Latin Hypercube Sampling” • Frequently occurs in literature reviews Comprehensive: An actual summary of some portion of the content of a previous work • Frequently occurs in introductions • May recap previous work or introduce necessary concepts

13. Paraphrasing More specific and/or detailed than a summary Reproduces specific points (example: conclusions) Original writer’s comments are restated in your own words Example: “Jones found that Latin Hypercube Sampling could be used effectively”

14. Paraphrasing Important: A paraphrase MUST be in your own words: Both words and sentence structure must be substantially different from the original source If a paraphrase closely resembles wording from the original document, use a quotation instead For examples of good, bad, and plagiarized paraphrases, please visit this Purdue University website: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/563/02/

15. Quoting Reproduces the original writer’s exact words Should be brief Use quoted material sparingly Rewrite long passages in your own words (paraphrase or summary instead of quote) More on summarizing, paraphrasing, and quoting: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/563/1/

16. Charts, Figures, Graphs, Pictures • You must give credit unless you created the content yourself • If you did create it yourself, let the reader know • Credit can be given within the graphic or in the accompanying caption • Disclose any significant alterations you made to the graphic Example: Figure 1: Geographic Distribution of Automotive Plants in Ohio (Ohio Department of Development; legend items added) • In academic writing, avoid phrases like “used by permission,” which are more appropriate for commercial use

17. Charts, Figures, Graphs, Pictures • In Engineering, credit for graphics is usually separate from in-text citations: • In some cases, such as a map or a picture, credit for the graphic is all that is needed • If you refer to the graphic or its contents in your text, you must also include a citation within the text • In other disciplines, you may be required to include the source of your graphic material in the same manner as any other reference

18. Works Consulted Used when your paper draws on an important source, but you don’t explicitly refer to that source in your paper. Example: You started from one paper, but then you went back to find a primary document. You end up citing the primary document but not the first paper. List the first paper as a work consulted.

19. Notes on Web-based Content • Always be careful when using content obtained from a website • The value of web content depends entirely on the credibility of the source Examples of credible web resources: • University Library Databases • Electronic access to journal articles • Generally provide pre-formatted citations, including stable URLs • Informational/instructional sites maintained by Universities • Government/scientific sites, such as NOAA and NIH

20. Notes on Web-based Content Articles found on websites must be traced back to their original sources: Do not use content from websites that merely repackage content from other sources A hyperlink alone is not sufficient to document web-based content When quoting from a website, you must provide reference information that will persist even after the website itself is taken down

21. Common Sense Tests Do I need to cite? Ask yourself . . . How did I obtain this information? Can a person with my background in my field of study reasonably be expected to know this material without referring to a source? Am I using my own words or someone else’s? Does this work extend someone else’s work?

22. Common Sense Tests Sample case: Should I include references for this presentation? • I created the content in my own words without consulting sources • I include hyperlinks to resources, but I don’t quote any content from those sources • The hyperlinks point the reader to additional resources but do not reproduce any web-based content • I have the necessary expertise to write this content myself, as demonstrated by the credentials listed in my opening slide • If I inadvertently duplicate phrasing, it would be reasonable, given my credentials, to assume that minor duplications are coincidental Conclusion: References are not required to avoid a charge of plagiarism Even so, providing references can strengthen a presentation, make it more authoritative, and point readers toward additional resources

23. How to Cite • Students generally find the mechanics of citing to be difficult at first, but . . . • Knowing when to cite is far more important than the specific format of the citation Failing to cite is plagiarism! • A citation that includes the correct material but is formatted incorrectly is just a formatting error • You may lose points, but you won’t be disciplined for plagiarism • Do your best to meet the spirit and intent of citations • Formatting citations gets easier with practice

24. Types of Citations • Parenthetical citations • In text: The name of the author cited appears within the text in close proximity to the content cited • Most common form of citation in research writing • Footnotes or Endnotes • Usually numeric • Only the number appears in the text: The name of the author appears at the bottom of the page (footnotes) or at the end of the paper (endnotes) • The type of citations used is determined by the style in use for your discipline

25. Style Guides How do you know what format to use for your citations? Style guides provide specific guidelines: • Examples: MLA, APA, Chicago/Turabian • Provide specific guidance on many style issues, including citations • Many disciplines have a standard style • Examples: Psychology uses APA; English uses MLA • Unfortunately, Engineering does not have a standard style guide

26. Engineering Styles What style should you use? Check the University Libraries website to find style guides for your discipline: http://guides.libraries.wright.edu/content.php?pid=59883&sid=0 Check publications in your discipline and follow their format Ask your professor or advisor Ask the University Librarian Use a software resource, such as RefWorks

27. Tips for Citations • Place citations as unobtrusively as possible, so long as the citation is clear: Jones used Latin Hypercube Sampling to obtain a random sample (11). • If more than one author is cited, place the citations such that credit is clear: This optimization scheme was first proposed by Smith (11), and Jones (12) and Miller (13) added sampling methods.

28. Tips for Citations • For extensive summaries or paraphrases, you can bracket the cited text by using the author’s name at the beginning and the rest of the citation at the end: In 1998, Jones developed an algorithm incorporating Latin Hypercube Sampling. This allowed . . . . . . . . . However, Jones was unable to solve one aspect of the problem (11). • With practice, you can learn to include appropriate citations without interrupting the flow of your writing

29. Tips for Citations • Remember, the intent is to clearly identify all content that was created by other authors • Regardless of the format used, the reader must be able to: • Distinguish between your own original content and cited content • Match cited content to the original author • For hands-on help with your citations, visit the University Writing Center: http://www.wright.edu/uc/success/services/writing-center.html

30. Resources Useful web resources for research writing: The School of Graduate Studies Thesis and Dissertation Handbook: http://www.wright.edu/sogs/thesis/index.html University Libraries: http://www.libraries.wright.edu/ University Writing Center: http://www.wright.edu/uc/success/services/writing-center.html Other University-based Writing Websites: Purdue Online Writing Lab: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/ The Writing Center @ Rennselear: http://www.rpi.edu/web/writingcenter/wc_web/school/index.htm

31. References Works Consulted: Bullock, Richard H. 2006. The Norton field guide to writing. New York: W.W. Norton & Co. Finkelstein, Leo. 2008. Pocket book of technical writing for engineers and scientists. McGraw-Hill's BEST--basic engineering series and tools. Boston: McGraw-Hill Higher Education. Gibaldi, Joseph. 2009. MLA handbook for writers of research papers. New York: Modern Language Association of America. Note: These references are formatted in the Chicago citation style