Why Use Citations?

Citations – why?
Citations consist of a sign in the text...
…that points to a bibliography
Methods: o Two main ones  author, date (Harvard)(often used in social science  superscript numbers (little numbers above the line) (Vancouver)(medical)
Purpose o so that a reader can find the citation in a library
When to cite: o to ‘prove’ a statement o to give credit to the author of an idea o to review the literature; ie show critically how ideas developed in the literature
Doing it well – why should you bother? o It’s an important professional skill o It helps others by making it easier and more consistent o It gives your work credibility, because if people see you are slipshod, they may think your ideas or research is also careless

© Malcolm Payne 2001 from a lecture on academic writing to the MA Youth and Community Work Manchester Metropolitan University