- The 5 main characteristics of bibliographic references
- 1- They must be precise
- 2- They must follow the same format
- 3- They must contain the data of the cited sources
- 4- They must be presented in a certain order
- 5- They must refer to the material cited in the text
- References
The bibliographic references contain the identification data of the works cited in a text. These can go at the bottom of each page, although they are generally placed at the end of the document.
References acknowledge contribution and give credit to writers from whom words and ideas have been borrowed. In this way, the intellectual property rights of that researcher are respected.
On the other hand, listing the sources used to obtain the information shows that adequate research has been conducted.
In addition, the list of bibliographic references allows the reader to track the sources used.
The 5 main characteristics of bibliographic references
1- They must be precise
Bibliographic references must be accurate for reasons of clarity and academic integrity.
Misrepresentation of data, such as author name, journal title, or volume will make the source difficult for readers to find.
Furthermore, a text with incorrect references runs the risk of spreading incorrect facts and references. This can be detrimental to both the writer and the author being referred to.
Therefore, it is recommended to double check all references to ensure that the information is reproduced correctly.
2- They must follow the same format
There are several formats of references. In general, a bibliographic reference can include the name of the author, the date of publication, the location of the publishing company, and the title of the work.
However, each style establishes the necessary information and its specific order, as well as punctuation and other formatting details.
The style often depends on the academic discipline involved. Thus, in the areas of education and psychology they prefer the APA style, in the humanities they use the MLA and in business the Chicago style. The important thing is not to mix formats in the same text.
3- They must contain the data of the cited sources
Regardless of the style used, bibliographic references generally contain certain key pieces of information.
In the case of books or magazines, they bear the name of the author, title of the publication or article, date and place of publication, and publisher.
In addition, if it is a magazine or encyclopedia, it has the volume and page number. For websites, the data is: name of the author or editor, title and address of the website, and the date of access.
4- They must be presented in a certain order
The reference list is organized depending on the reference style used. For example, Harvard-style references are presented alphabetically taking into account the author's last name.
Other formats use numeric style references. That is, they are listed and then placed in the order in which they appear in the job.
5- They must refer to the material cited in the text
Although the terms are used interchangeably, there is an important difference between bibliographic references and bibliography.
The first term refers to the list of sources and reference material that were cited in the text.
For its part, the bibliography includes books, articles and various sources that were consulted, but not mentioned in the work.
Therefore, it must be specified whether they are references (cited in the text) or bibliography (other sources consulted).
References
- Lerma, HD (2016). Reporting: The Final Research Document. Bogotá: Ecoe Editions.
- University of New South Wales. / s / f). Why is Referencing Important? Retrieved on December 13, 1017, from student.unsw.edu.au
- MIT libraries. (s / f). Why citing is important. Retrieved on December 13, 1017, from libguides.mit.edu
- Lund University. (2014, May 15). Reference accuracy. Retrieved on December 13, 1017, from awelu.srv.lu.se
- University of Pittsburgh. (2015). Citation Styles: APA, MLA, Chicago, Turabian, IEEE: Home. Retrieved on December 13, 1017, from pitt.libguides.com
- University of Leeds. (s / f). Reference lists and bibliographies. Retrieved on December 13, 1017, from library.leeds.ac.uk
- Godwin, J. (2014). Planning Your Essay. Victoria: Palgrave Macmillan.
- Prince George's Community College. (2017, December 11). Bibliographic Information. Retrieved on December 13, 1017, from pgcc.libguides.com