RAR 408, Module 2 Second Year

Research RAR-408
MODULE - 2
TECHNICAL WRITING
Ar. KIRTI GUPTA Apeejay School of Architecture and Planning ( Research, RAR 408 - lecture 1) 1
REFERENCING
It is an expected academic practice that students will refer to (or cite)
the sources of ideas, data and other evidence in written assignments.
Referencing is the practice of acknowledging in your own writing the

intellectual work of others; work that has been presented in some way
into the public domain.
Referencing can also help you to find your own voice in assignments,
by helping you write essays and reports that project or reflect the way
you see or perceive things. Evidence presented and correctly
referenced supports and strengthens your opinions – and converts
them into arguments.
PRINCIPLES OF REFERENCING
Why reference? Walker and Taylor (1998, pp.11–15), argue that all styles of
referencing are underpinned by five principles. The first of these establishes a
rationale for all referencing styles and the other four establish a framework for
referencing practice within all referencing styles.
1 The principle of intellectual property. As discussed in the previous section, Western

concepts of plagiarism are based on an economic model of capitalism and the notion
that someone can claim ownership of an idea if it has been presented in a ‘fixed’ way,
for example, published or presented in the public domain.
2 The principle of access. References help readers easily and quickly identify and
locate documents referred to in a text. This helps to spread knowledge, as the reader
may then be able to use the information for his or her own learning purposes.
PRINCIPLES OF REFERENCING
3 The principle of economy. The references should include as much information as

necessary to help readers locate the sources cited. However, they should also be
presented in such a way as to reduce the need for lengthy explanations in the text, and
to speed up the process of reading.
4 The principle of standardization. References should be presented in such a way that

allows everyone who has learned the practice to recognize and understand the
meaning of codes and formulas presented. Different styles of referencing build a
standardized framework for this to happen.
5 The principle of transparency. There must be no ambiguity in terms and

expressions used.
WHY REFERENCING IS IMPORTANT?
There are at least nine reasons why referencing is

important:
1 Tracing the origin of ideas.
Academic
. study involves not just presenting and describing ideas, but also being
aware of where they came from, who developed them, why and when. The ‘when’
is particularly important. Ideas, models, theories and practices originate from
somewhere and someone. These are often shaped by the social norms and
practices prevailing at the time and place of their origin and the student in higher
education needs to be aware of these influences. Referencing, therefore, plays an
important role in helping to locate and place ideas and arguments in their historical,
social, cultural and geographical contexts.
2 Building a web of ideas
Knowledge connects and spreads: the past connects with the present and has an
impact on the future. As you build your argument in an assignment, it is rather like a
spider building its web. You build carefully engineered connections between ideas.
You advance an argument in one section, but then counter it with another threaded
and connected group of ideas, each supported by its own referenced evidence. But
you have at the centre, your own position, your own place in the scheme of things;
your point of view.
3 Finding your own voice

Many students when they enter higher education are confused about a gap they
perceive between the conventions of academic writing, and the need to make their
own points in essays. Some tutors will, on the one hand, encourage students to
develop their own ideas, while emphasizing the need for them to cite and refer to
the work of experts in the particular subject area.
4 Validity of arguments
To be taken seriously, you must present valid evidence in assignments. Aristotle,
around 350 bc, argued that persuasive rhetoric included Logos: appeals to logic to
persuade an audience through sound reasoning. This is done by the presentation of
reliable evidence, usually in the form of facts, definitions, statistics and other data
that has an appeal to the intelligence of a particular audience.
5 Spreading knowledge
Referencing also presents an opportunity for the tutor and other readers to advance
their own knowledge. It gives them the possibility of tracing the sources you cite and
using the same evidence for their own purposes. You have probably discovered
already how useful bibliographies and lists of references at the end of journal articles
can be in identifying other related sources for your own research.
6 An appreciation
As stated earlier, education needs ideas, arguments and perspectives to thrive. But
these have to be tested rigorously and subjected to the critical scrutiny of others.
This is done by researching, preparing and presenting work into the public domain,
which, as was noted earlier, is a formidable task for any writer, and one that can take
years sometimes to achieve. Referencing is then, also about giving appreciation: a
modest genuflection to the work of others. It is about showing courtesy and respect,
and about honouring the hard work of writers and commentators – by
acknowledging them in your assignments.
7 Avoid plagiarism
Finally, accurate referencing will help you to avoid being accused of plagiarism. There
is a grey area between deliberate cheating and carelessness with referencing – or
ignorance of it. However, more on this later.
8 Influences
Tutors will be also interested in your list of references or bibliography to identify
which authors or sources have been influential in moulding or shaping the direction
taken by you in your research. They may, as a result, offer comment on the absence
or inclusion of any particular commentator or theorist in an assignment. Your sources
may also occasionally help your tutors, by introducing new authors and ideas to
them, thus broadening their own knowledge.
9 Marking criteria
The selection of relevant evidence and accurate referencing is an important element
in the marking of assignments, particularly at postgraduate level. Accurate
referencing can often make the difference between a pass, a credit or a distinction.
Accurate referencing is also a tangible demonstration to your tutor of your research,
intellectual integrity and the care you have taken in preparing to write the
assignment.
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN
REFERENCING AND BIBLIOGRAPHY
What is the difference between a list of ‘References’ and a
‘Bibliography’? The terms are often used synonymously,
but there is a difference in meaning between them.
References are the items you have read and specifically referred to (or
cited) in your assignment.
A bibliography is a list of everything you read in preparation for writing

an assignment. A bibliography will, therefore, normally contain sources
that you have cited and those you found to be influential but decided
not to cite. A bibliography can give a tutor an overview of which
authors have influenced your ideas and arguments even if you do not
specifically refer to them.
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN
REFERENCING AND BIBLIOGRAPHY
PLAGIARISM
Plagiarism, specifically, is a term used to describe a practice that
involves knowingly taking and using another person’s work and
claiming it, directly or indirectly, as your own.
Three main forms of plagiarism.

1 Copying another person’s work, including the work of another student (with or
without their consent), and claiming or pretending it is your own.
2 Presenting arguments that use a blend of your own and a significant percentage of
copied words of the original author without acknowledging the source.
3 Paraphrasing another person’s work, but not giving due acknowledgement to the
original writer or organization publishing the writing, including Internet sites. The
exceptions to this would be in relation to common knowledge.
Credits and References
Book : The complete Guide to Referencing and

Avoid Plagiarism by Colin Neville

RAR 408, Module 2 Second Year

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Research RAR-408

Referencing is the practice of acknowledging in your own writing the

1 The principle of intellectual property. As discussed in the previous section, Western

3 The principle of economy. The references should include as much information as

4 The principle of standardization. References should be presented in such a way that

5 The principle of transparency. There must be no ambiguity in terms and

There are at least nine reasons why referencing is

3 Finding your own voice

A bibliography is a list of everything you read in preparation for writing

Three main forms of plagiarism.

Book : The complete Guide to Referencing and

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