Posted: September 13th, 2022

Use/Importance of citation and references in writing

Use/Importance of citation and references in writing
In universities, citing and referencing are part of academic writing. Citations appear in the text and references or bibliographies at the end of the document. There are different ways to cite and reference sources. Referencing is not only advantageous to the writer who prepares the work, but also the reader.
First, it helps avoid plagiarism. Plagiarism is a severe offense that cannot only lead to expulsion from school but also the cancellation of a paper. Secondly, it gives credit where it is due. As a student, you can draw ideas from different sources, such as books, magazines, and journals. Inclusion of a citation and a reference is a way of acknowledging the source. It reveals that you respect the author’s intellectual property rights. Referencing provides proof of the claims you made in your work. It also makes it easy to trace the source.
Citations add authority and persuasion to your work. Citing and referencing experts in your field show that you are conversant with that area of study. Your sources should be accurate to make it easy for the reader to find them. To ensure accuracy, make notes of the references you will use as you research.
References show the marker that you took time to research your work. Referencing acts as a fact-checking tool. It gives the reader room to verify whether a quote or paraphrase is accurate. Referencing allows the reader to seek further information from the source if they are interested in the topic.
Apart from making you a good researcher who is detail-oriented, referencing makes you a good writer. It enables you to base your statements on facts instead of generalizations and false accusations. Citations make it possible to use the active voice rather than the passive. They enhance your keenness during research as you have to paraphrase concepts accurately.
Citations and references make it easier for your work to get accepted during the verification process. Before any document is published or posted on a website, it has to undergo a confirmation process. Multiple editors go through it to confirm whether sources are well cited. When you reference your sources correctly, you get minimal criticism, and your work gets verified with ease.
Finally, citing and referencing enables the readers to understand whether you have included recent sources. It also scales up your credibility as a writer and allows readers to distinguish your work from borrowed ideas. Sources such as experiment results, personal experiences, and general knowledge, do not need citations.

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