This is a BIG issue. Get used to it !!!
Now, doesn’t that sound hard? It is . . . unfortunately.
At the level you are working at, accurate and precise referencing will be taken by supervisors . . . and Examiners . . . as something that should be perfect. Not “nearly right” or “near enough” – but absolutely perfect. Nothing else – perfect each and every time.
Anyway, why would you want to lose credit for inaccurate or sloppy referencing ???
In a strange way, your approach to referencing, just like spelling and grammar, gives an Examiner a “window into your soul” !!!
If they think that you haven’t paid attention to the basic details like spelling, grammar, and referencing, how do you expect them to have faith in your diligence to the literature review, research process, etc.?
Whilst referencing is the easiest thing to do . . . in that there is no thought needed in relation to typing up references, the difficult bit is ensuring that you have copied them from the source correctly and that they are exactly in the right referencing convention – APA 6th Edn.
Have a look in the library for the book – perhaps even borrow it. It has good information on more than simply referencing.
There are also good style sheets / free guides on the Internet that are useful.
So, get used to referencing accurately from the very start and you’ll find that with very little work, it gets easy and intuitive. This will save you lots of time later on . . . and will help your relationship with your supervisor . . . and Examiner.
Reference:
American Psychological Association. Publication manual of the American Psychological Association. Washington, DC : American Psychological Association.
Available in TCD Library – Berkeley (LEN 150 L492*5)
Conor 🙂
Posted on 2nd October, 2015. Copyright Conor Mc Guckin
