What is Referencing:
Referencing is the standardised system for acknowledging the information you use in your assignments.
References help readers to locate the source of the information you have used in your assignment.
Reasons for Referencing:
It is standard practice at third-level to include references in all of your assignments. Referencing acknowledges the sources you have used and gives authority to the points you are making. It shows the depth and breadth of your reading and protects you from any charges of copying or plagiarism.
It is considered stealing somebody else’s words or ideas and is a serious academic offence.
Academic Integrity
Refer to SETU's Academic Integrity policy.
Generative Artificial Intelligence (Gen AI)
Refer to the SETU Student Guidelines on the use of Gen AI. SETU's Student Hub for Generative AI is available on Moodle.
All sources you use in your writing must be acknowledged by providing references to them.
This is done by citing them in the text of your assignment (in-text citations) and referencing them at the end of your assignment (reference list).
In-Text Citation |
The citation is inserted into your text where you have quoted from, or referred to, someone else’s work. It consists, in brackets, of the surname of the author(s) or editor(s) of the work followed by the year of publication. A page reference should be included where you have quoted directly. |
Reference List |
The reference list is located at the end of your assignment and gives the full details of works which you have cited (direct quotation or paraphrase). The list is arranged alphabetically by author. |
Example of in-text citations matching to a reference list:
Please note: In this example bold is used for emphasis only. You should not use bold in your assignment.
Dublin is the capital of Ireland. The Discover Ireland website (Fáilte Ireland, 2013) outlines some of the main tourist attractions in Dublin. The city is ‘small, easy to get around and offers no greater challenge than struggling to be cultural the morning after the night before’ (Davenport, 2010, p. 16). Dublin aims to encourage sustainable tourism and members of the public can help by altering behaviour patterns (Miller et al., 2010).
Note: If there are four or more authors, use et al., meaning ‘and others'.
Reference list
Davenport, F. (2010) Dublin: city guide. London: Lonely Planet.
Fáilte Ireland (2013) Discover Ireland. Available at: http://www.discoverireland.ie/ (Accessed: 18 October 2014).
Miller, G., Rathouse, K., Scarles, C., Holmes, K. and Tribe, J. (2010) ‘Public understanding of sustainable tourism’, Annals of Tourism Research,37(3), pp. 627 - 645. doi:10.1016/j.annals.2009.12.002.
Bibliography
It lists the full details of all items which you have read, including items which you have not referenced in your assignment.
Check with your lecturer/supervisor to see if they require a reference list or bibliography or both.
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Open Access Databases are labelled with OA and highlighted in green. These can still be accessed. See our databases page for a full listing. Link: Databases in Waterford - SETU Libraries
OpenAlex is a free, open-source index of scholarly research that offers an extensive collection of academic materials, including research articles, books, conference papers, and datasets. It’s an accessible alternative for students who may have trouble accessing subscription-based search tools like EBSCO Discovery Service.
Key Features of OpenAlex:
Advantages of Using OpenAlex:
OpenAlex serves as a valuable tool for exploring academic literature, understanding research trends, and accessing a wealth of scholarly information without the need for institutional logins or subscriptions.
The Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ) is a comprehensive, community-curated index of open access scholarly journals. It serves as a valuable resource for students and researchers seeking freely accessible academic content across various disciplines.
Key Features of DOAJ:
Advantages of Using DOAJ:
For students who may encounter access issues with subscription-based databases, DOAJ offers a reliable and comprehensive alternative for discovering high-quality, peer-reviewed open access journals and articles.
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