In research, it is usual that there would be an in-depth digging of past and similar work. It is required that due credit is given to the author of the what-so-ever sentence, experimental work, or excerpt adapted into your work. This is to acknowledge their efforts, sponsor hard-work and discourage theft of any form. This also helps the readers and reviewers of your work locate the past work and go over.
Here are some general guidelines on how to layout references for publication
Authors should focus on recent papers and papers older than five years should not be included except for an overriding purpose. Primary literature references, and any patents or websites, should be numerically listed in the reference section in the order that they occur in the text (including any references that only appear in figures/tables/boxes) using the Vancouver reference style (see reference manager or Endnote styles). References should be denoted numerically and in sequence in the text, using superscript. Authors should where possible, provide DOIs for the articles they cite. The easiest way to find an article’s DOI is to cut-&-paste references into CrossRef’s simple text query: http://researchwap.com/SimpleTextQuery/ Authors can cite journal articles that have been submitted and accepted for publication but are yet to be published. These should form part of the main reference section and should be numbered accordingly. Information from manuscripts submitted but not accepted should be credited in the text as “unpublished observations” with written permission from the source and should not be cited or included in the reference list. Authors should avoid citing personal communication unless it provides essential information not available from a public source. In this case, including the nature and source of the cited information, using a term or terms to indicate clearly that no corresponding citation is in the reference list. Place the source information in parentheses (the name of the person and date of communication). The same format should be followed for documents available to scholars in an archive or a depository. Authors can cite papers and poster sessions presented at meetings, including items that were presented but never published and items for which any subsequent publication is unknown. If the subsequent publication is known, they should cite the published form rather than the meeting paper or poster session.
Plagiarism - claiming someone else's work as yours is a terrible offence and a laugh-off of creativity. This is strongly discouraged in all climes. Hence, the need for this guide.
Referencing styles/methods There are numerous methods of acknowledging past work in your writing, but there are three major revered styles (citation guide, 2008). The key, however, is consistency in application.
APA (American Psychological Association)
Print Sources - Book In the text, it is required that the author and year of publication are used. In parenthesis or only the year of publication in parenthesis, e.g.: (Emmanuel, 2018) or according to Emmanuel (2018) ...
At the citation page/list of references/bibliography, it is written out in full: The author(s) surname is written, then a comma and initials. The year of publication in parenthesis. The title of the work in italics, with edition and particular pages in parenthesis. Then the publisher's details.
E.g.: Emmanuel, A. (2018). Referencing basics (2nd ed.) (Pg. 66). Lagos State: ResearchWap publishers.
NB: For whatever purpose, the rules are sacrosanct. Same principles. For more than one author, '&' is used.
Print sources - Journal Same in-text citation, but in the list of references, the article title is not italicized. The journal-title is italicized. The journal volume and page number could be added. E.g.: Emmanuel, A., & Alfred P. (2018). Referencing basics. Journal of research, Vol 2, 400-403.
Print sources - Magazine, newspaper and encyclopaedia Same in-text citation, but the publication date is in full. The newspaper/magazine/encyclopaedia article title is not italicized, the newspaper/magazine title and volume are italicized. The page is then added. E.g.: Emmanuel, A. (2018, December 1). Referencing basics. ResearchWap magazine, Vol 2, 400-403.
Online sources For articles in Journals, newspapers, encyclopaedias and magazines, it is referenced as above (exact principles) but the URL and date retrieved online is added. E.g. for Journal: Emmanuel, A., & Alfred P. (2018). Referencing basics. Journal of research, Vol 2, 400-403. Retrieved November 1, 2018, from http://researchwap.com/referencing
For DVD/CD source The article title is not italicized but the title of the referenced work. Then the publisher. E.g.: Emmanuel, A. (2018). Referencing basics. ResearchWap compilation (DVD).Lagos: ResearchWap publishers. If there is no author, the article title is used first, then the year of publication in parenthesis. Then the publication title in italics (Journal, magazine, encyclopaedia or online), before the publication source. E.g. for Journal online source: Referencing basics. (2018). Journal of research, Vol 2. Retrieved November 1, 2018, from http://researchwap.com/referencing
CHICAGO Manual of Style
Similarly, in the text, it is required that the author and year of publication are used. The page number can be added though. In parenthesis or only the year of publication in parenthesis, e.g.: (Emmanuel, 2018, 29) or according to Emmanuel (2018), referencing can be difficult (29) ...
Print Sources - Book At the citation page/list of references/bibliography, it is written out in full: The author(s) surname is written, then the first name in full. The year of publication without parenthesis. The title of the work in italics, the edition and with particular pages without parenthesis as well. Then the publication source.
E.g.: Emmanuel, Ekpo. 2018. Referencing basics. 2nd ed. Lagos State: ResearchWap publishers.
NB: For whatever purpose, the rules are sacrosanct. Same principles. For more than one Author, 'and' is used.
Print sources - Journal Same in-text citation, but in the list of references, the article title is not italicized. The journal-title is italicized. The journal volume and page number could be added. NB: No parenthesis in the dates and page numbers. E.g.: Emmanuel, Ekpo U., and Alfred Peter G. 2018. Referencing basics. Journal of research: 400-403.
Print sources - Magazine The article title is not italicized, the title and volume are italicized. The page is then added. E.g.: Emmanuel, Ekpo U. 2018. Referencing basics. ResearchWap magazine, Vol 2, 400-403.
Print sources - Newspaper and Encyclopaedia Newspaper articles are not listed as bibliography, it is cited as a running part of the text. It is not in parenthesis. E.g.: In the ResearchWap Magazine on December 1, 2018, Emmanuel put out that ...
Online sources For articles in Journals and magazines ONLY, it is referenced as above (exact principles) but the URL and date accessed online is added (in parenthesis). E.g. for Journal: Emmanuel, Ekpo. 2018. Referencing basics. Journal of research, Vol 2, 400-403. http://researchwap.com/referencing (accessed November 1, 2018) For online encyclopaedias and Newspaper, it is not added to the bibliography. Referenced as above.
DVD/CD ROM encyclopaedia source It is not listed in the bibliography, but as a running part of the text. E.g.: In the article on Referencing guide by Ekpo in ResearchWap [DVD],...
MLA (Modern Language Association)
In the text, it is required that the author and year of publication are used. In parenthesis, no comma then page number. e.g.: (Emmanuel Pg 12) or according to (Emmanuel). NB: For whatever purpose, the rules are sacrosanct. Same principles. For more than one Author, 'and' is used.
Print Sources - Book At the citation page/list of references/bibliography, it is written out in full: The author(s) surname is written, then the first and middle name in full. The title of the work is underlined with the edition in parenthesis, then the publisher and year of publication without parenthesis.
E.g.: Emmanuel, Ekpo Ubong. Referencing basics (2nd ed.). Lagos State: ResearchWap publishers, 2018.
NB: For whatever purpose, the rules are sacrosanct. Same principles. For more than one Author, 'and' is used.
Print sources - Journal Same in-text citation, but in the list of references, the article and journal-title are not italicized. The article title is put in quotation mark. The journal volume and page number could be added. NB: No parenthesis in the dates and page numbers. E.g.: Emmanuel, Ekpo Ubong, and Alfred Peter Gabriel. "Referencing basics." Journal of research, Vol 2 (2018): 400-403.
Print sources - Magazine, encyclopaedia and newspaper The article title is not italicized, it is put in quotation mark. The magazine title is underlined. The page of publication and page numbers are then added. E.g. for the magazine: Emmanuel, Ekpo U. "Referencing basics." ResearchWap magazine, Vol 2, 2018: 400-403.
Online sources For articles in journals, magazines, encyclopaedias, it is referenced as above (exact principles) but the URL source is added. '<' and '>' is added at the beginning and end of the URL link. E.g. for Journal: Emmanuel, Ekpo. "Referencing basics." Journal of research, Vol 2: 400-403.
DVD/CD ROM encyclopaedia source (no author) E.g.: "Reference guidelines." ResearchWap [DVD]. Lagos: ResearchWap publication, 2018. If there is no author, it is the article title in quotation. The publication title is underlined. The date of publication, then the source (if internet, '<' and '>' is added).
E.g.: "Referencing basics." Journal of Research. November 1, 2018.
Bibliography Citation guide. (2008). Microsoft Student 2007 [DVD]. Redmond, WA: Microsoft Corporation.
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