REFERENCING
What is Referencing and Why is it Important?
Referencing is the process of acknowledging the sources of information, ideas, or materials that you use in your work. It shows that your work is based on credible research, helps avoid plagiarism, and allows others to trace the original sources of information.
In academic and professional settings, referencing is essential because it:
✅ Recognises the original author’s work and avoids plagiarism.
✅ Strengthens your arguments by showing evidence for your claims.
✅ Helps readers verify your sources and further explore the topic.
Whenever you use someone else’s work—whether it’s a direct quote, an idea, or an image—you must reference it.
What Must Be Acknowledged?
You need to provide a reference whenever you use:
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Direct Quotations
- Using the exact words of another person.
- Example: “Veterinary nurses play a critical role in patient care” (Smith, 2022, p.15).
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Paraphrases
- Restating someone else’s ideas in your own words.
- Example: Instead of copying a textbook definition of anaesthesia, you explain it in your own words but still cite the original source.
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Summaries of Another Person’s Ideas
- Condensing the main points of an article, book, or study.
- Example: A summarised explanation of a research study on pain management in dogs.
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Tables, Pictures, Diagrams, or Images
- Any visual material that is not your own creation must be referenced.
- Example: If you include a table from a research paper showing heart rate changes in dogs under anaesthesia, you must credit the original author.
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Ideas or Information Derived from Another Person
- Even if you don’t use exact wording, ideas that are not common knowledge must be referenced.
- Example: If you state that a particular parasite is resistant to a drug based on a research study, you must cite the study.
What Does Not Need to Be Referenced?
You do not need to reference:
✔ Your own original thoughts, opinions, and analysis
Example: “I think this procedure could be improved because it does not consider certain factors such as…”
✔ Common knowledge (widely accepted facts that can be found in multiple sources)
Example: “Dogs are mammals” does not need a reference.
However, if you use research to support your opinion, referencing adds credibility and strengthens your argument.
By following proper referencing practices, you ensure that your work is ethical, professional, and evidence-based.