"Students should use their chosen style of academic referencing as soon as they start writing. That
way they are less likely to forget to include a citation. It is also easier than trying to add references at a
later stage. For more information on this, refer to the guidelines in the IB document Effective citing and
referencing.
Writing the essay takes time but if students have used their Researcher's reflection space and reflection
sessions in a meaningful way they should be well prepared to develop their arguments"
It is very important to reference ALL your sources because it
answers these questions from your reader:
Where did you find your information?
What kind of source is it?
Where can I find the source myself?
What range of sources did you use?
Bibliography
A bibliography is an alphabetical list of every source used to research and write the essay. Sources that are not cited in the body of the essay but were important in informing the approach taken should be cited in the introduction or in an acknowledgment. The bibliography must list only those sources cited.
Citations
A citation is a shorthand method of making a reference in the body of an essay, either as an in-text citation or footnote/endnote. This must then be linked to the full reference at the end of the essay in the bibliography. A citation provides the reader with accurate references so that he or she can locate the source easily. How sources are cited varies with the particular referencing style that has been chosen. It is important to emphasize that there must be consistency of method when citing sources.
Referencing
A reference is a way of indicating to the reader, in an orderly form, where information has been obtained. A reference provides all the information needed to find the source material. References must be cited because:
References must be given whenever someone else’s work is quoted or summarized. References can come from many different sources, including books, magazines, journals, newspapers, emails, internet sites and interviews. Any references to interviews should state the name of the interviewer, the name of the interviewee, the date and the place of the interview.
References to online materials should include the title of the extract used as well as the website address, the date it was accessed and, if possible, the author.
Use the CRAAP Test!
Find out IB documents that will be a great help:
Cite as you make notes
Cite as you write
If it is not yours, you’ll cite it!
If it is not yours, you’ll cite it!
If it is not yours, you’ll cite it!
John Royce
Blog written by John Royce, expert librarian on Academic Honesty.
There are a number of different styles available for use when writing research papers; most are
appropriate in some academic disciplines but not others. The supervisor or school librarian should help
the student decide on a style for the particular subject of the essay. It is important to remember that
whatever style is chosen, it must be applied consistently and in line with the IB’s minimum
requirements.
When choosing the style, the student needs to have a clear understanding of how it is to be used before
embarking on the research task. The style should be applied in both the final draft of the essay and in the
initial research stages of taking notes. This is good practice, not only for producing a high-quality final
product, but also for reducing the opportunities and temptation to plagiarize.
The IB’s minimum requirements include:
• name of author
• date of publication
• title of source
• page numbers (print sources only)
• date of access (electronic sources only)
Any references to interviews should state the name of the interviewer, the name of the interviewee, the
date and the place of the interview.
For more detailed information on styles for citations and referencing please refer to the IB document
Effective citing and referencing.
This tutorial from can help you learn the principles of citing and referencing, and understand how to avoid plagiarizing when integrating source material into your research paper.
The tutorial takes approximately 20 minutes to complete.
Tutorial that explains the principles of citing and referencing, and how students can avoid plagiarism when incorporating source material into their papers. Source: Monash University Library, Melbourne, Australia.