BIOLOGY 312 Writing In Biology - Joshua Lonthair
Citations as Conversation and Reputation
When you cite a source, you are telling your reader "this is information is high quality. I am willing to trust this information and design an experiment - invest time and research funding - based on these data." You're also giving your reader an idea of what was going through your head when you were writing. Since your assignments for this class are summarizing the topic, your sources are the way you inform your reader of the information you were working from.
Citations are the way your audience can follow in your footsteps, as it were. When done correctly, citations in articles hundreds of years old can cite sources hundreds of year older - and you, the reader, have enough information to find a copy. Please take a few moments to make sure your readers have complete and properly formatted citations to begin their search!
I'm sure you've cited sources in papers before. But for a (very) brief refresher of how it works and why we do it, check out this video from the librarians at North Carolina State University.
This video is licensed under CC-BY-NC-SA 3.0. Credit goes to:
- Anne Burke: Project Lead, Script, Storyboards
- Daria Dorafshar: Graphics and Animation
- Kyle Langdon: Narration
- Andreas Orphanides: Writing, Editing, Technical Infrastructure
- Kim Duckett: Team Lead
Citation Style Example: APA
Not only do you need to cite your sources, but you need to format them according to a particular style. Your instructor will often ask you to use a certain style in your paper. For this course, you will need to choose a style and stick to it. There are many choices available to you. Here are some resources for using APA. If you choose a different style, the Libraries will have similar resources available.
- APA Citation Style Guidefrom Purdue University
- APA Style 7th Edition Reference Quick Guidean overview of formatting citations in APA 7 from the APA Style team
The UMass Amherst Writing Center
- Writing Center Online TutoringAs UMass Amherst shifts to primarily online instruction this fall, the UMass Writing Center is ready to support all members of the campus community with their writing, of any kind, at any stage. Our highly trained and experienced tutors can meet with writers in video conferences online.
- Writing Center Asynchronous ResourcesIncludes resources specifically for resume and cover letter writing.
Academic Honesty & Plagiarism
"Academic dishonesty is prohibited in all programs of the University, including online courses. Academic dishonesty includes but is not limited to: cheating, fabrication, plagiarism, and facilitating dishonesty."
- University of Massachusetts Amherst Academic Honesty Policy [Complete Policy]
Here are some links with more information and specific examples:
- Academic Honesty Policy and ProceduresHas links to specific examples of academic dishonesty,an overview of the policy, the complete policy, and helpful resources if accused of academic dishonesty.
- Avoiding PlagiarismDetailed descriptions of quoting, paraphrasing, and summarizing, with examples and exercises. From the Purdue University Online Writing Lab (OWL)
- Last Updated: Sep 24, 2024 12:52 AM
- URL: https://guides.library.umass.edu/c.php?g=1264770
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