School of Arts - Referencing - Essay Example

School of Arts Referencing is seen as an important tool to create new and original work for any It avoids the problems of plagiarism which can take away the true credit of any work that is done from the author himself and place its creation onto the shoulders of another writer1.Plagiarism is considered to be an illegal activity because it involves presenting work done by another individual as one’s own. Not only does this create disrespect for the writer who has done the work but also shows the writer who has stolen its inability to give original work. By referencing, an individual allows acknowledgement to be given to the person who has truly created the work. This is amongst other essentials that any good piece of writing can contain. Apart from recognizing the importance of someone else’s work, the writer also accepts and shows their knowledge of where the information comes from. This is coupled with the reader being able to discover the original sources that have been used and where to obtain them from if needed2. A number of different referencing styles exist. These range from the Harvard, Chicago or APA style. Yet, there are certain aspects which are vital to any referencing style. The source has to be given in the essay. This means that the writer has to present the author and the date the work is produced within the essay. Thus, every time the writer uses the work produced by someone else they must ensure the name and date of the work is cited. Second, if any work has been presented as direct quotes then the author has to ensure that the page numbers of the work where it has been picked up from have been given. Thirdly, at the end of each assignment the writer has to create a list of bibliography or a works cited page which notes down all the names and sources that have been used in the essay. This list has to be presented in alphabetical order and must give the names of all the in-text citations given in the essay. Hence, any reference that is used has to appear in two places. These three rules are vital when presenting any essay which includes references and quotations from a variety of different sources. The referencing format is off little significance as these three rules apply to any work that contains sources. The reference must be stated if the writer takes any work from some other author’s writing3. Thus, there are certain ways through which this writing can be taken and referred to as another source. Paraphrasing the work of another author into one’s own words is considered a reference. Summarizing the work of someone else to reduce the number of words is also a reference. Quoting someone’s exact ideas also necessitates the need to refer to it as a cited piece of work. Reproducing a diagram, table or graph by copying it from someone else’s work has to be considered as a reference. Thus, under any of the four given circumstances, the writer has to give the name of the author or work they have used or it constitutes as plagiarism. The genres of art prefer to use two specific citation styles: Harvard and Chicago. Both of these are of great use and significance in the different genres of art: drama, journalism, music or English. This essay will note down the importance of the two citation styles in the field of journalism and the essence they add to the subject. The book that will be reviewed to better explain the concept of citation is written by Cates4. This book was chosen because of its excellent references to other pieces of journalism which have earned a name in its fellow field. The book is an annotated guide that represents a bibliography of print and electronic sources that are found in print and broadcast journalism today. The book in itself follows the Chicago style despite this not being the only style applied in the field of journalism. To better understand the format of this book it is necessary to understand and explain the two citation styles used in journalism today The Harvard system is the most commonly used concept, followed by many because of the ease with which it can be used. It is known by two names: Harvard or author/date system, in its simplest terms this method enters the name of the author and the date in any in-text citation5. Thus, the Harvard style requires the writer to mark down the name and date of the author and his work within the essay. This is then replaced with the author’s name, date of production, name of work and the publishing details when the works cited page is created. The Harvard style uses no footnotes, instead choosing to write any details that are necessary for referencing, within the text itself. Thus, the author/date system presents the most vital details to its reader, choosing to present this in the work rather than placing it in the form of a footnote. The Chicago style is far more complicated. This referencing style is also known as the footnote and endnote style or the notes and bibliography style.6 It requires the simplest of details to be presented within the essay itself. Most of these are denoted with an endnote or a footnote. The reader is then expected to go to the reference list for more details about the source. The footnotes or endnotes however require a great deal of attention. The writer has to ensure that these include the name, date and publication including the exact page number from which the item has been lifted7. Thus, the Chicago style requires the name of the author and the publication details which are usually stated in the form of foot or end notes with a reference page. The book by Catins starts with the work of Adams, Julian in an alphabetical order, as is required by the Chicago style8. The author has used a Chicago style to denote all the sources in his book9. This is especially important because the entire subject matter of the book consists of sources within themselves. Also given in this book are internet sources which further denote the importance of the Chicago style in this book. 10While, Catin has not followed the exact details of the Chicago system because of the content of his book, the sourcing and referencing style is similar to the ones used in the field of journalism. Entering endnotes at every instance one is needed, Catin follows the referencing principles followed in the field of journalism. The Chicago and Harvard system have a number of details in common; they both require the name, date and publication details of the work that is being sourced. Thus, both systems ensure that their work is cited with all the right acknowledgements given to the writer. However, there are minor differences between the two. While the Harvard style requires basic details like the name of the author and date to be printed in the in-text citation, the Chicago style requires footnotes or endnotes along with a reference page at the end. The work produced in both styles aims to create a reference list that is comprehensive and gives full acknowledgement to the writer who has produced it. Journalism is a field that requires full acknowledgement of the work produced and created by any other source. It is created by the work of what journalists want it to be. The field of journalism has now become increasingly diversified because of its move into the electronic model. With broadcast journalism competing as strongly as the print method, it is now necessary for writers or producers to state their sources. With quotations and statements playing a necessary role in journalism, it is vital for reporters to state the exact name, location and timing of their source and its details. This is helpful not only for the reader who is reviewing the article but all the vivid and clearly-stated details build on the credibility of the writer and news service. Referencing is important not only because of the role it plays in reducing the amount of plagiarism by acknowledging the actual source but also for the amount of credibility it creates for the writer of the article. The writer can later be questioned about these minute details which can make or break his career if any are found to be wrong. Thus, referencing styles are of great importance in any article that is produced today. If the writer feels the need to borrow work or quotations from any other source than it is their duty to present it in its complete and full form. Today it is almost an essential to quote, paraphrase or summarize the works of another writer. It is especially important in the field of journalism where quotations form the gist and add to the worthiness of the news. They serve their job as being one of the elements of a news report11. However, to leave out the name of the person who gave the source can create big problems for the journalist whose news piece is shunned because of lack of material and details. Notes Read More