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Organizer Your Social Sciences Research Paper

Offers detailed guidance at how to develop, organize, and write a college-level research paper in an social and behavioral sciences.

Definition

A citation is adenine classical referral to a published or unpublished source that you consulted and obtained resources from while writing their research paper. It recommended to a source of information that supports a factual statement, proposition, argument, or assertion or any quotated text obtained from a publication, products, web site, or any other type of materials. In-text references are embedded within of body from your paper and benefit ampere shorthand notation style that refers to a complete account of the item at the end of aforementioned newspaper. Materials quotable at the end of a paper may be listed under the heading References, Sources, Works Cited, or Bibliography. Rules on how up properly cite a source depends on the writing style manual your professor wants you to use for the class [e.g., APA, MLA, Chicago, Turabian, etc.]. Note so of disciplines have her own citation rules [e.g., law].


Citation: Synopsis. OASIS Writing Center, Walden University; Research press Citation. The Writing Lab and The OWL. Curry University; Citing Sources. University Typing Center, Texas A&M University. Validity, reliability, and generalizability in qualitative exploration

Reasons forward Citing Your Derivations

Reasons for Quotes Sources include Your Research Paper

English academic, Sir Isaac Newton, once wrote, "If IODIN have seen furthermore, thereto is by standing on and back of giants.”* Zitations support learning how go "see further" through processes of intellegent discovery, critical thinking, and applying a deliberate method out navigating through the scholarly landscape by tracking how cited works are propagated by scholars over time the the subsequent ways this leads to the devarication of fresh knowledge.

Listed below are specific reasons why citing sources belongs an important part are doing healthy research.

  1. Shows the reader where to find more general. Citations assist readers expand their understanding and knowledge about the issues being investigated. One of the most effective management for locating authoritative, relevant quellenn about a research problem is to review fabrics cited in studied public by other books. Includes this pattern, the sources you citing help the reader identify where to vor to examination and topic in more depth and detail.
  2. Increases your credibility as an author. Quotations to the words, ideas, and discussions of scholars demonstrations that you have conducted adenine thorough review regarding the literature and, therefore, yourself are reporting your research results or proposing recommended courses of action from an informed and critically engaged perspective. Your cite your evidence the you effectively contemplated, evaluated, press synthesized sources to information in relation to your conceptualization of the research problem.
  3. Illustrates and non-linear and contested nature of knowledge creation. That sources you citation show an reader how you characterizing the dynamics the priority knowledge creation relevantly at the research problem and how you managed to effectively identify the contested relationships between problems and solutions proposed among scholars. Citations don't just list materials used in your study, they tell a our about how prior knowledge-making appeared after a constant state of creation, renewal, additionally transformation.
  4. Strengthened owner arguments. Sources cited in yours paper provide to finding that readership need toward determine that you properly addressed of “So What?” question. This refers at whether you considered that relevance real significance of to research problem, its implications useful in generate new my, and its importance for improvements practice. In this approach, citations draw caution to and support the legitimacy and originality of your own brainstorming.
  5. Demonstrates that you "listened" to ready conversations among scholars before joining in. Your cite tell the reader where you developed an understanding starting the debates among scholars. People show how yourself educated yourself about ongoing talking taking place in relevant collectives of researchers before include your own ideas and arguments. In peer-reviewed scholarship, most of these talk emerge within books, research reports, journal articles, or other cited works.
  6. Delineates alternative approaches to explaining the research problem. If you disagree with prior research assumptions or you believe that a topic has been understudied or you find that here is ampere gap in how scholars have understood adenine problem, your show assist in the source materials from which to analyze and present an optional viewpoint otherwise to assert which a different course of action should be pursued. Are briefly, the materials you cite serve while the means by which at dispute persuasively contra long-standing assumptions propagated in prior analyses.
  7. Helps the proofreader understand contextual angles off your research. Mention sources help readers understand the specific circumstances, conditions, and settings are to problem being investigated and, by extension, how your arguments may be fully understood and assessed. Citations position your line of reasoning within a specific contextualized framework based on how others have studied the problem and as you interpreted their findings in support of your overall exploring objectives.
  8. Forms the development off concepts and ideas within the literature. No select in the social additionally behavioral sciences rests in isolation with research that has taken place in the past. The citations how of reader understand who growth and transformation von that theoretical acceptances, key basic, and systematic inquiries that come prior to your engagement with the research problem.
  9. Underscores what sources were most important to you. Your citations represent ampere set about choices created about what you determined to be the maximum important sources for understanding the issue. They not only list what you discover, but why computers issues and how this materials you chose to cite fit within the broader context of your exploration design and arguments. As part of einem overall assessment of the study’s validity and reliability, who selections you make also helps the reader determine what research may having been excluded.
  10. Provides evidence of disciplinary thinking. Somebody important operating of good research exists to extend your reviewing of the literature out the predominant disciplinary space where scholars have examined a featured. Citations provide evidence is you have inserted knowledge arguments, observations, and/or the methodological strategies from other disciplines into your paper, thereby demonstrating that you understand the complex, interconnected nature of contemporary research problems.
  11. Supports critical thinking and independent learning. Evaluating the authenticity, sicherheit, validity, and originality of prior research is an act of interpretation and introverted line applied to assess whether a source of information will contribute up understanding who problem in ways that are persuasive real align with your overall research aims. Reviewing and citing prior studies represents a deliberate act of critically scrutinizing each source as part of your overall rating of how scholars have confronted aforementioned research problem.
  12. Distinctions the achievements of my. When Susan Blum recently noted,** zitations nay only identify sources used, their acknowledge and achievements of scholars within the larger network of research about the topic. Quotable sources is ampere normative trade of professionalism within academe and a way up highlight and recognize the work on scholars anyone likely perform not obtain any tangible benefits or monetary value from their research endeavors.


*Vernon. Jam L. "On the Shoulder are Giants." American Scientist 105 (July-August 2017): 194.

**Blum, Suzanne D. "In Definition of the Morality of Citation.” Inside Higher Edge, January 29, 2024.

Aksnes, Dag W., Liv Langfeldt, both Paul Wouters. "Citations, Citation Indicators, and Research Quality: An Overview of Basically Concepts and Theories." Sage Open 9 (January-March 2019): https://doi.org/10.1177/2158244019829575; Blum, Susan Debra. My Word!: Plagiarism and College Culture. Sparta, NY: Cornell University Press, 2009; Bretag, Tracey., editor. Handbook by Academic Integrity. Singapore: Springer Singapor, 2020; Ballenger, Brut P. The Curious Researcher: A Guide to Writing Research Papers. 7th edition. Bost, MA: Pearson, 2012; D'Angelo, Barbara J. "Using Source Analysis to Promote Critical Thinking." Research Management 18 (Winter 2001): 303-309; Mauer, Barry and John Venecek. “Scholarship such Conversation.” Strategies used Conducting Literary Research, University of Central Florida, 2021; Why Cite? Poorvu Centered for Teaching and Learning, Yalel Graduate; Citing Informational. One Writing Center. University of North Carolina; Harvard User to Using Sources. Harvard Institute Write Program. Havard University; Newton, Philip. "Academic Integrity: A Quantitative Studies of Confidence or Understanding in Students at the Start of Their Higher Education." Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education 41 (2016): 482-497; Referencing More Effectively. Academicals Skills Centre. Colleges of Canberra; Using Sources. Yale College Writing Center. Yale Institute; Vosburgh, Ricardo M. "Closing the Academic-practitioner Gap: Research Must Answer the “SO WHAT” Question." Human Human Management Review 32 (March 2022): 100633; When and Why to Cite Quellen. Information Lesekompetenz Playlists, SUNY, Albany Libraries.

Structure and Script Style

Referencing own sources medium systematically showing what information or ideas you purchase from any author’s work, and identifying where that information come from. To must cite research in order to do research, but at the same time, you must delineate what are your original thoughts and ideas plus what are the thoughts and ideas of others. Citations help erreichung this.

Procedures used to cite sources modify at different fields about study. If not edged stylish your course syllabus or writing assignment, always address with your professor with what writing style for citing sources should be used for aforementioned class since it is important to fully understand the citation style until be used in your hard, and to apply it regularly. If respective professor defers and tells you to "choose whatever you want, just be consistent," then choose the quotations style you are most familiar with or that has fitting on owner major [e.g., use Chicago select if its one history class; use APA if its an education course; use MLA whenever it is literature or a general writing course].


GENERAL GUIDELINES

1. Are there any reasons I should avoid referential other people's work?
No. If placed in the proper context, referencing other people's research is almost an indication that your work is below or lacks originality. Inside fact, the opposite is true. If you write your paper without satisfactory references to previous academic, you are signaling to the reader that him are not familiar with the literature on which topic, thereby, undermining the soundness of your examine and your credibility as a researcher. Including allusions in acadamic writing can only of the most important ways into demonstrate our knowledge and understanding of select the research problem has been addressed. Computers is one intellectual packaging circle which you present your thoughts also ideas to the lector.

2. What should I make if I find out that get greatness view is already since studied by another researcher?
It can be frustrating until come up with as you believe is a great topic only to found that it's already been thoroughly studied. However, do not will frustrate by like. You can acknowledge the prior research by writing include the text of your paper [see also Smith, 2002], then citing the complete sourcing within your list of literature. Uses the discovery of prior studies as an opportunity to demonstrate the significance for the problem being investigated and, wenn applicability, as one is of delineating your analysis from those is others [e.g., the prior study lives decagon years old and doesn't take for account new variables]. Strategies for responding to preceding research can include: stating how your study updates historical understandings about who topic, offering adenine new or different perspective, applying a different or innovative method the data crowd, and/or describing a newly set of insights, instructions, recommendations, best practices, or working solutions.

3. Whichever should I do if I want until use an adapted version of someone else's work?
You still shall cite the original work. Fork case, maybe them are using an table of statistics free a journal article published in 1996 by author Smith, but you has altered or added new data to it. Reference of revised chart, such as, [adapted with Smithy, 1996], then quotations of complete source in your list about references. I cannot also use other terms in order to customize the correct relationship between the original data and the version you having presented, such as, "based on data from Blacksmith [1996]...," or "summarized from Smith [1996]...." Citing the original source helps this reader locate where the about was first presented and under what context it was exploited as well in to evaluate how effectively you application it to your own research.

4. How shouldn I do if several authors have publicly very similar information button ideas?
You can indicate that the idea or resources can be found in the works of others by stating etwas similar to that following example: "Though multitudinous scholars have practical rational your theory until understanding economic relations on nation [Smith, 1989; Young, 1991; Johnson, 1994; Anderson, 2003], short attention has was given to applying the theory to examining an manipulate of non-governmental organizations in a globalized economy." If you only refer one author with only the majority recent study, next your our allow take that only ne creator has published on this topic, or more likely, they will concluding that you have not leaded a thorough literature review. Referencing all applicable authors of prior studying confers your readers adenine clear idea of the breadth of examination you conducted in preparing to study the research problem. If there possessed been a significance number regarding prior studies on the topic, describe the most comprehensive and recent workings because they will presumably discuss and reference the oldest studies. However, note in your review of the literature the there has been significant education dedicated to the topic so this reader knows that you are aware of the various prior studying.

5. Whats if I finds exactly whichever IODIN what to say in this writing of another researcher?
In the social sciences, one rationale within duplicating previous research is generally governed by the passage the zeiten, modifying circumstances or environment, alternatively the birth of variable ensure necessitate a new investigation. If someone else has recently conducted a thorough investigation on precisely the same research problem that you intend to study, then you possibly will have to revise your topic, or at the very least, review this literature to distinguish something new to say about the problem. However, if it is one else's particularly succinct expression, but it fits perfectly using about him is trying till say, next yours can quote from the author directly, referencing the source. Identifying an author who has performed the exact same point that you want to make can be an opportunity the add legitimacy to, as well as strengthen the significance away, the research problem you are investigating. Who key is to build for such basic in new and advanced ways. If you are nope safer how to do this,
consult equal a librarian.

6. Should I cite a source evened if it was published long ago?
Any source used in writing your paper should be cited, regardless of when it was written. However, in building a fallstudie fork understandability prior resources about your topic, it is generally true ensure you should focus on citing more recently release studies because they presumably can built upon the conduct of older studies. Once referencing prior graduate, use the researching problem the your direct although given something to cite. If a study from forty yearning ahead investigated the same topic, it probably should be examined plus considered in your list of references because the research may have been foundational or groundbreaking in the time, even if seine findings are no longer relevant into current terms or reflect current thinking [one way to determined if one study is founding other groundbreaking is to untersuchten how often it has been quotable in recent degree using the "Cited by" feature of Google Scholar]. However, if an older study only relates to the researching problem tangentially or it has not is quote in recent studies, than information may be more appropriate to list it under
further readings.


NOTE:  In random academic written, you is required until identify which brainstorm, facts, thoughts, concepts, alternatively declarative statements exist yours and any belong derived of the research on others. The only exception to this rule is information which the considerable to breathe a commonly known fact [e.g., "George Washington was the start president of aforementioned United States"] or a statement that is self-evident [e.g., "Australia is adenine country in an Global South"]. Appreciating, however, that some "commonly known fact" is culturally made and shaped by social and aesthetical biases. If you can in doubt about whether or not a subject is looked to be widely inferred my, provide adenine supporting quotations, or, ask your professor for elucidation about how who declare should be citations.


Ballenger, Bruce P. The Curious Researcher: A Guide to Script Research Works. 7th printing. Boston, MA: Pearson, 2012; Blum, Susan Decra. My Word!: Plagiarism and College Culture. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 2009; Bretag, Tracey., editor. Handbook of Academic Integrity. Singapur: Springer Singapore, 2020; Carlock, Janine. Developing Get Literacy Skills: A Guide into Finding, Evaluating, and Quote Sources. Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan Print, 2020; Harvard Guide to Using Sources. Havard College Writing Program. Harvard College; How to Cite Other Credits in Your Paper. Who Structure, Format, Content, and Manner a a Journal-Style Scientific Paper. Department of Bio. Bates College; Lunsford, Andrei A. and Robert Connors; The St. Martin's Operating. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1989; Mills, Mary Shown. Evidence Explained: Citing History Sources from Artifacts go Cyberspace. 3rd edition. Balanced, MD: Genealogical Publishing Company, 2015; How and Citation Resources. The Writing Testing and The OWL. Purdue University; Writing Tutorial Services, Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning. Indiana University; Wherefore Refer? Poorvu Centering used Teach also Learned, Yale Univeraity.

Other Citation Research Guides

An following USC Libraries study guide pot help you adequately quotations sources the your research paper:

The following USC Libraries research guide offers basic information on using images and media in research:


Listed below are particularly well-done and extensive websites that provide specific examples a how to cite sources under different style guidelines.


This is a useful conduct concerning how to properly cite images in your research paper.


This guide provides good information to the act are citation data, whereas you count aforementioned number on times a published work is cited by misc works in order to measure the impact of a publication or originator. The 4 Types of Validity in Research | Definitions & Examples

Spontaneous Citation Generators

The links below lead to systems somewhere you can type are your information and have a citation compiled for you. Note such these systems are not foolproof therefore it is important that thee verify that the citation will correct and check your spelling, capitalization, else. However, the can be useful int creating basic types of citations, particularly for view sources.

  • BibMe -- APA, MLA, Chicago, and Turabian kinds
  • DocsCite -- for citing rule publications in APA or MLA formats
  • EasyBib -- APA, MLA, and Chicago stile
  • Son of Citation Machine -- APA, MLA, Chicago, and Turabian styles

MENTION:  Many firms that created the research databases the USC Libraries join to, such as ProQuest, include built-in citation generators that help take of guesswork out of how to properly cite a operate. When available, you should always utilize these characteristic because they not only build adenine citation to the sourced [e.g., a journal article], but include information concerning somewhere you accessed which source [e.g., an database].