Plagiarism and bad academic practice is a growing concern in the academic community. At De Montfort University, Library Services are increasingly teaching referencing skills to students in an effort to raise awareness of the importance of referencing and reduce incidents of plagiarism and poor academic practice. This presentation was presented at a UC&R event on teaching by Amanda Poulton, outlining the approach to teaching referencing at DMU in the context of the literature on learning, in particular peer learning and interaction.

1. Teaching Referencing
and Citation at DMU
Amanda Poulton
Academic Team Manager:
Learning and Skills Development
De Montfort University
apoulton@dmu.ac.uk

2. Outline
• DMU Context
– Plagiarism and bad academic practice
– Collaborative approaches
• The DMU approach to teaching
referencing
• Theoretical context

3. DMU Context

4. Plagiarism vs Bad Academic Practice
• “Plagiarism can be defined as the significant use of other
people's work and the submission of it as though it were
one's own in assessed coursework”
• “Bad Academic Practice can be:
– low level duplication without citation for example errors
made through carelessness or misunderstanding or
– passing off ideas, data or other information as if originally
discovered by the student.”
Taken from DMU Academic Regulations -
http://www.dmu.ac.uk/aboutdmu/services/registry/aro_plagiarism.jsp and
http://www.dmu.ac.uk/aboutdmu/services/registry/aro_badacademicpractice.jsp

5. Referencing
“You must reference ALL sources that you
use in your work at University. You must
reference BOTH direct quotations AND at
points where you may have re-phrased
ideas you have read”
Taken from DMU Academic Regulations -
http://www.dmu.ac.uk/aboutdmu/services/registry/aro_badacademicpractice.jsp

6. Addressing bad academic
practice
• Why use referencing and consequences
of poor referencing
• Clarification on differing referencing
styles
• Creating bibliographies
• Citing within the text

7. Collaborative approach
• CLASS – Centre for Learning and Study
Support
• Complete study process supported

8. The Study Process
Searching
Reading & evaluating
Exploring &
defining Writing & reviewing
Referencing

9. Collaborative approach
• CLASS – Centre for Learning and Study
Support
• Complete study process supported
• CLASS – Using references
– Paraphrasing and summarising
• Library – Citation
– Creating bibliographies
– In-text citations

10. The DMU Approach to teaching
referencing

11. DMU approach
• Presentation on principles of
referencing
– Why reference
– Key elements of a reference
• Contextualised examples
• Practical exercise in groups

12. Extracts from the presentation

13. Why use referencing
• Acknowledges other people‟s ideas
• Enables readers to see what sources
you have used
• Gives authority
• Shows scope and breadth of research
• Avoids plagiarism and adds marks
– Plagiarism is a serious academic offence

14. Referencing
A reference consists of five essential elements:
• author details – individual, company or organization
• the title of the item, document or page
• the publisher or the source (e.g. the name of a
journal)
• the date of publication or when the website or
resource was created, last amended or accessed
• the place of publication, the full web address (URL)
or the type of resource if it is not a web site (e.g. an
email) or page numbers if it is a journal

15. Citing and writing example
During this decade, China will have 2 million
smoking-related deaths each year; 900,000
of them will stem from lung cancer alone (Zhu
et al. 1996)
quot;Osteoporosis, with the attendant hazard of
fractures, is probably one of the main
limitations to long-term glucocorticoid
therapy“ (Rang et al 1999: 423)

16. Journal article citation information
Author Title of article
Page
Issue
Volume
Title of journal
Year

17. Journal article
• HALL, W. D. (2006) Cannabis use and the mental
health of young people. The Australian and New
Zealand Journal of Psychiatry. 40(2): 105-113
• If the journal has a month instead of an issue number use
name of month in reference e.g. 40 (Feb)
• May also use Vol. 40 (2) and/or p. or pp. for page numbers
• Use this format even if you find the article on the Internet.
Do not include the web address.

18. Journal abbreviations
• Handbook for PHCO3304 states that you
must use journal title abbreviations from
index medicus
• A-Z list available from:
http://www2.bg.am.poznan.pl/czasopisma/m
edicus.php?lang=eng
• Search for abbreviation using PubMed
Journals database:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?db
=Journals&itool=toolbar

19. Exercise
• Working in small groups (up to 4) and
using the examples provided, write out
the reference for each putting them in
the correct format and order for a
bibliography using the Harvard system

20. Referencing Exercises
ALBERTS, B. et al ______ ______________________. 2nd ed.
___________________ __________________
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
______________ (2001) The supply and consumption of over
the counter drugs. In: _______________________. eds.
____________________. London: Taylor & Francis, ________.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
______________________ (2007) ___________________________
__________________ Available from: __________________________
_____________________________________ __________________

21. Theoretical Context

22. Advantages of peer learning
approach
Students retention rates for group
interactivity rises to 70% and 80% for
doing real-life tasks compared to 10%
for reading
Glassner as quoted by Biggs and Tang (2007)

23. The Learning Pyramid
Taken from:
http://www.tcde.tehama.k12.ca.us/pyramid.pdf

24. Advantages of peer learning
approach
„A high degree of learner activity‟ (p.17)
and peer interaction are critical factors
in encouraging a deep approach to
learning.
Biggs as quoted by Toohey (1999)

25. Deep vs surface learning
• Surface approach to learning
– Learning as memorising
– Learning as the acquisition of facts
– Focus on discrete elements without integration
Entwhistle (1981) and Marton and Säljö (1976) as cited
by Savin-Baden and Major (2004, p.26)

26. Deep vs surface learning
• Deep approach to learning
– Learning as an interpretive process aimed
at understanding reality
– Vigorous interaction with content
– Relate concepts to everyday experience
• Entwhistle (1981) and Marton and Säljö (1976) as
cited by Savin-Baden and Major (2004, p.26)

27. Addressing cultural
differences
• Individualist cultures
– E.g. UK, Canada, USA
– Respond well to whole class
discussion/activity
• Collectivist cultures
– E.g. Asia
– Favour small group discussion/activity
Hofstede (2001)

28. Teaching referencing
• Talk to the lecturer – ensure you are teaching the
correct referencing style
• Include any variations for the particular
programme
• Include examples for bibliography and citing
within the text to demonstrate application
• Contextualise the session – use examples from
the appropriate discipline
• Use an exercise to put the technique into practice
• Encourage students to work in groups

29. References
• BIGGS, J. and TANG, C. (2007) Teaching for quality learning at
university: what the student does, 3rd ed. Maidenhead: Society
for Research into Higher Education & Open University Press.
• HOFSTEDE, G. H. (2001) Culture’s consequences: comparing
values, behaviours, institutions and organizations across
nations. 2nd ed. London: Sage.
• SAVIN-BADEN, M. and MAJOR, C. (2004) Foundations of
Problem-based learning. Maidenhead: Society for Research into
Higher Education & Open University Press.
• TOOHEY, S. (1999) Designing courses for Higher Education.
Buckingham: The Society for Research into Higher Education &
Open University Press.