Citing Sources
Basic rule in science
Each scholarly text (and therefore also your paper or thesis) builds on the knowledge of others. One of the most important rules in science is that sources used in a text are clearly indicated. It makes no difference whether it concerns a scholarly article or book, course material, a statement of a professor, a paper of a fellow student or information from the internet. If you use ideas of others, you have to acknowledge that by citing your sources.Why?
- You give credit to the original author(s).
- You make your text verifiable for others. The reader is able to see which ideas belong to you and which ones you have adopted from others.
- You enable the reader to locate the cited sources.
Plagiarism
If you use parts of texts, reasonings and thoughts of others without a correct reference, you are guilty of plagiarism. This is regarded a serious offence. If plagiarism is established, a sanction
is applied by the university.
Plagiarism is often unintentional. How it can be avoided is explained in the online course
RefCite: online module on referencing and plagiarism
Quoting and paraphrasing
You can include ideas of others in your own text as a direct quotation (the exact wording of a passage) or as a paraphrase (a passage described in your own words). Particularly paraphrasing can be tricky. A common mistake is sticking too close to the original text.How you paraphrase a piece of text correctly is explained in the section
Paraphrasing of the online course Plagiarism.
How to cite sources
Your school probably prescribes a specific system for citing sources (a 'citation style'). Consult the page Citation styles for information on the styles used at Tilburg University.See also
Citation Styles in use at Tilburg University
Questions about citing?
Visit the office hours of the information specialists or complete the Question form online.