Another Referencing Question!

studiorat

Hi there,
I've been dropped into a post-grad course having never done a degree through industry experience, and I have a question about citations etc...

I'm wondering what defines common knowledge, do I have to cite every fact detailed in my work? For example I've come across the same fact in 3 different sources. What happens here? Where do I draw the line between what people should know and take as true and what needs citing?

Thanks,

Electric

Do you mind if I ask what you are studying? If it's law then you'll probably be using the OSCOLA system. Check out the link for the how to guide.

If you're not doing law then you might be using the Harvard system.

Try contacting your programme office to check to see what referencing system you are using they should be able to help and there are lots of how to guides online.

As regards citing something that appears in 3 different locations I think (though I'm open to correction) that you should be ok citing any one of the those references.

Hope this helps!

http://www.ucd.ie/library/subject_portals/law/

studiorat

Thanks,
We're using the Harvard system, the Masters is in Music Technology, for me it's mainly computer programming and acoustics (trying to get away from music!). Certain things I will need to state in introductions etc. but it's really things that are used in every day industry and taken for granted.

I drove 75km for a lecture in the library yesterday on this subject, where they only thing the person taking us could do was show us the web site. I was a bit cheesed off that I went to all that trouble so sit with someone busking it! I've done it myself and I can tell;)

Electric

When I was writing my dissertation my supervisor told me to assume that the reader will have a certain amount of knowledge. For example that they would understand basic concepts of law or what latin maxims meant etc.

I'm not familiar with the everyday stuff in music technology so I couldn't tell ya what you should reference and what you can assume is general knowledge.

That said sometimes it's best to err on the side of caution and reference all documents and material that you either directly quote or take an idea from. If the everyday stuff is something you would be using quite a bit then you could reference it once and then op cite it.

If you're really stuck maybe email one of your lecturers?

Sorry I can't be more helpful

El Siglo

Here OP read this, everything you need to know about referencing in the Harvard Style is in it.

pow wow

Never thought I'd be grateful to UL for something El Siglo Great source.

djpbarry

studiorat wrote: »

I'm wondering what defines common knowledge, do I have to cite every fact detailed in my work? For example I've come across the same fact in 3 different sources. What happens here? Where do I draw the line between what people should know and take as true and what needs citing?

You could use the papers you are reviewing as a guide - if a generic, introductory statement is commonly made without reference, then you can probably assume it to be common knowledge. Here's an example from my own field:

In submerged culture the morphology of filamentous microorganisms varies between two extreme forms, pellets and free filaments, depending on culture conditions and the genotype of the applied strain.

Virtually every paper in this field begins in a similar manner - it's common knowledge, so there really is no need to back it up with a source.

El Siglo

pow wow wrote: »

Never thought I'd be grateful to UL for something El Siglo Great source.

I know, it's bloody brilliant, that thing got me through final year is flying colours, excellent resource so it is, just keep it on a tab minimized while your working and you're sorted! Yeh I know, Limerick usually the only things that come out of the place is this and this!;)