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Surveying: Referencing & Writing

Citation basics

A 'citation' or 'reference' is a standardised way of acknowledging materials used in your research.

In Surveying, we use a author date style, either APA  of Harvard Style. For more information and resources on these styles visit the: Citation Styles Guide

Please note that there are numerous variations to the Harvard style, so if you are using a Harvard Style, make sure you are consistently using the same variation, e.g. University of Otago Geography Department style.

Sometimes you may be required to use a less common citation style from a specific journal or organisation. Reasons include:

  • You want to publish in a specific journal.
  • The style has been developed specifically for your department or discipline.

Check with your lecturer or supervisor if you are unsure which style to use.

A citation (AKA a 'reference') is not only the way we identify a source of information we have used, it is also a way that we can locate a source of information.

While you are studying, you will need to find and use citations, and create your own references for the information you use.

Parts of a citation include:

  • Author(s) or editor(s)
  • Title (of book, book chapter, article, webpage, documentary, etc.)
  • Date of publication
  • Publisher and place of publication (books)
  • Page numbers
  • Journal title, journal volume and issue (articles)
  • And, other elements that are specific to the type of source, e.g. edition of a book, or DOI or URL for online content.

Citations are formatted differently, depending on the referencing style used. Here is a break-down of an example of a journal article citation in the APA (American Psychological Association) style:

Berghan, J., & Goodwin, D. (2020). Social mortgages and affordable housing. Build, 177(April/May), 53-54. https://www.buildmagazine.org.nz/articles/show/social-mortgages-and-affordable-housing

  • Berghan, J., & Goodwin, D.

The authors are listed first, last name followed by initials.

  • (2020).

The year of publication is written after the authors, in brackets.

  • Social mortgages and affordable housing.

The title is next, e.g.; article title, book or book chapter, webpage, documentary, etc.

  • Build,

Next is the name of the wider source if there is one (in APA it is written in italics), e.g.; this is where you would write the title of a journal that an article is found in, or the title of a book that a book chapter is in.

  • 177(April/May),

For journal articles, this is where you write the journal number (in italics), followed by the journal issue (in brackets). 

  • 53-54.

Next, the page numbers, or the article number if there are no page numbers.

Finally, it is good practice to include the DOI or an URL, because this is how we find the resource online.

NB: Full stops, commas, brackets and italics are all part of the referencing style, and will differ according to the particular style you are using or reading.

Citations will also differ depending on the source of your information, e.g. a webpage won’t have page numbers, or if you are citing a physical book, you would write the publisher last, instead of a DOI or URL.

Citing AKA 'referencing' the ideas and research you use in your assignments is a critical part of all academic work because it:

  • Acknowledges how others' work has influenced you thinking.
  • Provides evidence for your arguments, and
  • Assists other researchers to locate the sources you use.

Citing avoids plagiarism by giving you a way to correctly attribute credit to other authors or researchers.

The University of Otago takes plagiarism seriously. These resources will help you understand what plagiarism is and how to avoid it.

Information about academic misconduct, including definitions.

Definition of plagiarism and information on how to avoid it.

Identifies a range of support services and resources.

It is a good idea to have a basic understanding of what copyright is and how it pertains to what we do at University.

For information, explore the following linked websites:

Surveying referencing styles

A booklet entitled ‘Style Guide’ has been produced by the School of Surveying. It is a reference guide for preparing and presenting written work to the School of Surveying and is available from the School office for a nominal fee. This is intended as a helpful reference guide to alert you to correct English usage, presentation expectations and accurate referencing.

The School of Surveying 'Style Guide’ doesn’t specifically state which referencing style to use but does provide a link to the Library APA Citation Style Guide 

If you are not sure what style to use, check with your lecturer or supervisor.

 

APA

 

APA Online Leaning Module (Learn the basics and practice with exercises and a quiz)

Reference management tools

Reference management software helps you store, organise, and correctly cite all your research information with ease.  They include EndNote, Mendeley, & Zotero, all of which you can currently access for free.

Check out the Managing Your References guide for  support with these different tools. There are also some good help resources for EndNote on this library guide web page.

The University endorses and supports the use of EndNote software, and provides it to you for free. For EndNote troubleshooting, contact your Subject Librarian or Student IT.

Academic Writing

Research methods books

Thesis writing

Take a look at our Thesis Information: Writing guide for links to resources about writing, structuring, and formatting your thesis.

If you would like an interactive tutorial to help get you started on your thesis journey, you might find these online modules from ProQuest useful.

Developing writing skills / support with writing

A free, online course in scientific writing that teaches how to write effectively in the sciences. It is structured in three lessons, with each containing principles, examples, and a worksheet for you to complete.

A concise section-by-section guide to writing a scientific paper, including examples and some links to further resources.

This is a more general resource on academic writing from Purdue University. It has useful sections on; conciseness, paragraphs, using logic, and varying your sentences.