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Referencing and Academic Honesty

References are listed

At the end of your assessment and should be in alphabetical order by author last name and formatted according to the rules of APA 6th.

QUT cite|write

Your introductory guide to citing, referencing and academic writing at QUT.

In text citations can be

A direct quote: a word for word reproduction of an author's words. For example;

"Quotation marks should be used to indicate the exact words of another" (APA, 2010 p.16).

A paraphrase: the restating of an author’s ideas in your own words. For example;

APA publications cite using an author-date system and organise the reference list alphabetically (APA, 2010 p.174).

A summary: a brief overview of content. For example;

The APA (2010) argues that plagiarism includes presenting one’s own previous work as though it were original.

You will get better results if you can summarise the works you have read as much as possible. This will show your lecturers that you truly understand content.

Note taking

Taking good notes and organising your notes well is a vital skill in academic writing. Your notes will allow you to easily identify the themes in your assignments and write more fluidly  and originally. After writing your draft you can insert the supporting citations. See the QUT Notetaking template.

Academic Honesty

You must be honest in your academic work and work towards your QUT qualification in a way that is fair; without cheating or failing to acknowledge other people's work, when used to support arguments within your own work.

Upholding the principles of academic honesty adds to the value and quality of your degree and the reputation of the university.

Why is academic honesty important?

Consider the following scenario:

You are injured playing football and the nurse who treats you bought her essays instead of writing them. She doesn’t know how to keep up with the latest research because she never learnt how to read the journals so she recommends old, outdated treatments. She just doesn’t know how to keep up to date in her medical knowledge.

 

QUT graduates should have the required skills to practice their chosen profession. Academic honesty ensures you truly understand the content you are studying.