Why is Referencing Important?

Citations are not used simply to avoid plagiarism; they have other important roles too.

By citing the work of a particular scholar you acknowledge and respect the intellectual property rights of that researcher. As a student, or an academic, you are free to use any of the millions of ideas, insights and arguments published by other writers, many of whom have spent years of hard work researching and writing. All they ask is that you acknowledge their contribution to your assignment. This doesn’t seem like too much, does it?

Citing work also allows you to show your marker that you are aware of the field in which you are operating. Your citations map the space of your discipline, and allow you to navigate your way through your chosen field of study, in the same way that sailors steer by the stars.

Citations also make your writing more persuasive.

Exercise: Look at the two paragraphs below: which one seems more authoritative?

Paragraph One The importance, or otherwise, of lyrics in popular music, and academic approaches to song lyrics, is subject to much debate. The supposed ‘poor’ standard or presumed meaninglessness of popular music lyrics, become a means to critique popular music. Conversely, it could be argued that too much attention is given to a song’s lyrics, to the point where the music itself is overlooked; it is also possible to overestimate the degree to which the music listener actually listens to the words, or perceives them to be the site of meaning in a song. Nonetheless, Simon Frith suggests that lyrics do allow songs to be ‘used in particular ways’: lyrics facilitate certain ‘creative articulations’. In the case of protest music, the lyrics allow a song to be made to speak to political issues.	Paragraph Two The importance, or otherwise, of lyrics in popular music, and academic approaches to song lyrics, is subject to much debate (Frith, 1998; Shepherd, 1999; Fornas, 2003). The supposed ‘poor’ standard or presumed meaninglessness of popular music lyrics, become a means to critique popular music. Conversely, it could be argued that too much attention is given to a song’s lyrics, to the point where the music itself is overlooked; it is also possible to overestimate the degree to which the music listener actually listens to the words, or perceives them to be the site of meaning in a song (Shepherd, 1999:172). Nonetheless, Simon Frith suggests that lyrics do allow songs to be ‘used in particular ways’ (cited in Martin, 1995:273): lyrics facilitate certain ‘creative articulations’ (Johnson, 2000). In the case of protest music, the lyrics allow a song to be made to speak to political issues.

Paragraph One

The importance, or otherwise, of lyrics in popular music, and academic approaches to song lyrics, is subject to much debate. The supposed ‘poor’ standard or presumed meaninglessness of popular music lyrics, become a means to critique popular music. Conversely, it could be argued that too much attention is given to a song’s lyrics, to the point where the music itself is overlooked; it is also possible to overestimate the degree to which the music listener actually listens to the words, or perceives them to be the site of meaning in a song. Nonetheless, Simon Frith suggests that lyrics do allow songs to be ‘used in particular ways’: lyrics facilitate certain ‘creative articulations’. In the case of protest music, the lyrics allow a song to be made to speak to political issues.

Paragraph Two

The importance, or otherwise, of lyrics in popular music, and academic approaches to song lyrics, is subject to much debate (Frith, 1998; Shepherd, 1999; Fornas, 2003). The supposed ‘poor’ standard or presumed meaninglessness of popular music lyrics, become a means to critique popular music. Conversely, it could be argued that too much attention is given to a song’s lyrics, to the point where the music itself is overlooked; it is also possible to overestimate the degree to which the music listener actually listens to the words, or perceives them to be the site of meaning in a song (Shepherd, 1999:172). Nonetheless, Simon Frith suggests that lyrics do allow songs to be ‘used in particular ways’ (cited in Martin, 1995:273): lyrics facilitate certain ‘creative articulations’ (Johnson, 2000). In the case of protest music, the lyrics allow a song to be made to speak to political issues.

The paragraphs are identical, except for the absence of citations from paragraph 1.

The first paragraph may be just as interesting as the second, but within an academic context, a context that requires you to show from where you have taken ideas, the second has far more authority, it is more persuasive. It shows that the ideas you are discussing are matters that are important to your particular academic community.