21 Why is referencing important, according to the tutor?
A It improves writing style
B It shows where ideas come from and the range of reading
C It increases the word count
22 What main difference between APA and MLA is mentioned?
A The use of footnotes
B The order of references
C The format of in text citations
23 When are page numbers required in APA style?
A When quoting directly
B When paraphrasing
C In every citation
24 What does the tutor warn Aisha about regarding one of her sources?
A It is too old
B It may not be reliable academically
C It has too many authors
25 What does the tutor say about the 1998 article?
A It should be removed
B It is acceptable as a foundational text
C It must be replaced
Questions 26–30
Complete the notes below.
Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS for each answer.
Referencing notes
With four authors, use “et al.” after the first 26 ……………………
If a source has no date, write 27 ……………………
The reference list should be double spaced and have a 28 ……………………
In APA, book titles and journal names are 29 ……………………
The tutor recommends Zotero or 30 ……………………
Keys
21 B
22 C
23 A
24 B
25 B
26 citation
27 n.d.
28 hanging indent
29 italicised
30 EndNote
Transcripts
Part 3: You will hear a student talking to a tutor about referencing for a research project.
TUTOR: Hi, Aisha. Come in and have a seat. You said in your email that you wanted some help with referencing for your research project. Before we look at that, how is the draft itself going?
AISHA: Much better than before, actually. I’ve nearly finished the main body, so I’m relieved about that. The part I’m worried about now is the referencing. I know it’s an important part of the assessment, and I really don’t want to lose marks or run into plagiarism problems because I’ve used the wrong format.
TUTOR: You’re right to take it seriously. Referencing matters because it shows where your ideas come from and also demonstrates the range of reading behind your work. In other words, it tells the reader that your argument is based on proper research rather than unsupported opinion.
AISHA: The department says we have to use APA, but in my previous course I used MLA all the time, so I keep confusing the two systems.
TUTOR: That’s very common. The main difference we need to focus on today is the format of in-text citations. In APA, you normally include the author’s surname and the year of publication in brackets within the sentence or paragraph, instead of depending mainly on footnotes.
AISHA: I think I’ve done that in most places, but I’m still unsure about page numbers. Should they appear in every citation?
TUTOR: No. In APA, page numbers are required when you are quoting directly from a source. If you are paraphrasing, some lecturers like to see them, but they are not compulsory in every case.
AISHA: That clears it up. There’s one source I’m uncertain about, though. It’s an online article with some recent statistics, but I can’t find the author’s name or any clear publisher details on the webpage.
TUTOR: That’s a warning sign. If a source doesn’t show who wrote it or where it comes from, it may not be reliable academically. I’d advise you to replace it with something from a peer-reviewed journal or another trustworthy academic source.
AISHA: I thought you might say that. I’ll find a better one. Most of the things I’ve used are fairly recent, from the last few years, but there’s one article from 1998 that I still want to include because it first introduced the theory I’m writing about. Is that too dated?
TUTOR: Not necessarily. A 1998 article can still be perfectly acceptable as a foundational text, especially if it established the original theory. Keep it, but make sure you explain why it is historically important.
TUTOR: Now, let’s think about the reference list at the end. Have you already put one together?
AISHA: I’ve started it, yes. One thing I wanted to ask is about a paper with four authors. Do I need to write all four names every time?
TUTOR: No. With four authors, you should use “et al.” after the first citation.
AISHA: Good, that will save space. I also have a government report that seems reliable, but there’s no publication year on the website.
TUTOR: If there is genuinely no date, write “n.d.” where the year would normally go.
AISHA: Fine. And what about the layout of the list itself?
TUTOR: The whole reference list should be double-spaced, and each entry needs a hanging indent so the second and later lines are pushed in.
AISHA: I can do that in Word. I’m also a bit confused about formatting titles.
TUTOR: In APA, book titles and journal names are italicised, but article titles are not.
AISHA: I’ve underlined some book titles, so I’ll change them. Formatting all this by hand is taking ages.
TUTOR: That’s why I suggest reference software. The university supports several options, and I’d recommend Zotero or EndNote.
