The functions of references

When and why are references given? In this section, the main functions of sources and references in academic writing are explained.

In order to present your ideas and findings, you have to discuss them in comparison or in contrast to previous research.  Depending on what kind of text you are writing and what kind of sources you base your writing on, these sources may have different functions, however. Perhaps you refer to a source as a starting point, for instance, if you wish to challenge previous research. You can also refer to previous research in order to back up your own findings or ideas. Whatever use you make of sources, your reference should always have a clear function and it must be relevant to the argument of your text.

 

In the video below, from the free online MOOC "Writing in English at University" (Lund University, 2016) , you are introduced to a few basic aspects of using references in your writing.

When and why are references given?

References are given whenever a source, which supplies some kind of fact, idea, or evidence, is used. In most academic texts, references have at least one of the following, sometimes overlapping, functions:

To acknowledge previous research in the field  

By referring to previous, relevant, studies, you can present opposing views within the field while giving background information on the topic. In doing this, you also provide a basis for your own argument. This means that in your writing, you need to demonstrate your awareness of previous and related research within the field. In some disciplines, there is a designated part in essays and research papers for previous research, whereas such acknowledgements may be given anywhere in the text in other disciplines.

To position new research in relation to previous publications

A central aim of research is to expand knowledge. In order to show what is new, scholarly writers need to position their work in relation to previous research in the field.  This positioning is carried out in different ways, depending on discipline and text type. A common method is to present previous research and then present new facts that either expand the knowledge presented by earlier research, or, indeed, contradict it. In order to show what is new in their essay or article, writers thus need to acknowledge what has previously been published within the field.

To present primary data to support the writer's claim

Depending on discipline, writers use different kinds of primary data to support their claims, and the use they make of such data will differ. A research article within the fields of Medicine or Science will be backed up by clinical or experimental evidence (that is, evidence gathered and analysed for the study that is being reported). Similarly, a literary analysis will be backed up by textual evidence (that is, evidence from the text that is being analysed). As practices vary between disciplines, students are advised to consult their supervisors regarding appropriate ways of presenting primary data.

 

The video below, from the free online MOOC "Writing in English at University" (Lund University, 2016) provides additional information and hands-on tips on the function of references in academic writing and how references can help you build your argument.

Danger of over-referencing

It is important to consider the relevance of the references that are being used. In the hope of showing everything that the writer has read, a common beginner's mistake is to insert too many and, thereby, irrelevant references. A common kind of over-referencing occurs when references are given to facts that can be seen as common knowledge; if readers to whom the text is directed can be expected to know a general fact that is being stated in the text, no reference is needed. Consequently, writers need to be aware of the audience for which they are writing. Note that over-referencing does not strengthen the writer's argument but may have the opposite effect!
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