Hello John - within Hull University, referencing systems vary according to
department - there is no one system imposed or recommended. Departments'
preferences and detailed guidance are communicated to students in their
programme handbooks - we have a collection of these at our Study Advice
Services desks, for use with students who come to us for advice about
referencing. Departments are asked to deposit a copy with us as they revise
their handbooks.
What we do have here is a referencing template - copy attached. This came about
last summer, following a request from our Quality Office for our advice on how
to make referencing guidance in programme handbooks clearer for students, and
more consistent across the University. Yours truly wrote the template with
input from some of our other tutors, and it is now mandatory for all
departments to put it into their handbooks (at all levels) in an appendix. Take
up this year has not been universal, but a good start has been made.
You will see that the idea of the template is not to impose a particular
referencing system on departments, but to give them a detailed framework of
referencing guidance into which they can slot their preferred system. This
achieves the original objective of the exercise - more consistent guidance
referencing guidance for students.
Hope this helps - best wishes - Chris Pinder
Chris Pinder
Tutor - Study Advice Services
The University of Hull
01482 465495 (Hull - Tuesdays and Wednesdays)
01723 357274 (Scarborough - Thursdays)
[log in to unmask]
www.hull.ac.uk/studyadvice
Quoting John Hilsdon <[log in to unmask]>:
> Dear All
>
>
>
> Happy new year!
>
>
>
> Here is a return to a theme we are all familiar with, I suspect! I am
> writing to ask about guidelines or recommendations concerning
> conventions for academic referencing, and the ways in which these are
> communicated to students.
>
>
>
> My sense is that in most HE institutions, this is a matter dealt with at
> course or programme level, and that the conventions preferred are
> determined by historical, discipline-specific factors. Certainly that is
> the case here in Plymouth, although to some extent - and it seems to
> vary - faculties and/or departments issue broad guidelines covering
> programmes within their ambit. The best practice from the point of view
> of students is where clear guidelines, with examples, are published and
> made known to all students on modules and courses run by a particular
> department, school or faculty. Our Faculty of Education is a case in
> point here - their published guidelines are in all the course handbooks,
> and available online. But even in this case I have come across instances
> where students have been given conflicting advice by staff.
>
>
>
> This remains a major area of concern for students, using our Learning
> Development service. I would like to find out about examples of good
> practice; cases of coherent approaches; initiatives to develop subject
> or course-based approaches; and good communication of guidelines and
> support to students.
>
>
>
> Are any of you aware of any cases where institutions rather than
> faculties/academic departments have produced guidelines or
> recommendations about conventions for academic referencing? Have any
> universities taken an institutional stance to adopt, say a Harvard type
> (author-date), or a numeric type model?
>
>
>
> Do any of you have any working groups or other initiatives underway to
> look at these issues - particularly from a student perspective? We have
> a working group making efforts to inch towards a coherent institutional
> approach ... with limited successes so far! (I regard this as a
> long-term project, however ...)
>
>
>
> I'd be grateful for any information - but please send any replies to the
> whole list as I think this is a matter of wide concern (unless you
> prefer to communicate just to me).
>
>
>
> All the best
>
>
>
> John
>
>
>
> John Hilsdon
> Co-ordinator, Learning Development
> University of Plymouth
> Drake Circus
> Plymouth
> PL4 8AA
>
>
>
> 01752 232276
>
>
>
> [log in to unmask]
>
>
>
> http://www.plymouth.ac.uk/learn
>
>
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