This is an issue that causes great concern and confusion to students. I
have known students who were more worried about getting the references
right than the contents of their assignment. It is not uncommon to have
students told to use one referencing style by one lecturer, then be told
to use another style by someone else. From my experience many academic
departments favour an Author-date style (commonly referred to as Harvard
style). However, some humanities departments prefer a Numeric (sometimes
called British Standard) style. This has come back into fashion with the
ability to add footnotes in Microsoft Word documents. Some information
sources, for example legal citations, do not conform to Author-date or
Numeric styles, and some academic departments use other referencing
styles e.g. Vancouver and APA. For those wishing to use Harvard, the
problem is that there is no agreement about what constitutes Harvard
style. The Chicago Manual of Style, the MHRA handbook, Li & Crane and
MLA all offer slightly different versions.
In answer to Selina's question if anyone has succeeded in arguing for a
standard style, yes. If hope they don't mind me speaking on their
behalf, but Northumbria University uses Cite them right, written by
Graham Shields and Graham Walton in 1990 and updated in 2004 and 2005 by
Graham Shields and I when we were information specialists there. This is
the referencing guide (including Author-date and Numeric style) that
Northumbria students are directed to use and which is promoted by the
Library and used by information specialists in their teaching. Cite them
right is now being used by other universities, colleges and libraries in
the UK and Europe. For more information on Cite them right, see
http://www.citethemright.co.uk/
I think the most important thing to stress to students (and their
tutors!) is that whatever style they use a) be consistent and b) make
sure you provide all of the information readers will require to obtain
the source if they wish to check something for themselves.
Anne's final point is also very relevant. It is very clear that students
need to develop academic skills throughout their educational journey.
Identifying, citing and critically analysing the work of others are
essential skills that cannot be left until the age of 18 or 19.
best regards
Richard
--
Richard Pears
Faculty Support Librarian
Durham University Library,
Stockton Road,
DURHAM.
DH1 3LY
Tel: 0191 334 2970
Fax: 0191 334 2971
E-Mail: [log in to unmask]
Hines, Roger wrote:
> We took soundings and found that we were not going to get agreement
> on a standard Harvard from everyone(there are even one or two area
> where they would rather sell their children into slavery than use
> Harvard) and we don't have any strong central committe that would have
> the power to impose one. So we produced a SHU Harvard in Refworks and
> made sure it matched our leaflets, our on line student guide called
> Key Skills. Faculties don't have to use it but we are hoping that
> student pressure will force them to accept it. Frankly we don't have
> the energy or time to enter into prolonged negotiations. As for
> postgarduates the argument always is that they have to use the one
> that their subject area uses! Personally I am dubious about this.
>
> Roger Hines
> Information Specialist
> Faculty, Arts Computing Engineering and Sciences
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> *From:* Information literacy and information skills teaching
> discussion list [mailto:[log in to unmask]] *On Behalf Of
> *Max McMurdo
> *Sent:* 11 May 2006 09:50
> *To:* [log in to unmask]
> *Subject:* Re: Bibliographic standards for schools
>
> Earlier in my career at another institution, we solved this problem by
> getting a standard system (a Harvard variant) accepted (by the
> research committee) as a requirement for research degree theses.
> This meant that it applied in all subject areas across the university.
> After that it was easy. You do need some allies on the research
> committee however.
>
>
>
> Max McMurdo
>
> School of Human and Health Sciences (Room HW-G15)
>
> University of Huddersfield
>
> Queensgate
>
> Huddersfield
>
> HD1 3DH
>
> 01484422288 X3825
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Information literacy and information skills teaching discussion
> list [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Lock, S.T.
> Sent: 10 May 2006 16:21
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: Bibliographic standards for schools
>
>
>
> This message made me smile, as it shows once again that we all have
>
> similar problems! I've just come back from a meeting, where we were
>
> drafting a report to our University's Teaching and Learning Committee,
>
> to press for more standardised referencing/citation styles to be used.
>
>
>
> I think we have something like 10 different versions of Harvard in use,
>
> plus various numbered styles and also ones that Departments have created
>
> for themselves. It all causes a lot of confusion and stress for the
>
> students.
>
>
>
> It also means that we can't create styles for the students using EndNote
>
> and RefWorks.
>
>
>
> Has anyone else been successful at arguing for more standardised style?
>
> If so, what arguments did you make?
>
>
>
> Cheers
>
> Selina Lock
>
> Information Librarian (Sciences)
>
> Email: [log in to unmask] Tel. 2055
>
> **Leicester Research Archive: promoting the University's research.
>
> Visit http://www.le.ac.uk/li/lra/ for more information.**
>
>
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
>
> From: Information literacy and information skills teaching discussion
>
> list [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Anne Robinson
>
> Sent: 10 May 2006 15:20
>
> To: [log in to unmask]
>
> Subject: Bibliographic standards for schools
>
>
>
> I am trying to get my staff to adopt a single bibiographic standard,
>
> which we can develop from KS3 up to KS5. I would then develop materials
>
> to use with students to help them progress from a simple version in Year
>
> 7 up to a full version in Year 13.
>
>
>
> What I would like to know is: which standard would be the best one to
>
> persuade/encourage our staff to adopt? Those of you working in FE and HE
>
> could perhaps help those of us in schools by suggesting the most used
>
> standard. Then we could help you by teaching it to as many students as
>
> we can!
>
>
>
> Best wishes
>
> Anne
>
> --
>
> Anne M Robinson, MA MCLIP
>
> "SLA School Librarian of the Year 2005"
>
> Federation Learning and Information Resources Team Leader Bedworth
>
> Federation of Schools Nicholas Chamberlaine Technology College
>
> Bulkington Road Bedworth Warwickshire
>
> CV12 9EA
>
> Email: [log in to unmask]
>
> Alt email: [log in to unmask]
>
> URL: http://www.strongest-links.org.uk
>
> ---
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