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Revision Exercises

1
The Purpose of Referencing

Which do you think is the most important reason to reference properly?

a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
Correct. Of course it's true that if you don't reference properly you may lose marks or be accused of plagiarism, but that's not the *reason* why proper referencing is required. Likewise, the fact that academics do proper references is less important than the reason why this is the expected practice.Of course it's true that if you don't reference properly you may lose marks or be accused of plagiarism, but that's not the *reason* why proper referencing is required. Likewise, the fact that academics do proper references is less important than the reason why they do it: to acknowledge their debts to other scholars and to support their arguments by reference to the evidence.Your answer has been saved.
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2

What should be referenced?

a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
a) Direct quotes must always be referenced.a) Direct quotes must always be referenced.b) Basic information is not usually referenced unless it was the discovery of a specific individual.b) Basic information is not usually referenced unless it was the discovery of a specific individual.c) Definitely.c) You must give references to your sources, even if you don't quote them directly.d) Definitely.d) Whenever you draw on a source, even if you don't quote it or refer to it directly, you need to give a reference.e) Correct; if you haven't been able to get hold of the original, you need to credit the place where you did find the information.e) If you haven't been able to get hold of the original, you need to credit the place where you did find the information.
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Footnotes

Consider the following example:

How important are the methodological differences between historians and the writers of historical fiction? It has been argued1 that they are a matter of degree rather than involving an absolute distinction, that historiography is simply a special sort of fiction. Even if both sorts of writing draw on the same evidence and subject it to a similar process of interpretation, however, historians are expected to 'show the working' by citing their sources in footnotes and bibliographies.2 Historians emphasise the construction of their arguments, whereas novelists present a seamless account.3

1 Hayden White, The Content of the Form (Baltimore: Johns Hopkins, 1978).

2 Morley, N., Writing Ancient History (London), p.32

3 White, ibid., pg.47ff.

3
Footnote 1

Is this note acceptable?

a)
b)
Correct; you would normally expect a reference to specific pages rather than to a whole book, but the main problem is that the footnote number in the text is not placed at the end of the sentence.It's reasonable, but not good enough: you would normally expect a reference to specific pages rather than to a whole book, but the main problem is that the footnote number in the text is not placed at the end of the sentence.Your answer has been saved.
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4
Footnote 2

Is this footnote acceptable?

a)
b)
It's not good: no date given for the publication. The format does not correspond to MHRA guidelines, and, more seriously, it's not consistent with the format of the previous footnote.It's not good: no date given for the publication. The format does not correspond to MHRA guidelines, and, more seriously, it's not consistent with the format of the previous footnote.Your answer has been saved.
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5
Footnote 3

Is this footnote acceptable?

a)
b)
It's clear what is meant, but there are some problems of format here: not all referencing systems encourage the use of 'ibid.', the abbreviation for 'page' is 'p.' not 'pg.', and generally the use of 'ff.' is discouraged.It's clear what is meant, but there are some problems of format here: not all referencing systems encourage the use of 'ibid.', the abbreviation for 'page' is 'p.' not 'pg.', and generally the use of 'ff.' is discouraged.Your answer has been saved.
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References in the Text

6
Is the following an acceptable form of reference?

It has been argued (Hayden White, 1978) that history is simply a special sort of fiction governed by particular rules of presentation.

a)
b)
It serves the basic function of indicating the source of the idea, but the formatting is not ideal: it should give just the author's surname; generally you would expect no punctuation or a colon rather than a comma; generally you would expect a more specific reference. Finally, it would be better at the end of the sentence rather than in the middle.It serves the basic function of indicating the source of the idea, but the formatting is not ideal: it should give just the author's surname; generally you would expect no punctuation or a colon rather than a comma; generally you would expect a more specific reference. Finally, it would be better at the end of the sentence rather than in the middle.Your answer has been saved.
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7
Is the following an acceptable form of reference?

Historians, as Morley (1999) has argued, are expected to 'show their working' through footnotes.

a)
b)
Since there is a direct quotation from Morley's words, there needs to be a page reference.Since there is a direct quotation from Morley's words, there needs to be a page reference.Your answer has been saved.
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8
Is this an acceptable form of reference?

There is always a concern that footnotes and other academic apparatus are primarily rhetorical devices rather than methodological necessities (Morley, ibid., pp.33-4).

a)
b)
In-text references using the Harvard system just have name, date and page numbers: they don't use 'ibid' or 'pp.'.In-text references using the Harvard system just have name, date and page numbers: they don't use 'ibid' or 'pp.'.Your answer has been saved.
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Bibliographies and Lists of References

Consider the following example:

Garnsey, P, Hopkins, K. & Whittaker, C.R., eds., Trade in the Ancient Economy (Cambridge University Press, 1983).

Hopkins, Keith, Introduction, in Trade in the Ancient Economy, 1-14.

Howgego, 'Supply and use of money in Rome', in Jnl of Roman Stud. LXXXII (1990) pp.1-31.

Hudson, P. (1992) The industrial revolution, London.

9

How many of the following common errors can you identify in the list of references above?

a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
a) Correct: the Hopkins article comes from the book edited by Garnsey et al. - but the names of the editors aren't given.a) The Hopkins article comes from the book edited by Garnsey et al. - but the names of the editors aren't given.b) Correct: no initial for Howgego, no place of publication for the Garnsey volume.b) No initial for Howgego, no place of publication for the Garnsey volume.c) Correct: depending on the referencing system used, the date of publication either comes after the author's name or at the end of the line.c) Depending on the referencing system used, the date of publication either comes after the author's name or at the end of the line.d) Correct: the Hopkins article should be in single quotes not italics; the Hudson book needs capital letters on the key words. The journal for the Howgego article should either have its title written out in full or the accepted abbreviation (JRS).d) The Hopkins article should be in single quotes not italics; the Hudson book needs capital letters on the key words. The journal for the Howgego article should either have its title written out in full or the accepted abbreviation (JRS).e) Correct: even if all the entries were individually correct (which they're not), the fact that they follow different systems and give different information is clearly a problem.e) Even if all the entries were individually correct (which they're not), the fact that they follow different systems and give different information is clearly a problem.
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Two other points, in case you were wondering; it is not usual to include 'pp.' in lists of references or bibliographies, and it is sometimes frowned upon to put the volume number of journals in Roman numerals rather than Arabic (e.g. LXXXII rather than 82), even if that's how the journal itself presents it.