Quoting etiquette

[HotI]

Wondering if someone can help me with a question on quoting references. If you have two separate points in a paragraph by the same author, do you reference both, and do you write the reference same way?

This is an example of what i mean:

Elephants are big animals with four legs and a large trunk (Smith et al., 1998). Giraffes are tall animals with four legs and a long neck (Smith et al., 1998).

Is that the way you would do it?

Thanks,

k

[jackrose]

That is the way that I would do it, otherwise, as they are two different points it could look like the first point is unreferenced.

I always think it is better to be overzealous rather than under.

[Junglemum]

Reference for each point. As you have shown in your example.

[Ambah]

I think theres a few ways it could be done. My first question is though - are you quoting, or paraphrasing?
If you are doing direct quotes, that come from seperate points in a paragraph, then you will have to cite each quote on its own, as you have shown above.

If you are paraphrasing (as in, changing the structure/words in the quote, but keeping the intention the same) then it is easier to combine them into one sentence or a couple of sentences... What I would normally do is something like:

Smith states that elephants are large 4 legged animals with a trunk, and that giraffes are tall 4 legged animals with a long neck (Smith, 1998).

Even if you stretch it out to two sentences, if you put the name of the author at the beginning of your paraphrase, and the citation at the end, it becomes clear that those 'ideas' belong to the author. - But I only do this when paraphrasing, not quoting.

Hope this made sense LOL

Also, don't take my word as completely accurate, as depending what area you are studying, there are different rules for writing/quoting/citing/references etc...

Good luck!

[AliBaby]

I agree with Ambah. It also depends on what course you are doing and what reference style they use for the course. There are so many.

[HotI]

Thanks to all.

It does look like the first point is unreferenced if i don't put smith in twice. that's what i was worried about.

I am paraphrasing, not directly quoting, but my two points can''t really go in the same sentence. they are from the same paper, but from different parts of the paper.

Your explanations do make sense.

thanks again,

k

[Ca Plane Pour Moi]

This is what I'd do:


Elephants are big animals with four legs and a large trunk(1). Giraffes are tall animals with four legs and a long neck(1).

Then at the end of your essay:

1: Smith, Jones and Bloggs: A summary of large animals. Journal of stating the bleeding obvious, 206(12) 1998.

[Junglemum]

Not sure where you are studying (they may have some guidelines for you) or which referencing style you are using. But i went to RMIT and they have a very good resource on their website about referencing and the different types, vancouver, harvard etc.
If you google RMIT and referencing it will come up. HTH.

[Indadhanu]

Hi Kate,

What style do you need for you referencing, it can make a HUGE difference. As can parapharsing vs. quoting.

Generally speaking you only NEED to include author and date.
If you are summarising a chapter or large passage, or a study, you don't need to include page numbers. If you are higlighting a specific point made within one paragraph, I would use page numbers, but your lecturer/uni/tafe should say whether they need page numbers for para-phrasing (there are also sifference in styles for page numbers... some want you to use p. or pp. for multiple pages to preface the numbers, some only need the number).

A lecutrer I had also down graded for spaces between the '-' in multiple pages numbers (ie. '36-39' would receive a higer grade for referencing than '36 - 39').

I guess it depends on how detailed your referencing has to be and how your lecturer will mark.