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Key terms

  • Bibliography: a list of all the sources you have read in relation to your assignment but have not referred to directly.

 

  • Citation: used within your text to identify the sources used to obtain your information

 

  • Et al.: an abbreviation of the Latin et alii meaning 'and others'.   

 

  • [n.d.]: no date available

 

  • [s.l.]: no place of publication available

 

  • Paraphrasing: putting an author's work into your own words

 

  • Plagiarism: the York St John Student Guide describes plagiarism as 'The deliberate attempt to use someone else’s material as if it were your own.' (p. 12).

 

  • Reference: a detailed description of the item you used to obtain your information

 

  • Reference list: an alphabetical list of all of the sources that you have referenced directly in your assignment

 

  • Source: The information you consult when writing your essay, dissertation, etc. Sources include books and unpublished theses, brochures, journal articles (both print and electronic), newspapers, government publications, statutes, patents, research reports, reference works such as dictionaries and encyclopaedias, films, DVDs and videos, radio and television programmes, music scores, CDs, CD-Roms, live performance, images, works of art, emails, mailing lists, personal correspondence, interviews, blogs, wikis, forums - this list is not exhaustive!