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| SHORT COMMUNICATION |
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| Year : 2022 | Volume
: 12
| Issue : 2 | Page : 91-92 |
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Referencing in scientific writing and research
Saurabh RamBihariLal Shrivastava1, Prateek Saurabh Shrivastava2
1 Deputy Director—Academics, Sri Balaji Vidyapeeth—Deemed to be University, Medical Education Unit Coordinator and Member of the Institute Research Council, Department of Community Medicine, Shri Sathya Sai Medical College and Research Institute, Ammapettai, Nellikuppam, Chengalpet District, Tamil Nadu, India
2 Department of Community Medicine, Shri Sathya Sai Medical College and Research Institute, Sri Balaji Vidyapeeth—Deemed to be University, Ammapettai, Nellikuppam, Chengalpet District, Tamil Nadu, India
| Date of Submission | 16-May-2022 |
| Date of Acceptance | 16-Aug-2022 |
| Date of Web Publication | 23-Nov-2022 |
Correspondence Address:
Dr. Saurabh RamBihariLal Shrivastava
Department of Community Medicine, Shri Sathya Sai Medical College and Research Institute, Sri Balaji Vidyapeeth (SBV)—Deemed to be University, Thiruporur–Guduvancherry Main Road, Ammapettai, Nellikuppam, Chengalpet District 603108, Tamil Nadu
India
 Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None
DOI: 10.4103/ajoim.ajoim_6_22
In general, research activities are essential, but it is equally important to ensure that the research findings are shared with different researchers across the world. In simple terms, referencing refers to giving credit to the intellectual work of a person/s or the source of information. Referencing is a strategy that tends to provide support to the statements made by the researchers in their own work. It is one of the most effective strategies to reduce the incidence of plagiarism, as it gives an opportunity for the authors to let the readers know about the ideas which are theirs and those which are contributions of other researchers. To conclude, referencing is an important aspect of the research writing and has been linked with multiple benefits to the authors, readers, and other researchers. Thus, it is our responsibility to envisage citation of appropriate references in the research work, so that more people become aware of the similar kind of works and replicate them in their individual settings. Keywords: Referencing, research, scientific writing
How to cite this article:
Shrivastava SR, Shrivastava PS. Referencing in scientific writing and research. Assam J Intern Med 2022;12:91-2 |
| Introduction | |  |
Research in the field of medical education and patient care is an essential and indispensable domain, as the advancement in the medical field primarily depends on research and development activities.[1] We must understand that as much as carrying out research activities is essential; it is equally important to ensure that the research findings are shared with different researchers across the world.[1],[2] This will aid in the spread of new knowledge and information, and will also play an important part in ensuring either replication of similar findings or obtaining contrasting results. At this stage, we must realize that the quality of research writing will essentially depend upon the supporting works that have been mentioned / cited in the research article.[2],[3]
| Referencing | | |
In simple terms, referencing refers to giving credit to the intellectual work of a person/s or the source of information. A reference should be written in such a way that it should provide a complete understanding of the nature of the source, so that if required, the readers or other researchers can retrieve the same.[1],[3] As research is generally associated with the work that has been carried out earlier, it is a good practice to link our work with the previous work via citation of appropriate references. A number of referencing styles have been envisaged by different journals and it is a mandatory requirement that researchers should strictly adhere to the given instructions for citation of references in the text and at the end.[2],[3],[4]
| Role of Referencing in Scientific Writing | | |
Referencing is a strategy that tends to provide support to the statements made by the researchers in their own work. At the same time, it can act as a potential tool to strengthen the argument and opinions of the individual researcher.[3],[4] The addition of references in the form of already published works adds credibility to your scientific writing. Citation of appropriate references provides a direct inference about the understanding, scope, and depth of the researcher about the topic and the ways in which it can be applied.[1],[3] The citation of an original work can also be highlighted with the help of appropriate references. In addition, references even aid in the novelty of the research work, add significance to the study and enhance the overall visibility of the research work.[2],[3]
Referencing is one of the most effective strategies to reduce the incidence of plagiarism, as it gives an opportunity for the authors to let the readers know about the ideas which are theirs and those which are contributions of other researchers.[1],[2],[3] Further, the cited references play an important role in linking the work of one set of researchers with others and thus generate a network of related information.[2],[3] The mere citation of references at the end makes the reader of the research article aware of the work that has been carried out by other researchers from different parts of the world. At the same time, citation of the work done by other researchers in the specific area is a marker of the fact that you are aware of the different experts and also serves as an indirect acknowledgment of their efforts.[3],[4]
| Reference Management Software | | |
A wide range of free and paid reference management software is available and play an important role in streamlining and minimizing the efforts of researchers’.[5] These software are quite versatile in their application, in the terms of giving opportunities for the researchers to re-arrange their references, change the citation style depending upon the needs of the journal, and even the individual formatting.[4],[5] Another advantage of these applications is that it promotes multiple researchers to work simultaneously and manage databases. The need of the hour is that all the researchers should be trained in these applications to expedite their work and augment their research writing.[5]
| Conclusion | | |
To conclude, referencing is an important aspect of the research writing and has been linked with multiple benefits to the authors, readers, and other researchers. Thus, it is our responsibility to envisage citation of appropriate references in the research work, so that more people become aware of the similar kind of works and replicate them in their individual settings.
Contribution details
SRS contributed in the conception or design of the work, drafting of the work, approval of the final version of the manuscript, and agreed for all aspects of the work.
PSS contributed in the literature review, revision of the manuscript for important intellectual content, approval of the final version of the manuscript, and agreed for all aspects of the work.
Financial support and sponsorship
Nil.
Conflicts of interest
There are no conflicts of interest.
| References | | |
| 1. | Santini A. The importance of referencing. J Crit Care Med (Targu Mures) 2018;4:3-4.  |
| 2. | Penders B. Ten simple rules for responsible referencing. Plos Comput Biol 2018;14:e1006036. |
| 3. | Pollock NW. Referencing in scientific writing. Wilderness Environ Med 2021;32:269-70. |
| 4. | Byard RW. Academic referencing - a dying art. Forensic Sci Med Pathol 2021;17:1-2. |
| 5. | Saxena R, Kaushik JS. Referencing made easy: Reference management softwares. Indian Pediatr 2022;59:245-9. |
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