4 myths about citing sources you should know about

Students may have different misconceptions about citations and plagiarism. Whether they use Vancouver referencing or Oxford referencing, you need to clarity on this whole process before you go about citing sources. Once you know these misconceptions, you won’t have trouble citing sources.

Let’s ponder over these misconceptions and know how you can avoid them. This way, you won’t have to be dependent on Vancouver or Oxford referencing generator tools available online.  

1.      Citation is difficult

It’s fairly usual for students to be intimidated by citations. Knowing what to cite, when to cite, and how to cite it can be difficult. This is specifically true since there are multiple formats like APA, MLA, Chicago, Vancouver style of referencing used in different institutions and countless other rules to learn.

However, technology, as it’s applicable for everything else, has made the citation process more convenient, in the form of MLA or Vancouver citation machines. This means you don’t need to memorise citation formats or manually assemble a bibliography.

2.      Citation is added after writing a paper

Many students believe that the right time to include citations is to edit or proofread a paper. However, this may result in missed or incomplete information which may lead to accidental plagiarism. You can check out the APA, MLA, Chicago, or Vancouver style referencing examples to get an idea about how and when to cite sources.

So, the best time to incorporate citations is when you’re writing. This is because the citation is part of the writing process, not the editing process, whether you’re using Vancouver or MLA referencing. 

3.      Paraphrasing is just rewriting

When it comes to avoiding plagiarism and paraphrasing, students often get confused about how to rephrase the information. Paraphrasing isn’t simply taking someone else’s words and editing them; it's about taking an idea and information from another work and writing them in your own voice.

With paraphrasing, the source material’s words shouldn’t appear; only the facts and details must be present. The simplest way to make sure you paraphrase accurately is to read the details you want to paraphrase and then keep it away. Don’t look at it as you try to convey what you just learned in your own words.

4.      All types of plagiarism are treated equally

Plagiarism can occur when you’re buying essays online or in case of poor paraphrasing in a short passage. Both are considered plagiarism technically, but they are different in both intent and in how the teachers respond to it.

Where simple mistakes might lead to a lower grade on a test (as any writing mistake would), but passing off someone else’s work as your own is likely to draw a more serious disciplinary action.

Being aware of these misconceptions will help you preset accurate citations.

About This Author

Thomas Grant Joined: July 1st, 2020