The Chicago Footnote Style follows most of the rules of the footnotes and endnotes style as described in the last blog – they can be used interchangeably – although there are minor differences between the two. Follow this guide to reference accurately according to the style required by your lecturer or university. Repeated Works When … Read more
The Chicago Author-date style apes the Harvard Referencing system, again with minor differences. Whereas the Chicago Footnote System is generally used in the arts, humanities and social sciences, the Chicago Author-date style is more commonly used across the “natural’ sciences, although Biologists also use the Vancouver Style (see a later blog entry for more on … Read more
Got an essay due? Aiming for high marks? Don’t miss this article in which our student advisor walks you through the 10 things you MUST NOT DO if you’re looking for a good grade. All of them will lose you marks so don’t let these things slip into your next essay. 1. Being too general/vague … Read more
Summary: Plagiarism is often seen as an academic transgression rather than a crime, but in essence it amounts to a form of fraud. When students or even public figures claim someone else’s words or ideas as their own, they are deceiving others for personal gain – be it a higher grade, a degree, or professional … Read more
Got questions about plagiarism? Chances are, they are answered here. Get the lowdown on plagiarism, paraphrasing and copying ideas. Q: What is plagiarism? Simply put, plagiarism is copying someone else’s work and pretending that it is your own. Everybody’s work is automatically copyrighted to themselves, and breach of copyright is illegal. Different countries have different copyright … Read more
Many students shy away from using plagiarism checking software, mainly because they feel they have nothing to prove and that their work is (of course) 100% original. However, using a plagiarism checker isn’t about testing your honesty, and at the end of the day we are all only human and prone to make silly mistakes … Read more
When the countdown begins until the end of the semester, panic starts to creep in. If you have been laid back all semester long, chances are you are now cramming wildly. You lose sleep over projects, papers and other things that you need to submit. Soon you will be spending much of your time in … Read more
It’s easy to take a wrong turn when writing an essay, even if you have a good understanding of what you’re writing about. Follow these five tips to avoid making five really common mistakes. Write a Clear Introduction and Conclusion As per the last blog entry, your introduction is vital as it sets out what … Read more
Often overlooked, course readers and handouts are more important than most students realise. These documents – module readers, syllabi, lecture handouts, assigned articles – might not be as flashy as textbooks or as exciting as new lectures, but they can be the secret sauce to academic success. In fact, research over decades has found that … Read more
Some observations by Jose Arcilla on plagiarism In this article, the author contrasts plagiarism, which is theft and destructive to creativity and society, with quoting, which honours and elevates the original creator. He explains that copyright laws protect the form of expression but not the underlying ideas, allowing creativity to flourish within legal boundaries. Plagiarism’s … Read more