Writing and Publishing Scientific Articles
9-2
• Establishes the foundation on which your research is built.
• Properly acknowledges the sources you use to support your hypothesis. • Places your work in context by introducing findings that oppose your own and that present alternative viewpoints. • Validates your arguments by showing that they agree with those of other investigators. • Provides an avenue for readers to follow up on aspects of your work and that of others.
• Demonstrates your integrity to your fellow researchers.
Referencing, an important aspect of scientific writing, is the practical side of attribution. It involves identifying the sources (journal articles, books, etc.) from which you obtain background information or information about the work of others. All sources must be referenced accurately and completely —the authors’ names must be spelled correctly, and all other elements (article title, date, name of the publication, page numbers, etc.) must be correct. The accuracy of your references is your responsibility. Always verify your references, even if you have seen them in a published References section.
To help ensure that you have cited sources correctly, always record references as you go — do not rely on your memory.
Failure to appropriately cite a source constitutes plagiarism, which is considered unprofessional and unethical. In some instances, it is also illegal.
“In the standard scientific paper, credit is explicitly acknowledged in three places: the list of authors, the acknowledgments of contributions from others, and the list of references or citations.”
— National Academy of Sciences
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