Scientific references, also known as citations, are a way for researchers to acknowledge the sources of information they use in their work. Scientific references serve several important purposes:
Credibility: Citations show that your research is based on established knowledge and not just your ideas.
Transparency: Citations allow readers to track the sources of information you use, so they can evaluate the quality and validity of your work.
Prevent plagiarism: Properly citing sources ensures you give credit to the original author of the ideas and prevents plagiarism.
There are various referencing styles used in various disciplines, such as APA (American Psychological Association), MLA (Modern Language Association), and Chicago. Each style has specific guidelines for formatting citations in the text of your work and in the reference list at the end.
The following are the two main components of a scientific reference:
In-text citation: A brief reference in the text of your work that indicates the source of the information you used. This usually includes the author’s last name and year of publication (e.g., Santosa, 2024).
Reference list: A complete list of all the sources you cite in your work, formatted according to the specific referencing style you use. This list usually includes information such as author, publication date, title, publisher, and other relevant details (e.g., journal name, volume number, page number).
Here are some resources that can help you with scientific references:
Online citation generator: This tool can help you format citations correctly according to different referencing styles. However, it is important to double-check the resulting citations against the specific style guide you are using.
Style guide: Most universities and academic institutions have their preferred reference style. You can find relevant style guides through your library or online sources.
Librarian: Librarians are research experts and can provide valuable guidance on finding and citing sources.
Remember, proper citation practices are critical to academic integrity and ensuring the credibility of your research work.
