Referencing your dissertation is an important aspect regardless of your education level. When writing a dissertation, you must know how to reference it properly because it will help you make a strong statement. and will also show exactly where you have gathered your research from.Â
You can use every reference style in your Dissertation. The purpose of referencing in the dissertation is to list the material you used during the whole writing.
Moreover, adding references in the dissertation is necessary because it provides evidence that all the information is correct and proven in past research or a literature review. It is also related to the subject area.
Moreover, there are some students who think referencing is not important in a dissertation. In this blog, we will explain why referencing is required in a dissertation and guide you on how to reference a dissertation.
What is the Importance of referencing In a Dissertation?
The following reasons show why referencing is important in a dissertation. Let’s explore some of the reasons why you should cite in your dissertation.Avoid Plagiarism
You have to do referencing to avoid plagiarism. Many students think paraphrasing some sentences and making them in their own words will eliminate the citation. But that’s not true. It is important to provide credit to the right source for what you have done. So it is necessary to know how to reference a dissertation and take the references from the right sources.Shows Your Knowledge
Also, with the help of dissertation referencing, students can show their knowledge. For example, it demonstrates how much time you spent reading, writing, watching, and curating the content that went into the months of preparation for referencing a dissertation. Moreover, the referencing will also show the depth and details of the reading that students have done.Credibility and Authority
When a student completes a dissertation referencing in the proper order, it highlights their own words and ideas. The entire dissertation is about the argument you are using to defend your position. In other words, the more facts you have to back up your point, the better.Academic Integrity
As everyone knows, faculty in universities and colleges take plagiarism very seriously. However, there are some cases where it could occur unintentionally. If students mention accurate and reliable references, then it depicts honesty and all the facts and figures. The above points show why students should do the referencing in the dissertation. However, referencing in a dissertation is not enough to complete your work. It is essential to know how you are referencing a dissertation. It is necessary to reference your dissertation correctly.How To Do Proper Reference Of a Dissertation?
It is important to know how students can correctly reference their dissertations or how they can provide the series of conventions used to point readers toward the sources that they have cited, quoted, or borrowed from in their work.- Â Â Author of the research
- The title of the researchÂ
- Publication type (for example, dissertation, the whole book, book chapter, journal article, web page, etc.)
- Publication date of the specific edition of the research.
- It includes the details of the publisher and the place of the publication.
- If necessary, include additional details like the volume, issue number, and page range.Â
Types Of Referencing StyleÂ
The following are the types of referencing styles that you can use to reference your dissertation. Your spending shows how many references a dissertation should include.- APAÂ
- AAA
- Havard
- MLA
- APSA
APAÂ
The 7th edition of the American Psychological Association’s Publication Manual defines APA style. It was originally intended for use in psychology, but it is now widely used across many disciplines, particularly in the social sciences.APSA
The American Political Science Association (APSA) referencing is commonly used in political science.Havard
In economics, the Harvard style is often used. It is also widely used in UK institutions across disciplines. The referencing is defined as a unique type in different colleges; it does not have a single approved style guide.MLA
MLA style is the Modern Language Association’s official style, as defined in the MLA Handbook (9th edition). It is commonly used in a variety of humanistic subjects. It’s author-page rather than author-date, unlike other parenthetical referencing styles. If you have any doubts about how to reference the dissertation or have any queries, then you can consult academic writers to get assistance and ease your academic worries quickly.AAA
The American Anthropological Association (AAA) referencing style used in anthropology. It is also known as Chicago’s author-date style.How Many References Should a Dissertation Have?
The number of references used in a dissertation also depends on the subject of your dissertation you are working on. When it comes to the literature review of the dissertation then, it needs the most references. It all depends on the length of the research. In the dissertation, referencing should be between 8-12 for every 1,000 words. When a subsequent investigation proves, strengthens, expands, or denies an idea, more references may be required. In general, one to three references should be provided for each problem discussed in the academic article. The number of references you can use in your dissertation is unlimited. Moreover, it depends on the type of research you are doing; for example, if it is a qualitative study, only a few references rather than many are needed. The word limit of the dissertation mentioned below shows how many references are necessary.- In the 8000 word dissertation, 63 references are required.
- In a 10000-word dissertation, 72 references are required.
- In a 15,000-word dissertation, 95 references are required.