Citations and Referencing In this worksheet we will: Look at, what are citations and references and why they are so important in academic writing. Learn and practice, how to write citations (the Form) and when to write citations (the Use). 1. Skim read the essay below, which includes citations and references. The Golden Age of Islam The Golden Age of Islam was a period between 750 and 1250 CE when Arab culture and influence were greatest. The Islamic world extended from West Africa, across India, and as far as South China. Muslim leaders were very interested in discovering new knowledge in the areas they controlled. These men were responsible for many important developments in art, science and medicine. This essay will examine the artistic achievements of this time in architecture, calligraphy and poetry. The rapid growth of the Islamic world during the Golden Age created great change in architecture. Beautiful palaces were built to show the wealth of the sultans who lived in them. In addition, Arab architects began to use local styles and traditions in the buildings. This could be seen in the different designs of mosques in different places (Watkins, 1999). Also, many khans or resting houses, were built for travellers who bought and sold goods throughout the Muslim world. These khans were built using new architectural styles (Islamic Golden Age, 2006). Calligraphy, which means beautiful writing, also became important during the Golden Age. At that time, Islamic artists were not allowed to include images of people in their art. Because of this, they used basic shapes, such as squares, circles and rectangles, and beautifully written phrases. This calligraphy was used in holy books and on mosques and everyday objects (Watkins, 1999). Often, this writing was taken from the Qur an, therefore, it was not understood simply as art. It contained the feelings and ideas of Islam too. During the Golden Age, poetry was very popular in the Muslim world. According to Professor Mann of Kings College London, the first poems were created by the bedu who traveled the desert. Later, professional poets began to perform in the streets. They also wrote poems for the rich (Mann, 2003). One of the most famous types of IAE John Slocombe GE: UAEU 1
poems from this time is called the ghazal. It is a love poem. Another well-known type is the rob ai. This poem has four-lines and its first, second and fourth lines rhyme. The best example of rob ai is called the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam (Islamic Golden Age, 2006). This essay has explored three areas of artistic expression; architecture, calligraphy and poetry. For more than 1,000 years the Islamic world was the global leader in arts by designing beautiful buildings, creative works of calligraphy and poetry that is still read and enjoyed today. Islamic art from the golden age is still valued by curators and academics throughout the world. This Golden Age was a significant era in Islamic civilization as it was a time of great creativity and artistic expression, which later inspired ideas and artwork in other civilizations. References Islamic golden age. (2006). Retrieved from http://oxfordcitylibrary.org/wiki/golden_age_of_islam. Mann, H. (2003). Islamic literature. Retrieved from http:// www.sfusd.k12.ca.us/schwww/sch618/literature,poetry/literature.html. Watkins, J. (1999). The golden age of Islam. London: Benjamin Publishing IAE John Slocombe GE: UAEU 2
What are citations and references? 1. Highlight the references in the above essay (there are 3 of them). Where do we find the references? 2. What information does the reference give use? Choose the correct answers from the box below. Put an X if the information is not given, and write a if it does. X a. The web address where the source text was found. b. When the source text was written. c. The publishing company. d. Where the writer works. e. Where the source text was published. f. The writer s name. g. When the source text was published. h. The title of the source text. 3. Highlight the citations in the above essay. Where do we find the citations? 4. What information does a citation give use? 5. Is the following statement true or false? A citation is an in-text short cut to the reference list. True / False 6. Look again at the citations. Where do we find the necessary information to write a citation? IAE John Slocombe GE: UAEU 3
Why are citations and references so important in academic writing? Citations and references are used in undergraduate and postgraduate studies throughout universities. Why do we use citations and references? 1. Choose the correct statement from the box below. 1. To show we have used other peoples ideas and research in our writing. 2. To show you know how to write a citation. 3. To show that we have read about a subject. 4. To help avoid plagiarism i.e. copying from other people s work. 5. To increase the number of words in your essay or paper. 6. To allow others to check the truth of what you have written. 7. To show where a paragraph ends. 8. To help other people in their research i.e. we often use other people s reference lists when doing research. X In your writing assessment and exams on the IAE course you will be graded on how you write the citations - the Form, and when you use citations the Use. You do not have to write a reference list. IAE John Slocombe GE: UAEU 4
How do we write citations? The Form. There are many styles of writing citations and references, and different faculties choose different styles. On this IAE course we use the APA style of citation and referencing - this is commonly used in the humanities and social sciences. APA citations use a name and date method. Look below at the how we write the citations using the APA style. 1 st (writer s name, year of publication) For example: (Albalooshi, 2001) If no writer, then 2 nd (organization, year of publication) For example: (UNESCO, 2014) If no organization, then 3 rd (title or website, year of publication) For example: (The Silk Road, 2005) * If there is no publication year write n.d. For example: (Asia Trade Route, n.d.) 1. Now look at the Silk Road texts and write the citation for each text in the right hand column. Source Source Type In-text Citation a. Silk Road: Text 1 Website b. Silk Road: Text 2 Website c. Silk Road: Text 3 Website d. Silk Road: Text 4 Book IAE John Slocombe GE: UAEU 5
When do we use citations? The Use Although almost all the information in your essay comes from the source texts, not all of this information needs a citation. For example, the information may be background/general knowledge that many people already know. 1. When do you think we need to use citations? a. b. c. 2. Look at the following statements taken from essays. Which ones require citations? Why? Put an X if the information isn t given, and write a if it does. a. Adam Smith s most famous book is The Wealth of Nations. b. According to historian Eric Carter, The Wealth of Nations is the most important work of economic theory. X c. The Silk Road developed over a long period of time. d. In fact, the Silk Road originated during the Han dynasty in China around 250 BCE and the peak of the Road s growth was in the 8 th century during the Tang dynasty. e. William Shakespeare s plays accounted for 67% of printed plays bought in 2015. f. Shakespeare wrote many plays, including history plays, tragedies and comedies. He also wrote many poems or sonnets. 3. Look at your paragraph outline for the Silk Road main body 2 (MB2) Uses of the Silk Road and add citations to the points that need them. 4. Annotate the citations onto your draft MB2 Uses paragraph. IAE John Slocombe GE: UAEU 6