How to solve a problem like researching for your first science assignment!

We will cover:

• Whether you are using APA 7th or the numerical system used by the Royal Society of Chemistry.
• The meaning of specific referencing terms.
• Why we reference and how to reference specific types of information.
• Using online tools to help you cite and reference information.

This is the current recommendations for Biosciences and Chemistry referencing guidance by course (2023/2024)

• If you are studying on a biology or biosciences based course at undergraduate or postgraduate level then you should follow the APA style.

• If you are studying on a chemistry course at an undergraduate or postgraduate level then you should follow the numerical system used by Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC).

• If you are studying at PhD level, you will use a variety of referencing formats and styles and will be advised by your supervisor on the specific style needed at specific times of your PhD.

If you are in any doubt regarding which style of referencing you should be following check with your course leader or your teaching team that set the assignment as soon as possible!

We need to know the  meaning of specific referencing terms to be able to understand the process

Words like these are very similar but the meaning can be different!

• referencing.
• reference.
• reference list.
• bibliography.
• cite.
• citations.

 Activity 1: Use the Academic Skills Glossary to look up each word.

You may have used or heard these words already but look each one up to make sure you are clear what the meaning of each word is!

 Activity 2: Take a look at the referencing material on the Referencing at Sheffield Hallam University guide.

Which referencing style do I read about?

• If you are on a chemistry course, read the information which covers the use of the Royal Society of Chemistry style.
• If you are on a biology or biosciences course, read the information which covers APA 7.

If you are unsure whether you should be following the Royal Society of Chemistry style or APA 7, check with your course leader! You do not want to follow the wrong referencing style!

Supporting material

The Library has a range of referencing support and the information is included below. 

 Activity 2: We are now going to check your understanding about referencing.

Respond to Question 1 - 4 and choose one answer per question.

Lets put those citation skills into practice!

For this activity, we are going to use the Elements of Science Fiction article linked below.

There are APA and RSC questions related to the article. You can choose to answer both sets of questions or just the questions that relate to the referencing style your course uses.

You can find the answers in the Conclusion tab in the Answers box.

 Activity 3: Answer the questions

• Go to the article to find out who wrote the article.
• Answer the questions.

Poll questions and answers

• Due to the lack of editing options for poll answers, the answers do not have reflect when italics, bold or superscript are used in references or citations. However the answers will reflect any need for bold, italics or superscript.

Lets put those referencing skills into practice!

For this activity, we are going to use the Elements of Science Fiction article linked below.

There are APA and RSC questions related to the article. You can choose to answer both sets of questions or just the questions that relate to the referencing style your course uses.

You can find the answers in the Conclusion tab in the Answers box.

 Activity 4: Working with journal articles

• Go to the article.
• Look at Page 1 of the article to find the information you need to write an article reference.
• Answer the questions.

Poll questions and answers

Due to the lack of editing options for poll answers, the answers do not have reflect when italics, bold or superscript are used in references or citations. However the answers will reflect any need for bold, italics or superscript.

That's a great question! 

There are a range of online options and tools that you could choose to use instead of typing your references out yourself.

However!

You still need to know what an APA or RSC citation and reference needs to include to be a complete reference. You are the ultimate quality control of your work!

If you use an online tool, you still need to check your citations and references and have  the referencing knowledge to spot if your citation and reference is correct or you may lose marks in your assignment!

Does Library Search have a referencing tool?

The good news is yes it does!

You can see an example of the feature in Library Search below. You can use it for APA 7 and RSC.

You still need to check for accuracy because if information is missing from the Library Search record this will be missing from your reference!

The screenshot below shows the tool with APA 7 selected. Once selected, you can copy and paste the reference into your reference list.

This screenshot shows the feature with Royal Society of Chemistry selected. Once selected you can then copy and paste the reference into your reference list.

There are other tools available to help you keep track of your references and format references and citations in your work.  They can capture reference details from Library Search, subject databases and Google Scholar saving you time and effort. 

Referencing tools can help you manage resources you use and format citations and references in your work.  Everyone at Hallam is entitled to a ProQuest RefWorks account which you can continue to use after you complete your studies.

The Library recommends and supports students using ProQuest RefWorks, however, this does not mean that you cannot use other reference management software.

Congratulations you have completed six sections! 

Time to take a break - maybe find your next box set to watch!