Referencing
Summary:
- Referencing Importance: Proper referencing maintains Guide2Life's credibility by crediting original sources and enabling content verification.
- Inline Citations Usage: Inline citations, like [1], are placed after facts or at the end of sentences, linking directly to a detailed references section.
- Referencing Style - Harvard: Guide2Life adheres to the "Cite Them Right" Harvard style, ensuring consistent and clear citation formatting.
- Acceptable vs. Unacceptable Sources: Only peer-reviewed journals, academic texts, and official publications are acceptable. Blogs, personal websites, and non-peer-reviewed content are prohibited.
- Educational Links: Links to educational resources like blog posts about referencing are provided for learning but not for claim substantiation.
- Reference Formatting: Each reference includes comprehensive details such as the author's last name and initials, publication year, title, and publication details.
- Readability and Strategic Referencing: References are used strategically to support key points, maintaining readability for non-academic audiences.
Proper referencing is crucial to maintaining the credibility and integrity of the Guide2Life. It ensures that we give credit to the original sources of information and allows readers to explore the research and evidence behind our recommendations. All content on Guide2Life must be verifiable. This means that readers can, if they wish to, check that the information is accurate.
This also means that Guide2Life is not the place for original work, findings that have not been published, or evidence from unpublished sources. This aligns closely with the policies of Wikipedia.
Note that while there are strict rules on what counts as an acceptable and unacceptable source, we can still link to blog posts and Youtube videos if they provide useful content for readers, we just cannot use them to back up points that we make. For instance, it is acceptable to say that this blog post and this 1-minute summary Youtube video are useful resources to learn more about Harvard Referencing style.
Inline Citations
Inline citations are small, numbered footnotes, such as [1:1]. They are placed immediately after the supported fact or at the sentence's end, after punctuation. Clicking them directs the reader to a reference section at the bottom of the page where they will see the reference, and it will include a button to move back up to the page section with the citation.
When creating numbered footnotes, the Guide2Life system automatically numbers and orders the footnotes, so instead of numbering the footnote, you can use a descripter when creating it:
Inline citations are small, numbered footnotes, such as [^apa].In the above example, we use apa as the descriptor as the reference is from the American Psychological Association (APA). You can use any description you want, as long as there are no duplicates within the same page.
Chicago Style
Strike a Balance in Referencing
While referencing is essential, avoid over-referencing to maintain readability for non-academic audiences. Aim to use references strategically to support key points and ideas without overwhelming the reader.
Throughout the guide, we use the Harvard style of referencing style, specifically the Cite Them Right style. The Open University has a comprehensive guide on this.
At the end of each page or section, include a "References" heading with an H2 tag (##References). Under this heading, you can list the references, with a line break between each source. The order of the sources does not matter, the Guide2Life system will automatically sort and number the sources based on the order that they are cited in the text.
You can use this style as per the Markdown Footnotes Guide.
[^apa]: American Psychological Association, 2020. _Publication manual of the American Psychological Association_. 7th ed. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.Each reference should include the author's last name and initials, the year of publication, the title of the work, and the publication details.
Here's an example of how to format a reference for a journal article:
- Smith, J. (2021). The impact of mindfulness on well-being. Journal of Positive Psychology, 16(3), 45-58.
If the source has a Digital Object Identifier (DOI), include it at the end of the reference as a clickable link. While linking to the DOI is advised, it is not necessary if the DOI is not available.
Here's an example of a reference with a DOI link:
- Taylor, S. (2020). The relationship between exercise and mental health. Health Psychology Review, 14(2), 23-35. https://doi.org/10.1080/17437199.2020.1234567
By following these referencing guidelines, we ensure that the "Guide2Life" is a well-researched, transparent, and reliable resource for our readers.
Sources
We prioritize peer-reviewed journals.
Primary vs Secondary Sources
In scholarship, a secondary source is a document or recording that interprets, analyzes, or summarizes information originally presented elsewhere. This contrasts with a primary source, which is an original material such as a document or direct testimony from someone with firsthand knowledge of a situation. Secondary sources often generalize, analyze, interpret, or evaluate primary information.
Secondary sources aren't necessarily "better" or more objective than primary sources, but they serve different purposes. They provide analysis, interpretation, and synthesis of primary sources. They are valuable for understanding context, drawing conclusions, and seeing how information has been evaluated by experts. These sources can be more reliable for forming an overall understanding because they are usually created by someone who has studied the primary materials extensively and contextualized them within the broader field.
Secondary sources may or may not be more objective. While they often undergo peer review, which can increase their reliability and objectivity, the interpretation or analysis provided by secondary sources can still reflect the biases or perspectives of their authors.
Acceptable Sources
- Peer-reviewed journal articles
- Academic books and book chapters
- Government reports and publications
- Publications from recognized professional organizations (e.g., American Psychological Association, World Health Organization)
- Conference papers and proceedings
- Theses and dissertations
Unacceptable Sources
While well-established news sources and reputable websites may provide useful information, they often rely on secondary sources or may oversimplify complex topics for a general audience, and may have a political agenda.
To ensure the highest level of accuracy, credibility and objectivity, we peer-reviewed research. If a news article or website cites a relevant study or report, seek out the original source and cite it directly.
- Personal blogs or websites — regardless of the author.
- Any news source, including well-established, reputable news sources (e.g., The New York Times, The Guardian)
- Reputable, well-researched websites (e.g., Mayo Clinic, Harvard Health) — take the primary sources instead.
- Social media posts and comments
- Wikipedia articles (although they can be used to find original sources)
- Self-published books or articles without peer review
- Promotional materials from companies or organizations with a vested interest
- Anecdotal evidence or personal opinions
- Sources with unclear or questionable methodology
- Predatory journals or publishers
- Outdated sources (unless historically relevant)