Easy resources for developing attribution competencies without depending on the teacher as a dictionary

Even at the advanced stage of a master's program, some folks ask, "Dr. Duncan, how do I cite..." After five or six years of academic training, we might want to discover the sources to help us answer our questions rather than expecting a professor to be a dictionary.

This post will review the fundamentals of attribution across different styles and discuss essential tools to help you quickly become proficient at citing and referencing so you never have to ask a teacher, "How do I cite a source?"

Fundamentals of attribution are similar across styles

Regardless of the attribution style, the substance of attribution is almost universal. In short, 

• A citation includes the author and date.
  • The citation should provide the page or paragraph number if the borrowed idea contains a quote.
• A reference includes the author, date, title, publisher, and source [like publisher or website information]. 

The contents of attributions are usually similar, regardless of the application or style. For example, you will need the same information about your source for attribution in APA, MLA, Chicago, AP, Harvard, and other styles. 

While the substance of attributions remains similar across styles, the structure of citations and references differs depending on the style. Fortunately, students don't need to get confused by the mechanics of different styles. They need to learn the one style required by their program.

APA is a training tool; Know the style for each application

Understanding what goes into citations and references is critical because you will only use APA in some academic settings or when submitting papers to publications requiring APA. 

Critical: APA is a training tool you must use in many academic settings and when submitting papers to academic journals. You're learning the research and attribution process the "client" (your program) requires. In the real world, you must know the style of every application. Different industries, disciplines, publications, and applications require different styles. For example, technical documents may require IEE or another numbered system, while a press release may require Associated Press style. 

Similarly, most magazines have styles unique to their publications. Even the best articles and documents can get rejected with the following statement: "Uses incorrect style." Also, most established organizations have graphic standards and guides designed to protect the brand consistently across media channels.

Tools for becoming autonomous in attributions

Students and professionals may find the intimidating task of citing and referencing sources relatively easy when they use the right tools. This section discusses three essential tools students can use to answer their "How do I cite..." questions. These tools include online citation and reference generation forms for training and manual attribution management, Microsoft Word References Tab for automated attribution management, and the source for all information about APA style, the APA Style and Grammar Guidelines website.

Online reference and citation generation forms for training and manual attribution management

Some students use online citation and reference generation tools to build and manage citations and references manually. The online citation and reference forms usually follow a process like this:

1. Select the type of source.
2. Fill out the form.
3. Generate your citation and reference.
4. Copy and paste the attribution into your document. 
5. Manually apply the different attribution elements for each application of the source.
6. Manually arrange the sources on the references page, being careful to preserve the formatting.

The online citation and reference tools are suitable for training purposes. However, they're like using a computer to do things manually. They're cumbersome, repetitive, and ineffective. Using a manual tool at the advanced stages of a Master's program is like trying to compete in the Tour de France on a toddler bike with training wheels. It will help you answer the "How do I cite...?" question and learn the basics of attributions. However, we must understand that using computers to do things manually will limit our effectiveness and productivity at school and work.

Microsoft Word References Tab for automated attribution management

I strongly recommend removing the training wheels and learning to automate citations and references using the Microsoft Word References Tab. The MS Word References Tab uses a similar format for entering the source information. So, if you know how to use an online citation generator, you know how to enter sources into the Word References Tab.

A vast difference is that filling out the form in the Word References Tab places the information in a database that automatically allows you to cite and reference sources across documents. Enter the information once, and automatically apply it anywhere in the document and across documents forever. 

In the Word References Tab,

1. Select the source type and fill in the form. 
2. Put the cursor where your citation belongs and select the source from the database. 

When generating the references page,

1. Put the cursor in the References section, then select "Bibliography > References.
2. Word automatically generates your References page in less than a second. 

In addition to automating the attributions, the Word References Tab allows you to change your style for different applications automatically with a single click. For example, if you develop a project for school that you would like to adapt for work, select an appropriate professional style, like IEEE. Word will automatically convert all citations and references into the style you choose. 

Spending 10 minutes learning how to use the Word References Tab will save you hundreds of hours in an academic program, improve the professionalism of your work, and improve learning across the curriculum. Here are the Microsoft training pages for the MS Word Reference Tab:

• Create a bibliography, citations, and references

• Add citations in a Word document

Get the answer from the source: APA Style and Grammar Guidelines.

If you're still uncomfortable with the answers from the above tools, go directly to the source, the APA Style guide.

BONUS: Why do teachers answer questions with questions?

Part of my instructional philosophy is to help students become autonomous in learning, not dependent on their teachers. So, I use the Socratic approach by answering questions about basic concepts with a question and then pointing the students to the sources that will help them find the answers. 

Some students get irritated by the Socratic approach when teachers answer questions with questions. But, a teacher doesn't do students any favors by acting as their dictionary. The job of the Socratic teacher is to help students become autonomous in learning, not dependent on them. 

Fortunately, the answers are readily available in sources that are at our fingertips. Gaining attribution competency is so easy that you can automate the process and differentiate yourself from others by demonstrating mastery of practices that others struggle with.

Reflection questions

• Why is it essential for Master's students to become autonomous in learning by knowing how to find answers to their questions?
• Critically assess your approach to attributions. Are you limited by the tools or processes you use? How can you improve productivity and effectiveness by automating the process?

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