Citation guidelines for scientific papers

In a scientific paper, it is particularly important that you cite all ideas which you have taken from a third-party source. This includes the following kinds of materials in your text:

• Text: terms, sentences, paragraphs
• Figures: images, graphs, photos, music
• Tables: copied tables or the information within
• Screenshots of films, websites, software, social media
• Ideas or arguments

Direct versus indirect quotation

Maybe you already heard of direct and indirect quotation. Making this distinction is important when you would like to refer to ideas from another scientific text or analyze the wording of a text.

Direct quotation refers to verbatim, i.e. the use of the exact same wording from another source. You may not alter the quoted passage without marking it, and you must mark its beginning and end. Your readers should see at first glance which parts of your paper you have written yourself and which parts are direct quotes. You can use quotation marks or italics for short quotes and separate paragraphs (also referred to as block quotes) for longer quotes. Don’t forget to give the author and source of every quote.

Indirect quotes paraphrase ideas presented in another text. This means that you don’t take the exact wording, but only refer to another author’s idea or argument in your own words. As you aren’t the author of these thoughts, you must cite the original author and source. Make sure to add the reference at the end of the paraphrasing sentence. Moreover, make sure that you use your own words and don’t accidentally quote the passage directly. If so, you must mark it as a direct quote.

Direct quotation	Indirect quotation
Verbatim	In your own words
Beginning and end must be marked	Reference at the end

Please talk to your lecturer or tutor and have a look at your department’s guidelines before you use direct and/or indirect quotation. Stick to the suggested standard requirements.

Keeping track of your sources

Indirect quotation sometimes can be tricky as you have to remember where you found a particular idea or argument. For this purpose, it is helpful to take detailed notes about your reading. For example, you can write excerpts for every text you read during your research. This way, you will easily find the source from which you would like to take an idea.

You should also have a look at referencing tools like Citavi or EndNote. Those tools help you organize your sources. You can add notes, labels or comments to each source which will help you find important information. And you can also link the software to your writing tool and insert references automatically.

Test yourself: Do you know everything about direct and indirect citation?

What should you do if you take an image by another author?

1. I don’t need to pay attention to anything
2. I must cite the image and give its original author and source
3. The original author should be mentioned in my acknowledgements.

    Solution:

   B – I must cite the image and give its original author and source.

What is direct quotation?

1. A quote which presents part of a third-party text verbatim
2. A quote which is taken from a primary source
3. A quotation at the beginning of a chapter

    Solution:

   A – A quote which presents part of a third-party text verbatim

What is indirect quotation?

1. A quotation in the middle of a chapter
2. A quote which is taken from a secondary source
3. A paraphrased idea from another text

    Solution:

   C – A paraphrased idea from another text

What is the difference between direct and indirect quotation?

1. Direct quotation must use the original wording, indirect quotation must be described in your own words
2. Direct quotation may only be used in the introduction, indirect quotation only in your conclusion
3. Unlike indirect quotation, direct quotation must be formatted as a seperate paragraph

    Solution:

   A – Direct quotation must use the original wording, indirect quotation must be described in your own words

What is a referencing tool?

1. A software which helps you organize the literature during your research
2. A direct link to Wikipedia
3. A tool which helps you with the formatting of your paper

    Solution:

   A – A software which helps you organize the literature during your research