'Cite Them Right' New Edition Aims to Help Students Avoid Plagiarism

After extensive consultation with users of the previous editions, the new revised and expanded edition of 'Cite them right' ( http://www.citethemright.co.uk/ ), the renowned guide to referencing and avoiding plagiarism written by Richard Pears and Graham Shields, will be available in bookshops from September 5, 2008.

Plagiarism is a major concern in education and publishing, with frequent reports of students and writers copying information from the internet and passing it off as their own work. Poor time management, cultural differences, low information literacy skills, pressure to publish or get the best grades for money invested in educational fees are all cited as reasons why students (and some academics, journalists and authors) have resorted to plagiarism. Detection technology is widely used in educational institutions to catch those who inadvertently, or willingly, take shortcuts.

There is another way: education. 'Cite them right: the essential referencing guide', provides advice on key areas of academic writing and avoiding plagiarism, including paraphrasing, secondary referencing and the use of quotations. It gives clear examples of how to provide correct references to every source of information, from books, journals and the internet to legal sources, text messages, vodcasts and works of art.

Concentrating as before on Harvard style referencing, new sections summarise alternative referencing styles published by the American Psychological Association (APA), the Modern Language Association (MLA), the Modern Humanities Research Association (MHRA) and the Oxford Standard for the Citation of Legal Authorities (OSCOLA). Sample passages of text and reference lists demonstrate how students and writers can incorporate information sources in their writing without resorting to plagiarism and instead demonstrate their mastery of key writing skills.

Graham Shields, co-author of 'Cite them right', stresses: "A lot of the debate about plagiarism concentrates on detection and sanctions. We believe that education and the development of lifelong writing skills are more effective means to prevent plagiarism."

Richard Pears, co-author of 'Cite them right', notes: "We have received many positive comments and support for the previous editions from tutors, librarians and students. We were keen to involve them in making this new edition even more user-friendly."

'Cite them right: the essential referencing guide' (ISBN 9780955121616) is available from http://www.citethemright.co.uk/.