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Medicine and Society
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Clinical Research and
Methods
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Education
and Training
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| October 2014 -
Volume 12 Issue 8 |
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How
to select and cite scientific works
Mohsen
Rezaeian
Correspondence:
Professor Mohsen Rezaeian
PhD, Epidemiologist
Social Medicine Department
Occupational Environmental Research Center
Rafsanjan Medical School
Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences
Rafsanjan-Iran
Tel:03915234003
Fax:03915225209
Email: moeygmr2@yahoo.co.uk
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Abstract
Scientific
progress depends on past achievements.
Therefore, it is necessary to select and
cite very accurately previous works in
order to prepare solid ground for further
progress. The aim of the present article
therefore is to provide some practical
guidelines in the selection and citation
of previous works when writing a scientific
article.
Key words: References,
citations, guidelines
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"If I have seen further it is by standing
on the shoulders of giants". This historical
famous quote which has been reused by Sir Isaac
Newton in a letter to Robert Hooke (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Standing_on_the_shoulders_of_giants)
clearly highlights the importance of previous
scientific works in further progress of any given
subjects of human knowledge.
Scientific progress depends on past achievements.
Therefore, it is necessary to select and accurately
cite previous works in order to prepare solid
ground for further progress. The aim of the present
article therefore is to provide some practical
guidelines in the selection and citation of previous
works when writing a scientific article.
Practical guidelines
1. Before writing a scientific article
make sure you read all the relevant and valid
literature related to the topic. In this context
relevant implies literature that helps you to
write the Introduction, Methods and Discussion
sections of your article. Furthermore, implies
articles which are published in the peer reviewed
prestigious journals.
2. Bear in mind that literature, such
as theses, meeting abstracts, weblogs, newspapers,
etc. should be avoided as much as possible.
This literature is usually categorized as "Grey
literature" i.e. literature that usually
does not pass peer review process. Moreover,
try to minimize the use of textbooks.
3. When you determine all the relevant
and valid literature you can start the process
of writing. Be careful to cite a reference whenever
an idea is given. However, when you have some
references that support one idea and you should
select between them, cite more "up-to-date"
and "easy to access" articles.
4. "Easy to access" or "open
access" references are those that you need
not pay money to read. However, you should be
able to distinguish between real and prestigious
"open access" journals from less prestigious
ones.
5. Never cite a reference before you
thoroughly comprehend it. Similarly, it is not
wise to cite a reference only because someone
else has cited it. The reason for this is clear
as people might erroneously cite previous works.
It is your duty to read the original reference
and only then cite it as appropriate.
6. On very rare occasions when you do
not have access to the original reference you
should tell the reviewers and readers of your
article that you are citing a reference (e.g.
A) that you have read in another reference (e.g.
B). In your reference list first give the details
of reference A and then say "cited in"
and then give the details of reference B.
7. In order to avoid plagiarism and self-plagiarism
it is wise to avoid copy and pasting from your
references even if they encompass some of your
previous articles. Instead, you should get the
main idea, re-write or paraphrase and place
the proper citation immediately after it.
8. On the rare occasions when you decide
to directly quote a sentence or two from a reference,
make sure to use quotation marks and place the
proper citation immediately after them, similar
to what I have done at the beginning of this
article.
9. Always carefully follow the "instructions
for authors" of your target journal. Bear
in mind that usually two major types of style
might apply in referencing i.e. the Vancouver
and the Harvard styles. The Vancouver style
is used more frequently compared with Harvard
style.
10. In Vancouver style each reference
is identified by a number based on its order
of appearance in the text. Then the details
of the references are arranged in the reference
list based on their number. In Harvard style
each reference is identified by the surname
of its first author plus the year of publication.
Then the details of the references should be
arranged alphabetically in the reference list.
11. Nowadays different software has been
designed to help the authors to automatically
place relevant literature in their articles.
Although using such software would substantially
ease such cumbersome activities authors should
check meticulously their final draft as some
unwanted errors might have occurred.
12. Based on the "instructions for
authors" of your target journal use the
appropriate number of references. However, if
such number is not given within the "instructions
for authors", use most of your relevant
and valid references. As a golden rule it is
always better that reviewers ask for reduction
of the number of your references rather than
asking you to raise them. One of the worst criticisms
that reviewers might put forward would be that
you have missed one or more relevant and valid
items of literature.
The importance of proper
citation of previous scientific
works in the further progress
of any given subjects
of human knowledge is
evident. In this article
twelve practical guidelines
are provided to help authors
how to select and cite
valid previous works when
writing a scientific article.
Rezaeian
M.
A
review
on
the
diverse
types
of
research
misconduct.
Middle
East
J
Family
Med.
2014;
12(7)
:43-44.
Fisher
ER,
Partin
KM.
The
challenges
for
scientists
in
avoiding
plagiarism.
Account
Res.
2014;21(6):353-65.
Rezaeian
M.
How
to
supervise
a
medical
thesis.
Middle
East
J
Family
Med.
2014;
12(5)
:39-41.
Rezaeian
M.
How
to
prepare
a
thesis
for
submission.
Middle
East
J
Business.
2014;
9(2)
:41-43.
Cals
JW,
Kotz
D.
Effective
writing
and
publishing
scientific
papers,
part
VIII:
references.
J
Clin
Epidemiol.
2013;
66(11):1198.
Kornfeld
DS.
Perspective:
research
misconduct:
the
search
for
a
remedy.
Acad
Med.
2012;87(7):877-82.
Rezaeian
M.
Step
by
step
article
writing:
A
practical
guide
for
the
health
care
professionals.
World
Family
Med
J.
2009/2010;
7
:47-49.
Foote
M.
Why
references:
giving
credit
and
growing
the
field.
Chest.
2007;
132(1):344-6.
Biebuyck
JF.
Concerning
the
ethics
and
accuracy
of
scientific
citations.
Anesthesiology.
1992;
77(1):1-2.
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