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– The Citation Compass shows us how to reference our sources

How do you reference yours sources? And which sources should you use? The web site kildekompasset.no teaches you everything you need to know about referencing.

This article is more than two years old, and may contain outdated information.

Studentene Dina Møll Schoder og Anne Jorunn Nielsen

Students Dina Møll Schoder and Anne Jorunn Nielsen have found useful tips at kildekompasset.no.

– When I started my studies I was very unsure when it came to referencing. Now I use the Citation Compass actively, and I never doubt whether I reference correctly or not anymore, says Dina Møll Schoder, who is about to finish her Master’s degree in pedagogy.

Fellow student Anne Jorunn Nielsen is also very pleased with kildekompasset.no.

– The web site is very informative and easy to use. You can search for your subject, for example pedagogy, and find the recommended reference style. It is also easy to find information about how to refer to specific sources like government reports, encyclopaedias or articles with more than one author. 

Kildekompasset.no is a complete reference guide. It is easy to find good explanations and examples of how to reference, both in the text and in the reference list.

Dina Møll Schoder (til venstre) tar master i pedagogikk, mens Anne Jorunn Nielsen studerer PPU.

Dina Møll Schoder (left) is taking her master’s in pedagogy, while Anne Jorunn Nielsen is studying educational theory and practice.

With concrete examples to every source, there is little doubt about how it should look when you write, both in the text and in the reference list.

Naive or sceptical?

– It all started as a collaborative project between the libraries at the University of Agder, Telemark University College and the University of Stavanger. In 2010, a web site about referencing was launched, says academic librarian and project leader for the Citation Compass, Hilde Terese Daland.

This week, the web site is re-launched with a new part about source evaluation. Here students, and others who are interested, can find useful information about how to evaluate the quality of the contents taken from different sources like scientific articles, public documents and web sites. You can also find information about legislation concerning copyright issues, personal protection and trademark protection. 

– The thought behind the new web site is to make the students reflect on the quality of the sources they decide to use. The students don’t get a one right answer. That is impossible when it comes to source evaluation. But they get a sort of checklist they can use when they look at sources. At the moment, we also have the campaign #NaivEllerSkeptisk? (naive or sceptical) in social media, says Daland.  

Many different reference styles

Universitetsbibliotekar Hilde Terese Daland

Academic librarian Hilde Terese Daland is the project leader for the Citation Compass.

There is a great need for clarity on how to use and reference sources. 

– Student advisors often assume that the students know this when they begin their studies, but we often see that students have no training in referencing or source evaluation. In addition, there are often different reference styles preferred in the different subjects. There are thousands of different reference styles, so it is often difficult to know the right one to use, especially when it comes to new types of sources such as web sites and blogs, says Daland.

To solve the problem, the project group sent out a survey to all the scientific employees at the University of Agder and Telemark University College with examples of different reference styles, where they were asked to pick the one they wanted their students to use. Therefore, the collection of examples at kildekompasset.no is based on four of the most used reference styles; APA 6thAPA 6th tilpasset fotnoterChicago 16th A and IEEE.

Stands in Vrimlehallen at Campus Kristiansand

The people behind the Citation Compass will be available during the exam period to come.

– Every day for the next two weeks, 11 – 22 May, the Citation Compass will have their own stand in Vrimlehallen, where we hand out free coffee and useful tips to the students. In addition, we will have mini lectures in source evaulation in auditorium B1 006, Wednesday 13 May and Thursday 21 May, at 11-11.45 am and 12-12.45 pm. We look forward to meeting the students, says an enthusiastic Hilde Terese Daland. 

grafikk: Naiv eller skeptisk

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Text and photo: Yvonne Kerlefsen