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  4. Citation & Good Scientific Practice

Citation & Good Scientific Practice

Through citations, personal academic work is directly related to the findings and results of others. However, proper citation not only plays a role in writing one's own academic work. Already during the research process, one learns how important the accurate recording of sources is for quick retrieval. In this respect, citation is only one building block in the entire process of scientific work, which ranges from the development of a research question, research and data collection, analysis and interpretation to the formulation and publication of results. The conscious and careful handling of sources is essential at every point of the research process.

The SLUB offers a wide range of support on the topic of citation and good scientific practice, which is embedded in the Writing and Publishing service.

Citation Guide

Students in particular are often unsure about what to and how to cite. This citation guide "Citing: A Guide to Scientific Work" (Zitieren : Handreichung zum wissenschaftlichen Arbeiten) is therefore intended to provide them with a general overview, but it is also relevant for researchers at other stages of qualification. It addresses basic questions and general agreements on citing and aims to provide an overview of the meaning and application of citations: What, why and how to cite? A tabular overview of two different but common citation styles across disciplines - APA and Chicago - offers help when there are no concrete guidelines from the university. The APA citation style follows the rules of the American Psychological Association (APA) and uses the author-year system. The Chicago citation style presents the footnote-bibliography system of the Chicago Manual of Style, which uses superscript numbers in the text and footnotes to indicate citations. An overview of work aids and training as well as a bibliography with references to further reading round off the handout.

SLUBtutorial and SLUBcasts on Citation

In the e-tutorial Citations and avoiding plagiarism – When, why, and how to cite sources?, you will learn how to avoid plagiarism, what can be cited, what must not be cited, and how to correctly incorporate citations into the text so that no plagiarism occurs.

In a multi-part series of short video clips (SLUBcasts), essential aspects of citation and good academic practice are presented compactly in connection with the SLUB's services for academic work. Listen to the two (fictional) students Emma and Max discuss the topic. The content of the clips is based on the detailed brochure " Citing - Handbook for Academic Work" ("Zitieren - Handreichung zum wissenschaftlichen Arbeiten").

In addition, you can find clips and more detailed videos about academic work at and with the SLUB on our YouTube channel.

Literature Management Programs

Support in all phases of scientific work and writing is provided by literature management programs. In particular, they facilitate uniform citation. In courses and workshops you can get to know Citavi, Endnote, Mendeley or Zotero in detail and also try them out.

Citation Guidelines and Citation Styles at the TU Dresden

Many faculties and institutes of TU Dresden have published their own guidelines on citation and scientific writing. 

If you work with Zotero, Mendeley or other literature management programs that support the Citation Style Language (CSL), there are citation styles available that have been created according to the guidelines of your faculty / institute: Citation styles of selected faculties and institutes of the TU Dresden (German only)

Ensuring Good Scientific Practice at the TU Dresden

To ensure good scientific practice at the TU Dresden, guidelines have been issued to safeguard good scientific practice, to avoid scientific misconduct and to deal with violations (in German). They are obligatory for all young researchers, students and academics working at the university.

The guidelines are embedded in a comprehensive advisory and support service with a person of trust or ombudsperson as the central contact person for all questions relating to good scientific practice and dealing with misconduct. A review board against academic misconduct supports the work of the ombudsperson. In addition, all faculties have ombudspersons for matters concerning young academics. Special workshops on the topic round off the service.

Detailed information with the contact details of the person of trust (ombudsperson) and other contact persons can be found on the TUD website Good Scientific Practice at the TU Dresden

Further Information

The topic of citation is not only linked to academic writing, but also inseparable from it. Therefore, please pay particular attention to the services offered by the Writing Network.

Furthermore, there is a wealth of possibilities for further information on the topic of citation and safeguarding good scientific practice. The most important ones from our point of view are listed here by way of example.