Definition of APA Referencing Style and How It Helps to Avoid Plagiarism

Plagiarism has become a formidable challenge faced by institutions globally and regionally. Plagiarism is the blatant use of the works of others being passed off as one's own, not to mention a heinous crime that is frowned upon. This research seeks to identify what is the American Psychological Association (APA) referencing style and how does use this help in avoiding plagiarism.

The researcher focuses on the works of the American Psychological Association. American Psychological Association. (2010). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (6th Ed.). Additionally, with the use of the manual, reviews of the literature have presented various terms to be defined for readers such as plagiarism, American Psychological Association referencing style, citations, reference list. We also identify different facets that make up the American Psychological Association Referencing style.

The overall expectation of this paper is to analyse how the American Psychological Association Referencing assists in the reduction of plagiarism with the inclusion of citations, in-text citations, paraphrasing, direct quotations and reference lists.

Who are what is the American Psychological Association (APA) and how does the use of this help in avoiding plagiarism? Academic writing is a fundamental aspect of higher education or even general research. As writers, we must be able to structure, support and communicate feasible ideas and we do such with the help of reference.

Referencing also helps us as writers reduce the chances of plagiarism and infringement on the works of others. The American Psychological Association uses the elements of citation, in-text citations, direct quotes, paraphrasing and reference lists to help with the curbing of plagiarism. Plagiarism comes in many shapes and forms whether inadvertently or deliberately done it is a threat to the hard work of many. This paper will expand on what is plagiarism and methods to curb the said habit.

Plagiarism has many definitions but the Merriam-Webster dictionary best defines it as the use of one's work without crediting the source of the material. For so long many illustrious institutions have faced the problem of either receiving worked copied from elsewhere or having their work stolen. Why do we want to avoid plagiarism? Calonia (2019) discussed plagiarism falling under the realm of an ethical issue that involves submitting stolen work with the hopes of gratification, whether a good grade or actual profit. It compromises the integrity and not to mention the loss of respect from peers and tutors. The use of reference styles has long become the safeguard to prevent the use of another's work as your own.

The American Psychological Association reference style or APA for short. The name was taken after a small organization that was founded in 1892. The association originally started with 31 individuals who were interested in what was called 'The New psychology'. (American Psychological Association [APA] 2019) However, the referencing style did not come into being until the year 1929 when the members of the said association convened to establish a regulated way to dissimilate findings. APA referencing style pays keen attention to the usage of the following elements: the elements of citation, in-text citation, direct quotes, as well as paraphrasing and reference lists.

The Oxford dictionary defines Citation as 'A quotation from or reference to a book, paper, or author, especially in a scholarly work.' To be precise a citation is an abbreviated alphanumeric expression presented in the body of an intellectual work that informs readers of bibliographic references section of the work to acknowledge the relevance of the works of others to the topic of discussion at the spot where the citation appears. ('Citation: Definition, Types, Writing Guidelines', 2013). The elements of citation can, therefore, be said to be a technique in which citations are written. Citation, when done using the APA format, has four components they are: author, date, and title and retrieval information. An example of this (Green, 1996, 'Peas in a Pod', October 21, 2018). Any work presented and Citations are a value-added fundamental as the displays the amount of research and time spent of written works. For it to be said that academic research has citations it must be present both in text and in reference.

An in-text citation is referring to the body of your working and informing the reader of the source that added perspective to your views. The common practice for the APA style is the name of the author, the year of publication and finally the title of the piece. An example of the in-text citation is: The peas are green (Green, 1996). Similar to citations it giving credit where due to show that your thoughts and ideas were supported by the works of others.

The body of your research is where writers get the chance to express both their thoughts and findings and also provide substantial evidence to support their claims and causes. When presenting the information we have two ways to incorporate the works of others into your own body of text and that is through paraphrasing and direct quotations.

A direct quotation is the citation of an author's work verbatim as to what was originally published in his/her work. A perfect example of this is the famous quote by Martin Luther King Jr. 'I have a dream'. The use of quotations is identified with parentheses and must always provide the author, year, and specific page the quotation was taken from. Quotations, however, should not be confused with copying and pasting. Once the work is taken from elsewhere. Collins dictionary defines paraphrasing as the expression of what is said or written differently. Understanding the context of your sources work allows researchers the ability to allude to the original text and present said findings in a new way.

The art of paraphrasing can be simplified into three major steps that are; rearranging sentence structure, use of synonyms instead of verbatim and also condensing sentences. An example of paraphrasing is: Paul, Pam and Andrew went to visit their aunt all the way in St. Ann. This paraphrased version is they went to see their aunt in St. Ann. Not only does paraphrasing show understanding but it is also a platform to present your ideas and have evidence to link the claim with substance.

Reference lists are the collection of sources used to provide facts and findings in the body of your research. The APA style focuses on the use of reference lists instead of the traditional bibliography that many are accustomed to. Now many will get it confused and think they are the same however the reference is the use of all the works included in your piece whereas a bibliography. According to Macmillan website referencing becomes a major part of a researcher's life as we will constantly be cross-referencing the works of others to ensure we are not liable to plagiarism it is required for us to provide a list of the sources for the material so it can be easily found, for necessary checks for validity.

The format for reference varies by style, however, APA style specifies that references are done in the format Author. (Date). Title. Publication details. 'A reference list consists of all sources cited in the text of a paper, listed alphabetically by author's surname.' American Psychological Association. (2010).

With referencing styles vary from institution to institution, the most commonly used is APA style. The principles of the American Psychological Association highlights the use of the elements of citation, in-text citations, quoting and paraphrasing and lastly referencing. Each unique but very important to the fluidity of one's work. Citations are the incorporation of reference information to let readers be aware of where information was sourced. Quotations and paraphrasing revolve around the quality and quantity of information presented in the body and are only varying in use of verbatim and sentence reconstruction.

Plagiarism is an ethical issue that once a person seeks personal gratification from the use of others works without giving credit where due it compromises the integrity of not only you but the institution. The question of one's character is constantly ingrained wherever you go. The use of referencing styles effectively and correctly prevents the accusation of plagiarism and also the consequences that follow such accusations.