When constructing an essay or any piece of information, it is most important to research and reference properly. Researching is a skill that needs to be learned and practiced overtime. The more it is done, the more accurate the information turns out to be when placing it into a report, essay, etc. Another important point with research is to make sure that the source is credible. Checking the author, URL, labels and such will help find out if they are or not. Taking information from just any source can lead to providing false information in your own work.
Now with all the research done, it needs to be shown and referenced at some point in your work. Now what exactly is referencing to begin with? Well it is a way to give credit to the writers of the source material and ideas you have borrowed (UNSW, 2017). Moreover, it helps demonstrate your knowledge while also providing evidence of a topic and most crucial of all avoid plagiarism. It is important to remember that using other people’s ideas as an aid to your work to either prove a point or get information across is completely fine, however without the proper acknowledgment it is seen as a form of intellectual dishonesty (CQ University, 2018). Noting that it can also lead to legality issues which can be simply avoided if referencing is done correctly.
There are many ways to reference, including Vancouver, APA and Harvard style. However, one that is most common is the APA system, which stands for ‘American Psychological Association’. When referencing in an essay for example, keeping to the one system is crucial. Using more than one will be considered incorrect and fail in regard to the requirements of the referencing conditions and guidelines. Below are three examples of APA referencing that cover information about professional emails and communication.
References:
Smit, M., Bond-Bernard, T., Steyn, H., & Fahis-Rotelli, I., (2017). Email communication in project management: bane or blessing, South African Journal of Information Management, 19(1), 1-10. 10.4102/sajim.v19i1.826
Dwyer, J. (2013). Communication for business and the professions: Strategies and skills (5thed.). Frenchs Forest, NSW: Pearson Australia.
Net Manners. (2017). Five essential elements of ever email. Retrieved from https://www.netmanners.com/368/5-essential-elements-of-every-email/
References (Blog):
CQ University. (2018). Why is referencing important?. Retrieved from https://www.cqu.edu.au/student-life/services-and-facilities/referencing/why-is-referencing-important
UNSW. (2013). Why is referencing important?. Retrieved from https://student.unsw.edu.au/why-referencing-important
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