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Referencing & copyright

Writing assignments involves researching, reading and exploring ideas to help you form your own opinions.  In order to get good marks and use information ethically, you need to observe some rules.

What is copyright?

The Copyright, Designs & Patents Act 1988 protects the rights of the owner, or their representative, to have their worked used only with their permission. It applies to printed media like books and journals, and other works such as photographs, recordings and so on.  The owner is usually the person who wrote (author) or created (artist, composer, photographer) the work in question.

This means you can not use another person's words, sound or images without recognising their ownership and gaining their permission.  However, for private study or personal research purposes, a 'fair dealing' rule lets you copy some material

What is referencing?

Referencing is a way to acknowledge that you have used the ideas and written material belonging to another author. It applies to what you have watched, listened to or looked at including electronic sources, like websites.  The Faculty uses the 'Harvard' referencing system.

Why is referencing important?

Accurate referencing demonstrates you have undertaken appropriate reading for your assignment.  It also shows that you have appreciated the links between the evidence-base and your clinical practice.  It enables your readers to follow up and read the cited author's arguments in full.  Failure to acknowledge another writer's work or ideas will be considered plagiarism (literary theft) which is an academic offence.

How to reference?
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