The Progress of Digital Technologies in Solving Chronic Education Challenges: The Case of Citation and Referencing Errors

Year 2019, Volume: 4 Issue: 2, 33 - 41, 01.06.2019

Dunlop Ochieng

Abstract

Education sector has embraced and increasingly use digital technologies to address its longstanding challenges. However, considering that every technology has its limitations, I evaluated the progress of citation and reference technologies in solving the chronic problem of plagiarism in academic writing. In this pursuit, I confirmed with several technologies for citation and referencing exist. The technologies still face several challenges but have overall demonstrated good progress and bright prospect. Contrarily, academics increasingly disregard abiding by citation manuals, which might render the technologies fruitless. I therefore call the academic community to rejuvenate ethics among academics to abide by principles of academic writing, and to take full advantage of the available technologies in this endeavor. I equally recommend the simplification of the existing citation guidelines to make them memorable and user-friendly.

Keywords

Plagiarism, Citation, Citation software, Referencing, Digital technologies and education

References

• Asano, M., Mikawa, K., Nishina, K., Maekawa, N., & Obara, H. (1995). Improvement of the accuracy of references in the Canadian Journal of Anaesthesia. Canadian journal of Anaesthesia, 42(5), pp. 370 – 372.
• Basak, S. K. (2016). Examining the inaccuracies of citations and referencing: A Case of a Computer Science and Engineering Journal. 9th International Conference on Electrical and Computer Engineering 20 – 22 December, 2016, Dhaka, Bangladesh, pp. 106 – 109
• Collins, A., & Halverson, R. (2009). Rethinking education in the age of technology: The digital revolution and schooling in America. San Francisco: John Wiley and Sons.
• Evans, J. T., Nadjari, H. I., & Burchell, S. A. (1990). Quotational and reference accuracy in surgical journals. A continuing peer review problem. JAMA – The Journal of the American Medical Association, 263(10), pp. 1353 – 1354.
• Gabriel, T. (2010). Plagiarism lines blur for students in digital age. The New York Times, 1(8).
• Gosling, C. M., Cameron, M., & Gibbons, P. F. (2004). Referencing and quotation accuracy in four manual therapy journals. Manual Therapy, 9(1), pp. 36 – 40
• Harzing, A. W. (2002). Are our referencing errors undermining our scholarship and credibility? The case of expatriate failure rates. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 23(1), pp. 127 – 148.
• Hensley, M. K. (2011). Citation management software: Features and futures. Reference & User Services Quarterly, 50(3), 204 – 208.
• Lane, A. (2009). The impact of openness on bridging educational digital divides. The International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 10(5).
• Liang, L., Zhong, Z., & Rousseau, R. (2014). Scientists’ referencing (mis)behavior revealed by the dissemination network of referencing errors. Scientometrics, 101(3), 1973 – 1986.
• Maurer, H. A., Kappe, F., & Zaka, B. (2006). Plagiarism-A survey. J. UCS, 12(8), pp. 1050 – 1084.
• Mertens, S., & Baethge, C. (2011). The virtues of correct citation: careful referencing is important but is often neglected/even in peer reviewed articles. Deutsches Ärzteblatt International, 108(33), p. 550.
• Nzekwe-Excel, C. (2019). Addressing students’ referencing errors. Retrieved from http://www.emeraldgrouppublishing.com/teaching/issues/referencing_errors.htm on 03 April 2019.
• O’Connor, A. E., Lukin, W., Eriksson, L., & O’Connor, C. (2013). Improvement in the accuracy of references in the journal Emergency Medicine Australasia. Emergency Medicine Australasia, 25(1), pp. 64 – 67.
• Ochieng, D., & Dheskali, J. (2016). Simple tools on the internet for English non-native academic writers in Africa. Academic Writing and Research across Disciplines in Africa. Göttingen: Cuvillier, pp. 59 – 80.
• Peters, O. (2000). Digital learning environments: New possibilities and opportunities. The International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 1(1).
• Rakhshan, V. (2012). Reliance of Scientific Publication on Citation Management Software: The New Generation. Journal of Dental Research, Dental Clinic, Dental Prospects, 6(4), p. 158 – 159.
• Sweetland, J. H. (1989). Errors in bibliographic citations: A continuing problem. The Library Quarterly, 59(4), pp. 291 – 304.
• Weller, M., & Anderson, T. (2013). Digital resilience in higher education. European Journal of Open, Distance and E-learning, 16(1).
• Wilks, S. E., & Spivey, C. A. (2004). Views of reference list accuracy from social work journal editors and published authors. Advances in Social Work, 5(2), 172 – 181.