UHB 30102: ENGLISH FOR TECHNICAL PURPOSES - LITERATURE REVIEW

Summary

In this educational video, the speaker delves into Chapter 3 of the literature review, emphasizing the importance of understanding data sources, both primary and secondary. The discussion highlights the serious issue of plagiarism, outlining its consequences in academic settings and offering guidance on proper citation practices using MLA, APA, and IEEE styles. The video explains the significance of in-text citations and provides detailed examples for various sources, including books and journals. Additionally, techniques for paraphrasing and summarizing are discussed to help students avoid plagiarism while maintaining the integrity of their writing.

Takeaways

• 📊 Primary data is collected directly for a study through methods like interviews and experiments, while secondary data comes from existing resources like books and articles.
• 🔍 Plagiarism is defined as the act of stealing ideas or words and passing them off as your own, which is a serious offense in academia.
• 🚫 Students should avoid copy-pasting (Ctrl C, Ctrl V) without proper citations in their assignments and exams.
• 📚 The MLA and APA are the most commonly used citation styles, with MLA primarily used in humanities and APA in sciences and social sciences.
• 📝 In-text citations must be included in your writing and correspond with a complete references list at the end of your work.
• 👩‍🏫 For in-text citations, include the author's last name and the year of publication, adjusting for different author types (single, two, or multiple).
• 📖 Different types of sources (books, journals, websites) require specific formatting for citations in both in-text references and the works cited page.
• 💡 To avoid plagiarism, use direct quotations sparingly, paraphrase by rewording the original text, and always include citations.
• 🔄 Paraphrasing involves restructuring a sentence while maintaining its original meaning and requires in-text citations as well.
• 🗂️ Summarizing is another effective strategy to avoid plagiarism, where you condense information from sources into your own words with appropriate citations.

Q & A

What are the two main sources of data mentioned in the literature review?

The two main sources of data are primary data, which is collected specifically for the study through methods like interviews and questionnaires, and secondary data, which is gathered from existing sources such as books, journals, and websites.

What constitutes plagiarism according to the speaker?

Plagiarism is defined as the act of stealing someone else's ideas or words and presenting them as one's own without proper acknowledgment or citation.

Why is plagiarism considered a serious issue in academia?

Plagiarism is viewed as a serious crime in the academic world because it involves claiming others' intellectual property as one's own, which can lead to severe consequences.

What citation styles are discussed in the transcript, and which one is required for UDM?

The transcript discusses several citation styles, including MLA, APA, and IEEE. For UDM, the required citation style is APA.

What are in-text citations, and why are they important?

In-text citations refer to the brief references within the text that indicate where information has been sourced. They are crucial for crediting the original authors and avoiding plagiarism.

How should authors with more than four contributors be cited in-text?

For sources with more than four authors, only the main author's last name followed by 'et al.' and the year of publication should be cited in the text.

What are the requirements for writing a works cited page?

A works cited page should list all references used in the writing, arranged in alphabetical order, and include specific formatting based on the type of source (e.g., books, journals, websites).

What are the key differences in citing books and journals?

For books, the citation includes the author's last name, initials, title in italics, publication city, publisher name, and publication year. Journals require the author's last name, initials, title of the article, title of the journal in italics, volume and issue numbers, and page range.

What is paraphrasing, and how should it be done properly?

Paraphrasing involves rewording or restructuring someone else's ideas while maintaining the original meaning. Proper paraphrasing requires citation and can involve changing vocabulary and sentence structure.

What is the maximum percentage of direct quotations allowed in a written work?

The maximum allowed percentage of direct quotations in a written work is 10%. Exceeding this limit could lead to accusations of plagiarism.