Junior researchers frequently wonder how many references should be included in their research papers. The common response? While we admit there are very few hard-set rules regarding this issue, in this article, we will try to provide more concrete guidelines that will help you assess whether you have enough references in your paper.
Before we do so, let us briefly explain why references matter and whether the number of references you include can project certain perceptions about the quality of your work. There is such a thing as having too many or too few. References show that you have carefully reviewed the relevant literature and are now contributing something novel to the academic community. The first step is the same--find the appropriate subject heading in the index portion and write down all of the information in the entry.
Note that the entry will also include a number or some kind of an identifying code. Then use the number or code in the "abstracts" portion to find a description of the type of information that's in the article. Again, if an article seems appropriate, write down all of the entry information so you can find the article in your library or through interlibrary loan and so you'll have the information for your works cited or references list at the end of your paper.
The most commonly used index to newspaper articles is the New York Times Index, organized alphabetically by subject. Find the appropriate subject heading and jot down the information so you can find the article, which is usually on microfilm, unless you're dealing with a very recent issue of the Times.
Your local newspaper also may publish an index, which may be useful if you are researching local history or politics. Encyclopedias provide background information about a subject. Note that you should confine your use of encyclopedias to background information only, since their information is too general to function as an appropriate source for a college paper.
Specialized encyclopedias and dictionaries provide background in specific fields e. Facts on File and Statistical Abstracts provide brief bits of statistical information that can aid your research. For example, if you're doing on a paper on airline safety since deregulation, it's a safe bet that you can find statistics on airline safety problems in one of these reference books. Other reference books abound e. Take time, at some point, to browse your library's shelves in the reference section to see how many different types of reference books exist and to consider how you may use them.
It will be time well-spent. Remember to write down all of the information that you need from these sources as they are almost always not allowed to be used outside of the library. The Library of Congress provides an indexing system; most academic libraries index their books using Library of Congress subject headings. The Library of Congress publishes a Subject Heading Index listing all of the subject headings that they use.
Why bother knowing this information? The Subject Heading Index is a good tool for you as a researcher. If you're not getting exactly the right books you need through your on-line subject search, check this index to find the appropriate subject heading to use. If you are finding too much information, check this index to see at a glance all of the various headings and sub-headings for the subject.
You can get an idea of how to narrow down and focus your subject simply by scanning these various headings and sub-headings.
Just note that these subject headings relate to books only. Magazine and journal indexes and abstracts will use their own subject headings but the Library of Congress headings can at least give you an idea of the types of headings to use. The important thing to remember here is that, by the time a book is printed, the information is at least a couple of years old.
So if you're doing research that requires very recent information, a newspaper, magazine, or journal is your best bet. If the age of the information is not an issue and it's not, in many cases , then a book's fuller treatment of a subject is a good choice. It's also useful to move from virtual cyberspace into actual, physical space and "real time" when you search for books.
That means that you should get yourself into the library. Sometimes a look through the stacks the shelves on which the books are located will turn up additional information that's relevant to your research question or working thesis.
The Internet provides access to a lot of information. The Internet provides access to many on-line catalogs so you can review the types of books available in the field and carried by that particular library.
The Internet also provides access to a few full-text electronic journals which means that you can read and print the article right from the screen. Government information e. The Internet can link you up with individuals who might have expertise on the topic you are researching. You can find these people by joining electronic discussion groups newsgroups or maillists.
These forums are usually categorized by topic e. By posting a question to the group or maillist, you can obtain useful information from knowledgeable people willing to share their expertise. The one big problem with the Internet is that you sometimes need to sift.
You also have to be critical of what you find, since anyone can post and even change anything that's out there in cyberspace, and you won't necessarily know if someone answering your query is really an expert in the field. But if you persevere, and even if you just play around with it, the Internet can offer some gems of information in a quick, easy way.
Don't underestimate the power of interviewing knowledgeable people as part of your research. For example, if you're researching a topic in local history, consult the town historian or a local resident who experienced what you're researching. People who have "been there" and "done that" can add a real richness to your research. For example, who better than a former Olympic athlete to provide information about the emotional effects of athletic competition?
You can consult knowledgeable people in print as well. If you find one or two names that keep popping up in your research if others consistently refer to these names and list works by these people in their bibliographies , then you should consult sources by these people, since it's likely that they are considered experts in the field which you are researching.
If your library doesn't carry the book or journal article that you need, you probably can get that source through interlibrary loan. Interlibrary loan is available to all SUNY Empire faculty, staff, and students, and it supplies electronically delivered book chapters and journal articles but no physical media.
One big tip for using interlibrary loan: you will need full and specific information to order the material. So get in the habit of writing all of the information down as you compile your list of sources. For books, write down the author, title, publisher, place, and date of publication. For articles, write down the article title, journal title, author, volume, date, span of page numbers, and the name, year, and page number of the reference source in which you found the article listed.
The library needs this information to order your source. If you are using the computer in a public library, many times the request for interlibrary loan is a link directly from the page on which the material you wish to use is listed. Be sure to keep your library card up-to-date and handy! One big tip for working with a reference librarian: you'll get more help the more specific you are. A proper list of references that includes only trustworthy information will help to understand which information was used for your research and what led you to new discoveries.
Your writing work can be interesting to someone whose professional field differs from yours or who knows less about the subject. If your reader feels that your writing is very interesting, however, some additional information is needed, references will help to understand which articles or books can explain more about the topic. The initial role of references is to use scientific articles of other authors without violating their rights. In any case, a list of references in APA or MLA is more than a formality, but an important and very useful part of any university work.
When you understand the real value of such information, you can realize how crucial including the correct number of references is. Why is there no clear answer about the number of references to include in your research paper? Just because the number will differ according to several factors and requirements for your research paper. There is no clear recommendation about the number of sources to include in a reference list; however, there are statistics that can show us how many references are included in successfully written essays and research papers.
Below we present some statistics data collected during the two last decades. According to statistics, the average number of references that students include in their papers is growing. It can be connected with the development of free online libraries and lots of internet sites that provide useful information. The highest average reference number differs greatly depending on the sphere of study it belongs to.
For example, ecology research paper references include up to 58 points, while math and closely related topics have up to 28 information sources mentioned in the list. Economics has 32 or fewer references. Another effective way to count a number of references is counting the average number of sources per page. In this case, the recommended number of information sources to use will depend on both the scientific field and the size of your essay. For example, an average number of sources per paper for research paper on ecology topics is 6.
A number of sources you use for a research paper depending on the sphere of science you deal with. Statistics show that the number of references depends on the themes you choose for your essay. Shall you rely on the number of references provided by statistics? Surely, no. However, knowing the approximate number of references makes it easier to decide on the optimum range of informational sources that shall be used for your academic papers.
We hope that all the tips and explanations we provided above will help you to decide on the number of references you use for each research paper.
However, we also want to remind you that the number of references is not the only thing you shall pay attention to when setting your list of information sources. With too many sources, the essay becomes a compilation of opinions from other writers instead of your own. Typical job seekers should have three to four references, while those seeking more senior positions should consider listing five to seven, experts suggest. And be sure to list your strongest reference first.
An h-index of 20 indicates that a researcher has published 20 papers with at least 20 citations; likewise, an s-index of 10 would mean a researcher had published 10 papers that had each received at least 10 self-citations. Answer: Regarding the number of reference citations, there is no specific number or range that is considered as normal or standard. You should cite just about enough sources that are required for your paper.
The number of references you will use depends on how much literature exists on the topic. The average number of resources to be used in mathematics dissertation is in between 1 to 2 per page. As there are 40 pages in 10, words dissertation, therefore, a total number of resources to be used in 10, words mathematics dissertation are 40 to Do not worry about using referencing too often. As a general rule, it is better to use the references too often than not enough.
You may have been given some advice not to use too many references.
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