Economics Paper- 7 PAGES

ECON 2500W Writing in Economics Why do we cite sources?

• To give proper credit to those who have created ideas and generated research results.

And avoid plagiarism Plagiarized words: copying how something is written, either word-for-word or too-close paraphrase. Plagiarized ideas: claiming ownership of a unique idea that is not yours. Unintentional: Plagiarism that occurs by mistake

- Usually as a result of not learning the art of citation. Intentional: plagiarism done on purpose

- Copying words from a text or the web out of laziness or desperation

• To demonstrate your command of the literature. • To provide factual and rhetorical support for your own

thesis. What should you cite?

• Not the direct results of your own research and analysis. This can include both background facts (what the federal funds rate was in the first quarter of 2007) and analytical claims (that the policies of the Federal Reserve contributed to the financial crisis 2008)

• Not self-evident or widely known and agreed upon. Example: economist use supply and demand analysis.

How should you cite?

• The right way: “Duplicating the problem-solving and information-handling capabilities of the brain is not far off; it would the

surprising if it were not accomplished within the next decade” (Simon 1960, p. 32).

• The wrong way: “Duplicating the problem-solving and information-handling capabilities of the brain is not far off; it would the surprising if it were not accomplished within the next decade” (footnote). What should you cite?

• When you are using the exact words of yours source- a direct quotation.

• Even when you are not using the exact words of your source- a paraphrase.

A paraphrase is always better. Don’t quote things that are so unoriginal as to be ovious. Ways to paraphrase: In the 1960s, some computer scientist began to believe that machines would quickly catch up to humans in the ability to solve problems and handle information (Simon 1960, p. 32). Herbert Simon (1960, p. 32) boldly predicted that within ten years computers would catch up to humans in the ability to solve problems and handle information. Alchian and Demsetz (1972) argue that …. Halper et al. (1999) state that Et al means and others. References: …

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