Background and development

Purpose, authority and governing principles

1. QUT cite|write is an introductory guide to referencing, citing and writing at an undergraduate level, to facilitate effective and appropriate academic practice in the completion of course-related assessment tasks.

2. QUT cite|write supports four standard styles of referencing and citing which suit the majority of undergraduate students for the majority of needs and assessment tasks. The purpose of supporting standard styles is to:

• assist the students to transfer their referencing and citing skills across subjects, disciplines, units and assessment tasks;
• minimise error and confusion for students and staff;
• assist the reader to identify and locate cited sources; and
• support and engender academic integrity within a construct of consistently applied ethical practice.

3. QUT cite|write precisely references the following authoritative styles:

• QUT Harvard: Chicago Manual of Style 16th (CMoS). Using a core syle such as CMoS ensures consistency and rigor with rules and application, and resolves confusion caused by multiple and often individualised variations of "Harvard" (being no authorised published manual of style for "Harvard"). Each reference/citation example can be clearly justified by and referenced to a CMoS rule.
• QUT APA: APA 6th, as published in the revised edition. Each reference/citation example can be clearly justified by and referenced to an APA rule
• QUT Numbered: Vancouver, as endorsed by the National Library of Medicine/NLM.
• QUT Legal: as stipulated by the QUT Faculty of Law, Law School Written Assessment in the Law School

4. Examples have been selected for the online guides on the basis of common usage and commonality across and between disciplines.

5. Where there is no example provided in QUT cite|write for a specific resource in a specific QUT style, students and staffs should apply the standard rules to approximate the referencing convention of that style.

6. Where a discipline/faculty-specific deviation in convention is preferred or required, it is the right and responsibility of the faculty/academic to alert students to the deviation and to provide students with a clear alternate convention to follow.

7. Specific consideration is given to ensuring QUT cite|write resources (print and online):

• respond to the diversity of learning styles, needs and preferences of QUT students;
• are fully accessible for students with diverse capabilities and specific learning needs;
• allow equal and easy availability to all students regardless of time of day, mode of study, or location;
• are responsive to students' cultural and experiential diversity (eg: international students, mature entry students);
• facilitate and engender transition into and through a QUT undergraduate degree program;
• support QUT's commitment to enhancing the First Year and continuing student experience (copies provided free to commencing students);
• are low impact (bandwidth and environment); and
• low cost (purchase and printing).

8. As a general matter of course, undergraduates do not publish in scholarly works. If/when they do, students should closely follow the referencing guidelines set down by the intended publisher which may well be a deviation from a standard referencing/citing style and QUT cite|write.

9. QUT cite|write is appropriate to the needs of undergraduate students in their early years of academic study. Staff and postgraduate students seeking to publish in scholarly works are advised to refer to and use the guidelines provided by each publisher/editor in conjunction with the published manual/s for those styles.

Governance, supply and funding

1. QUT Library is the Service Owner of QUT cite|write.
2. Annual publication and supply is funded jointly by the Vice-Chancellor, Registrar and DVC/Division of Information, Technology and Learning Support.
3. Free copies are provided to all commencing students, with distribution via Library Learning and Research Desks.
4. Copies are also available for purchase from QUT Bookshops, or for download from this website.

Communication and promotion

Accurate information is vital to ensure students enact consistent practice in writing, referencing and citing. Extensive Communication Plans for QUT cite|write are managed by the Division of TILS' Communications Team, in partnership with the the QUT cite|write Editorial Team. Strategies include:

• broadcast emails to commencing students at the commencement of each semester;
• printed materials in Faculty Orientation bags, and presentation slides in Faculty Orientation sessions;
• institutional announcements on QV and Blackboard at the commencement of each semester; and
• update messages and emails to other support services teams and staff (eg: International Student Services).

Review and maintenance

For quality assurance and version control, QUT cite|write publication timelines are as follows:

When	Scope	Focus	By whom
Annual (September-November)	Major review	booklet and online guides to ensure the publication proceeds through editing, proofing and printing by January of the following year	Editorial Team
Monthly	Ongoing quality assurance	whole site	Editorial Team
6 monthly	Minor review	all online guides	Editorial Team
As required	Minor amendments	online referencing style guides in the event of error, or upon a major release of a new edition of a core style	Editorial Team

1. The QUT cite|write Editorial team adjusts a style only where there is a significant lack of clarity or inconsistency in associating common resources with a closest match in CMoS, APA or Vancouver (Numbered).
2. Every effort is made to limit major changes to the booklet to ensure that the resource is relevant for the duration of a student's course of study at QUT.
3. The Editorial Team undertakes regular review of all QUT cite|write resources in terms of usage, relevance and enhancements. Errors, inclusions and exclusions are reviewed and considered by the Editorial Team. Feedback is encouraged.

History and acknowledgements

QUT cite|write (1st edition) was developed and released in 2008, as a replacement for the existing guide "The Written Assignment". In response to student and staff feedback, the format and layout of the QUT cite|write booklet was modified for subsequent editions.

QUT cite|write is the product of significant University-wide collaboration and voluntary engagement of highly experienced and dedicated staff from across a range of QUT student service and support areas. This partnership has enabled the input and expertise necessary to deliver a high quality student-focussed resource.

Original content, design, publication, website creation and promotion/communication was the responsibility of the QUT cite|write Development Team. Post-establishment, QUT cite|write is now maintained by the cross-university collaborative QUT cite|write Editorial Team. Contributors are listed as follows:

Click here to read important information regarding changes to QUT APA, QUT Harvard and QUT Numbered styles in 2011.

 

Name	Service Role	Service Area	Specific expertise/contribution	1st ed (2008)	2nd ed (2009)	3rd ed (2010)	4th ed (2011)	5th ed (2012)	6th ed (2013)
Elizabeth Alvey	Liaison Librarian (Education)	QUT Library	Referencing & citing - APA
Elleina Andrews	TILS Communications Team	TILS/ Office of the DVC	Communications/publication
Philippa Broadley	Library Adviser (BEE)	QUT Library	Referencing & citing - Harvard
Geraldine Bridier	TILS Communications Team	TILS/ Office of the DVC	Communications/publication
Dr Abby Cathcart	Lecturer, School of Management	QUT Business School	Faculty rep (referencing & citing - APA)
Kate Derrington	Academic Skills Adviser / KG	QUT Library	Academic/study skills/ writing
Kate Devitt	Academic Skills Adviser / GP	QUT Library	Academic/study skills/ writing
Lynn Evans	Liaison Librarian (Health)	QUT Library	Referencing & citing - Numbered
Sally French	Library Adviser (CI)	QUT Library	Referencing & citing - Harvard
Rena Frohman	Language and Learning Adviser	QUT International College	Academic/studyskills/ international students
Kate Harbison	Liaison Librarian (Humanities)	QUT Library	Referencing & citing - APA
Chris Hart	Library Adviser (Health)	QUT Library	Referencing & citing - Numbered
Mandy King	Academic Skills Adviser	TALSS	Academic/study skills/ writing
Lynda Lawson	Language & Learning Adviser	International Student Services	Academic/study skills/ international students
Joanna Logan	Liaison Librarian (Education)	QUT Library	Information/research skills/ referencing & citing
Patrice Meixsell-Draper	Team Leader, TILS Communications Team (retired 2012)	TILS/ Office of the DVC	Communications/publication
Karin Medew	Academic Skills Adviser / Cab	QUT Library	Academic/study skills/ writing
Judith Peacock	Learning & Study Support Coordinator	Library/ Office of the Director	Service Coordinator/ Team Convenor
Nerida Quatermass	Liaison Librarian (Law)	QUT Library	Referencing & citing - Legal
Andrea Reid	Learning and Teaching Consultant	Faculty of Business	Faculty representative (Referencing & citing - APA)
Anastasia Renshaw	TILS Communications Team	TILS/ Office of the DVC	Communications/publication
Shannon Robinson	Liaison Librarian (Creative Industries)	QUT Library	Referencing & citing - Harvard
Luisa Rossitto	Liaison Librarian (Education)	QUT Library	Information/research skills/ referencing & citing
Cameron Rutter	Library Adviser (Business)	QUT Library	Referencing & citing - Harvard
Rebecca Sandford	TILS Communications Team	TILS/ Office of the DVC	Communications/publication
Dr Madeleine Schultz	Lecturer, School of Chemistry	FaST/STEM	Faculty representative (adviser, hard sciences style (TBA 2013)
Brendan Sinnamon	Liaison Librarian (FaST)	QUT Library	Referencing & citing - Harvard
Ellen Thompson	Liaison Librarian (Creative Industries)	QUT Library	Information/research skills/ referencing & citing
Bernadette Willans	Liaison Librarian (Psych)/ now Academic Skills Adviser	QUT Library	Academic/study skills/ writing; Referencing & citing - APA
Oksana Zelenko	Transitions Coordinator	Creative Industries	Faculty representative

As Project Coordinator and Service Manager for QUT cite|write, I would like to express my appreciation for the ongoing dedication and contribution of these individual QUT staff members in the development and support of the resource. On behalf of all team members, past and present, I would also like to extend thanks to section, department and divisional managers and Directors for their support for the ongoing involvement of their staff, and to the DVC/TILS and the QUT Registrar for their continued financial and strategic commitment to QUT cite|write.

Judith Peacock

QUT cite|write Editorial Team Convenor (May 2012)