QUT Library is the Service Owner of QUT cite|write.
Purpose, authority and governing principles
- 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.
- 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.
- QUT cite|write precisely references the following authoritative styles:
- APA: Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 7th Edition (APA7) - each reference/citation example can be clearly justified by and referenced to an APA7 rule
- Harvard: Chicago Manual of Style 16th (CMoS) - using a core style such as CMoS ensures consistency and rigour with rules and application, and resolves confusion caused by multiple and often individualised variations of “Harvard” (there being no authorised published manual of style for “Harvard”). Each reference/citation example can be clearly justified by and referenced to a CMoS rule
- Vancouver: based upon AMA Manual of Style: A Guide for Authors and Editors
- AGLC: Written Assessment in the Law School - as stipulated by the QUT Faculty of Law, Law School.
- Examples have been selected for Cite on the basis of common usage and commonality across and between disciplines.
- Where there is no example provided in QUT cite|write for a specific resource in a specific QUT style, students and staff should apply the standard rules to approximate the referencing convention of that style.
- 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.
- Specific consideration is given to ensuring QUT cite|write resources:
- 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 (e.g. 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).
- 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.
- 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.
Communication and promotion
Accurate information is vital to ensure students enact consistent practice in writing, referencing and citing. Strategies include:
- printed materials in Faculty Orientation bags, and presentation slides in Faculty Orientation sessions;
- digital and physical signage;
- institutional announcements on HiQ and Canvas at the commencement of each semester; and
- update messages and emails to other support services teams and staff (e.g. 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 | 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 |
- 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 the relevant authoritative style.
- 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.
