Tricky Sources

Tricky sources

(This is an optional part of the course. It is best to complete the rest of the course first, before looking at this section. You might like to come back to this section at a separate sitting.)

It is not possible to cover every type of source in this course - that's what your guides are for! However, below we explore three source types which students often find difficult. 

• secondary sources
• chapter in an edited book
• personal communication

• Secondary sources 

  Secondary sources, also called a 'source within a source' or 'indirect source', is when you use information you have found in one source that originally came from a different source.

  It is always best to try and locate the original source yourself but this is not always possible. See the slides below for how to reference secondary sources.

• Chapter in an edited book

  Some books have different authors for each chapter and editor/s for the book overall.

  This book, The business of sport management is edited by John Beech and Simon Chadwick.

  However, you can see that each chapter has a different author or authors.

  

• Practice activity

  Chapter within an edited book

  • Imagine you have taken some information from Chapter 4 of the book above The business of sport management. 
  • Using a referencing guide, find the format for an edited book chapter and have a go at providing an in-text citation and a full reference for this book chapter. Find the referencing elements you need from the images above and the publication details provided below:

  Date of publication: 2013

  Published by: Pearson

  Publisher's location - City: Harlow, Country: England

  • Check your answer below.

• Personal communication

  There are times when you may want to include some information from someone you have spoken to or communicated with directly. This is called personal communication.

  The Massey University APA Interactive guide says that personal communications 

  describe any kind of source that is not ‘archived’. This includes e-mails, conversations, interviews, lectures, and so forth. Readers cannot access these sources, so they should not be included in the reference list. instead, they are listed as a special type of in-text citation only (2018). 

  For example:

  (S. Black, personal communication, July 23, 2019)

  Note that,

  • unlike other in-text citations, the initial(s) and surname of the source are stated,
  • the words 'personal communication' are included
    
  • the full date that the communication took place is stated, not just the year

  You could alternatively include the person's name within your sentence, outside of the brackets (just as you can with any other source). E.g.

  According to S. Black (personal communication, July 23, 2019), the …

  Keep in mind that generally it is best to use printed and verified sources, but that personal communications may be used on occasion when appropriate.

• Summary

  Above we have looked at three types of sources that may be tricky. Hopefully you now feel more informed about how to reference these.

  You will no doubt come across many other types of sources as you go through your studies. Particularly when searching online where we now found all kinds of different source types.

  Always remember, the first question to ask when you reference anything is, "What am I referencing?" Just because it's online, doesn't mean it's a webpage. It could be anything from an article to an annual report, an Act of Parliament, a blog, brochure, thesis, video, etc., to name a few, though probably the majority of your sources will still be books, articles and webpages.

  Always keep a referencing guide handy.

  Best of luck with your studies and your referencing. Feel free to get in touch via the Further Support tab above.

  The Learning Support Team at NMIT.

• References

  Beech, J. & Chadwick, S. (2013). The business of sport management (2nd ed.). Harlow, England: Pearson.

  Harmoinen, M., Niiranen, K., Niiranen, V., Åstedt-Kurki, P., & Suominen, T. (2014). Stories of management in the future according to young adults and young nurses. Contemporary Nurse : A Journal for the Australian Nursing Profession, 47(1), 69-78. https://doi.org/10.1080/10376178.2014.11081908

  Massey University. (2018). APA in-text citation: Personal communications. Retrieved from http://owll.massey.ac.nz/referencing/apa-in-text-citation.php#personal-communications