ABSTRACT
The design and implementation of a computerized reference management system are examined in this research. The goal of the study project was to find a solution to the referencing/plagiarism issue that arises when students conduct research projects for their academic degrees at universities, polytechnics, and schools of education. The four (4) main referencing formats used in the research effort were MLA, APA, HARVARD, and CHICAGO.
The researcher’s goal was to create an intuitive system that makes it simple for students to submit information sources for precise, quick citations using the acceptable referencing style accepted by their schools. Programming languages PHP and MySQL were used to implement the system.
CHAPITER 1
INTRODUCTION
Referencing is the process of citing or documenting the sources of statements, theories, ideas, illustrations, and diagrams used in producing a research paper, essay, article, or other assignment for a university or other setting (Archibong, 2014). Referencing is a crucial step in the research writing process since sources and authors who provided the information must be acknowledged and given other due credit.
The purpose of references is to make it possible for the reader to locate a citation or identify the author of an idea. Due of the potential consequences of improper presentation, they should be clear and consistent.
References must be listed in full as footnotes at the bottom of the page and numbered inside the text (Chernin, 1988).
Every piece of supporting documentation you utilize needs to be cited, as do important concepts and strategies taken from secondary sources.
The word count does not apply to footnotes, however you are not allowed to include anything besides citations to secondary or primary sources. Any written material should be included in the essay or dissertation’s main body. Always cite the book, article, source, or lecture where YOU learned the information. Plagiarism is the act of taking another person’s footnotes verbatim (Laurens, 2009).
Software for scholars and authors to use for documenting and utilizing bibliographic citations is known as reference management software, citation management software, or personal bibliographic management software (Enrico, 2013). An entry for a citation can be used repeatedly to create bibliographies, such as a list of sources for academic books, papers, and essays. The rapidly growing body of scientific literature has been a driving force behind the creation of reference management software.
These software solutions typically include a database where complete bibliographic references can be input as well as a mechanism for producing lists of articles in the various forms needed by publishers and academic publications. The likelihood that a referenced source will not be included in the reference list is decreased thanks to the common integration of modern reference management systems with word processors. This method automatically generates a reference list in the correct format as an article is written. Additionally, a facility for importing publication information from bibliographic databases will be available.
SITUATION OF THE PROBLEM
Plagiarism has been a major worry for students recently, particularly in higher education institutions (Neville, 2007). It might be challenging for some students in Nigerian universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education to correctly cite a source of information using the acceptable referencing styles endorsed by their institutions. It might be difficult for students to understand not just the “how-to,” but also the “when to” and “why” aspects of reference, according to learner development and support departments in further and higher education institutions.
Since citing sources is such a crucial component of academic writing, academic practitioners sometimes fail to give it the focus it merits. Some students view referencing and citations as a formality, so they don’t take them seriously, according to Anglil-Carter (2000).
1.3 STUDY’S OBJECTIVES
Designing and implementing a computerized reference management system is the study’s principal goal. The study’s precise goals are:
to create a system that will handle citation tasks and safely preserve information sources.
to provide a system that will allow users to reference in Modern Language Association (MLA) format fast and correctly.
to provide a system that will allow users to reference content using the American Psychological Association (APA) standard quickly and correctly.
to provide a system that enables users to rapidly and correctly cite sources using the Harvard referencing style.
to provide a system that will allow users to reference using the Chicago referencing style fast and correctly.
PHOTOS OF THE APPLICATION’S SCREEN
1.4 THE MEANING OF THE STUDY
Students can use the study to help them properly reference or cite sources when writing any kind of academic assignment.
Due of its recentness, the study will add to the body of knowledge. The publication will serve as a guide for student researchers who find the subject intriguing as they create additional referencing systems.
1.5 DEFINITION OF THE STUDY
The design and implementation of a computerized reference management system using the programming languages PHP and MYSQL are the only topics covered by this study. The MLA, APA, Chicago, and Harvard reference and citation styles will all be covered by the implementation.
Limitations of the study: 1.6
The investigation was severely constrained by both financial and time constraints. Financial constraints made it rather difficult to purchase the project’s design-related software.
Additionally stressful for the researcher was juggling lectures and the research project.
1.7 TERM DEFINITION
A reference is a relationship between objects where one object identifies, serves as a conduit for connecting to, or links to, another object.
Reference Management System: Scholars and authors can use reference management software, also known as citation management software or personal bibliographic management software, to keep track of and use bibliographic citations (references).
ALA: American Literary Association
APA stands for American Psychological Association.
A system is a collection of elements that cooperate as a unit or as nodes in a larger network to form a complex whole.
Research paper often written in tertiary institutions is an academic paper.
REFERENCES
(2000) Anglil-Carter, S. Lost Language? writing that is plagiarized. Pearson Education, Harlow.
(2014). Archibon, A.A. The specifics of referencing in research: Ref 101.
The “Harvard system”: a riddle dispelled,” by E. Chernin, appeared in the British Medical Journal on October 22, 1988, pp. 1062–1063.
F. Enrico (2013). “Usage of Reference Management Software at the University of Torino”. JLIS.it. University of Florence. 4 (1). doi:10.4403/jlis.it-8679. Accessed June 29, 2013
M.E. Laurens (2009). Maturation, fecundity, and segmentation of Limax campestris, Binney, Harvard College Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Volume 6, p. 194.
C. Neville (2007). The Full Guide to Citing Sources and Preventing Plagiarism. Open University Press, Maidenhead.
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