Referencing – Rules, Queries, Harvard etc.

From where do I reference my points in my OBU project?

Can I use a website? For example if I want to do a SWOT analysis I believe that giving a reason for why I am doing so and also briefly explaining what a SWOT analysis is may be useful.

So for this, can I briefly and in my own words explain what it is and then reference a website like https://www.business.qld.gov.au/business/starting/market-customer-research/swot-analysis/benefits-limitations-swot-analysis

Secondly, is it necessary for me to give this kind of reasoning for why I am doing a SWOT analysis and its benefits?

While reading a sample project (https://www.slideshare.net/academicwritingservices/rapthe-business-and-financial-performance-of-an-organization-over-a-three-year-period), I saw it had referenced “Griffin 2011” for the explanation of SWOT analysis. What does “Griffin 2011” mean?

After this, there were advantages and disadvantages of SWOT analysis and this was referenced to some other person.
Why are we expected to reference everything we write? Also, how are we supposed to find a sufficient source for all this information that we have to reference?

Thanks for your response in advance

Sorry for posting this separately when there was a forum for it.

You really keep these forums clean unlike the ACCA ask the tutor forums. Thanks for your help

*My topic is T18

Thank you 😀

@Ehsan – yes my motto – Chill Baby Chill! 🙂

I once told a boss who used to panic all the time to C B C – he said his wife was always telling him to chill -so I said it was time he listened to us both! 😀

Yes I understand the problem. In this particular instance it becomes particularly complicated when referring to earlier years and you are likely to get into a muddle! So I stick to using the year of the actual statements rather than the published year and then it avoids the problem (especially as the online link often does not have a date anyway)

However this is about the only exception I can think of as with most documents it should be based on publication date.

Ok, referencing could be little tricky, but good referencing is required to pass this RAP, and help you in future professional.

Now, if you have 2 or more sources with same YEAR, you should distinguish them. For example, ABC News, how airlines operating – 2014 and there is another ABC News, responsibility of an airline – 2014. If I were to use both of them, and I didn’t reference, how would the market know that from the list of reference which one relates to what? He would have to go to all links to get into the correct article. Which can lead to a failure, because you marker will get frustrated, and frustration is BAD.

Easy way to distinguish is, using a, b, c. For example in my case my in text citation wil appear, (ABC News, 2014,a) and (ABC News, 2014,b).

Now, I assume you will use MS word in-built citation… so, work is easy, you have to add this once for each source.

And, remember, never repeat one source twice in List of reference, (ABC News, 2014,a) Should come up only ONCE.

Lastly, a bonus tip, I can understand word limit could be an hurdle and if you are using 1 source many times, Oo boi, adding extra letters could easily take space. To avoid this, while adding an source, in the year section write like this – 2014,a, without spaces. Easy to read and save words too.

Now, you should now how to reference, if you don’t – please ask you mentor, writing on how to reference in words can make stuff more complicated. Search Youtube too.

I hope, those links don’t appear in in text citation, only in Reference list. To add an extra desgination, just add letter or anything in the box where you add Year of publish.

Regards

When you write an author name, write the designation in that section. Now it will appear

(ABC News, a , n.d.)

I assume you won’t be referencing many articles without date, thus, doing this will be nice.

@ehsanshah said:
Chill baby Chill on Appendices (Source, Threpena, 2014)

1) Yes, correct

2) No.

3) In excel no references are required normally, just state that all the details are obtained from Annual Reports. Make sure that your graphs are derived from the workings or figures that are in another sheet. (Though, I didn’t quite get what your question was)

4) If you have calculated any financial ratios, like Operating Profit, state the formula you used in deriving it, like EBIT/Sales*100, as there are many varieties of each ratios, especially for gearing ones.

Regards,

Thank you, Ehsan.
I have further question about Q3 and Q4.

3. If all my graphs and tables are derived from the annual report which is already copied in another excel file, I don’t need any reference. Am I getting correctly?

What if I use some information which is from the annual report? (it was an information about annual advertising costs which are not shown in the financial statement) In this case, do I need a reference in the reference list as well as in-text?

4. I just mentioned formulae like ‘Operating profit margin (PBIT/Sales*100)’ in some of the table where the ratios are used. Is this correct?

Regards,
Yulim.

@ehsanshah said:
Hey, if you have taken information from various parts of annual report, then you should mention that page number in excel. You don’t need Harvard style referencing as it is impossible in Excel. Just write in words… and state the page number.

Yes, stating your formula is correct.

Regards

sorry! I missed some. What I mentioned about advertising cost is included in RAP, not in excel.
I referenced it like “According to McDonald’s annual report, the advertising costs………(McDonald’s Corporation, 2014 p.31).” Is this correct?

and how can I reference annual report in reference list?

McDonald’s, (2015). 2014 Annual Report. [online] Available at: https://www.aboutmcdonalds.com/content/mcd/investors/financial-information/annual-report.html [Accessed 19 Apr. 2016].

Is this right?

Regards

I have small confusion on reference. For example I have used five different sources of XYZ with different heading but the same year 2014. Now I am unsure how will the marker distinguish among the sources?

I have read the golden rules and referenced (ABC, n.d.(a)) / (XYZ, 2014(b)) like this! Am I in right path?

Thanks for your reply.
One more confusion. I have attached the financial statements in word and converted to pdf but it is a bit tiny and hard to read. (Have attached both pl and bs in a single page to not exceed the 8 pages limit). What should I do?