Equity in System Sciences Resources for Cases: Cite it Right

Expectations when writing learning issues

In writing learning issues and papers, students are expected to:

• Find and use an appropriate mix of sources of information (books, journal articles, Web pages, and expert opinion).
• Routinely cite sources in a way that allows others to easily locate and learn from them.
• Integrate information from the sources with personal ideas to produce a coherent whole.
• In the body of the text, attribute quotes, paraphrases, and concepts to the source(s) from which they were obtained.

 **  Relate what you found and wrote to the current case/patient.

Clearly attribute quotes, paraphrases and ideas to their sources

References are listed at the end of a write-up. However, it is not sufficient to merely list the sources that were used. Students are also expected to make clear which ideas and words in your write-up come from them and which come from others. The words and ideas written without a clear attribution will be presumed to be theirs.

One way to make clear attributions: Put direct quotes in double quotation marks ("), and put paraphrases in single quotation marks ('). Here are some examples:

Direct quote

"Renal artery stenosis should be suspected when hypertension develops in a previously normotensive individual over 50 years of age or in the young (under 30 years) with suggestive features: symptoms of vascular insufficiency to other organs, high-pitched epigastric bruit on physical examination, symptoms of hypokalemia secondary to hyperaldosteronism (muscle weakness, tetany, polyuria), and metabolic alkalosis. If renovascular hypertension is suspected, a positive captopril test, which has a sensitivity and specificity of greater than 95 percent, constitutes an excellent screening procedure to assess the need for more invasive radiographic evaluation. The test relies on the exaggerated increase in plasma renin activity (PRA) following administration of captopril to patients with renovascular hypertension as compared with those with essential hypertension. (1)"

 Paraphrase

'When hypertension develops for the first time in an over 50 patient, you should suspect renal artery stenosis. This is especially true if the patient shows other symptoms of vascular insufficiency, has an epigastric bruit, or has hypokalemia and metabolic alkalosis. The captopril test is an excellent initial screening procedure. (1)

 Idea

Mr. Jones is 65 years old and had normal blood pressure until last year. His blood pressure is now 174/93. He also has a history of coronary artery disease. I would recommend a captopril test (1) to screen for the possibility his hypertension is of renal vascular origin.

1.    K. F. Badr and B. M. Brenner, "Vascular Injury to the Kidney" in Harrison's OnLine,http://www.harrisonsonline.com/server-java/Arknoid/harrisons/1096-7133/Chapters/ch-277?Page=6&Sect=Sect6 (1999)

Each resource should have the following chunks of information:

• Author(s),
• Title of resource (including chapter heading when appropriate),
• Source (insert link if appropriate),
• Date (and journal details, if appropriate)

  **  Cite sources for writeups in ways that allow others to easily locate and learn from them.

Be sure to include the following elements:.

1.   Author

a.   Last name and initials or surname.  If more than two authors, you can list first author, followed by et al.

b.   If author’s name cannot be determined, write Anon. or Anonymous.

c.    If source is unrefereed, indicate something about author’s background, e.g., physician in private practice, or patient or drug company, or background unknown.

2.   Title

a.   Title of journal article, book chapter, web page, etc.

b.   If a chapter in book, cite chapter as well as book’s title.

c.    Publication: State book title, journal name, website name

d.   If book give edition, publisher (and chief editor if applicable). e.   If website, briefly characterize it

 3.   Pages Cited, or Full URL

It’s easy to copy the URL from the browser’s Location window into a learning issue writeup. However: This does not always work, because some URL’s are temporary. The student should check for this and make certain that the URL he/she provides can work for others. Otherwise some other way to help others locate their source must be used.

4.   Date