Dissertation: Can you cite online websites and articles online in your dissertation?

Hi everyone,

So I have just started my dissertation, and was wondering, can I cite from websites and online articles in my dissertation? There are SO many citations I could take from websites online that are perfect although I'm just unsure as to whether I'm allowed to cite from them?

Also, how long did everybody spend on their dissertation? Can it be done in two months?

Thanks everyone :smile:

Reply 1

Simbasoul

19

My understanding is, yes, as long as you clearly reference them with a link, so that the original website/article within the website can be easily accessed and checked. The same plagiarism rules apply to online as well as printed material.

Reply 2

katielouise_a

OP

8

Thank you for the reply! Do you have any knowledge as to whether I copy the citation word for word within my text or do I put it in my own words and then cite it at the end of the sentence?

Reply 3

Liverpool Hope University

Official Rep

19

Original post by katielouise_a

Hi everyone,

So I have just started my dissertation, and was wondering, can I cite from websites and online articles in my dissertation? There are SO many citations I could take from websites online that are perfect although I'm just unsure as to whether I'm allowed to cite from them?

Also, how long did everybody spend on their dissertation? Can it be done in two months?

Thanks everyone :smile:

Dear katielouise_a :grin:

,

When it comes to academic referencing each university may differ slightly and may use different referencing systems. Liverpool Hope for example use the Harvard Style but it is particular to our University and is called Liverpool Hope University Harvard Referencing. My point being that it is probably best checking with your university to see if online articles and websites are ok to be used as academic references. Also, how they should be presented both in text and in your reference list.

I personally avoided direct quotes and just paraphrased the information, this seemed to work best for me, however this may not work for you. I also used a few online sources but tended to keep to academic journals and articles as the source of your information is very important.

I do hope this helps and if you have any more questions, please let us know.
Tom :shakehand:

Reply 4

Simbasoul

19

Original post by katielouise_a

Thank you for the reply! Do you have any knowledge as to whether I copy the citation word for word within my text or do I put it in my own words and then cite it at the end of the sentence?

You can do either, as long as you cite it. If you copy it word for word use inverted commas and cite the authors/publication - if you paraphrase it then you don’t have to use inverted commas as it is not a direct quote but should still cite the authors and fully reference them at the end. Have a look at the Harvard Referencing system online - it is the “proper” way to write your reference section.

Reply 5

ashwxo

6

Original post by katielouise_a

Hi everyone,

So I have just started my dissertation, and was wondering, can I cite from websites and online articles in my dissertation? There are SO many citations I could take from websites online that are perfect although I'm just unsure as to whether I'm allowed to cite from them?

Also, how long did everybody spend on their dissertation? Can it be done in two months?

Thanks everyone :smile:

Yes you can! It'd depend on your topic I suppose, but my tutor actually recommend I take opinions from websites and blogs etc and that works for me. Just make sure you take accurate information and don't use sites such as Wikipedia etc

I've just finished a draft of my dissertation, I probably started writing around November time so it took me about 3 months but that included lots of re-writing, scrapping ideas and planning. If you spend all your time on it and know what you're writiting then i'm sure it can be done in 2 months. You probably want extra time to refine, read through and edit though

Reply 6

PhoenixFortune

21

Original post by katielouise_a

Hi everyone,

So I have just started my dissertation, and was wondering, can I cite from websites and online articles in my dissertation? There are SO many citations I could take from websites online that are perfect although I'm just unsure as to whether I'm allowed to cite from them?

Also, how long did everybody spend on their dissertation? Can it be done in two months?

Thanks everyone :smile:

It depends on what you mean by 'online articles'. It's fine if you are using a online journal website or other online source to access research articles. However, some subjects/universities frown upon using text from websites that have no clear citation, aren't from an organisational (.org.uk) or academic wesbite (.ac.uk, .edu etc.), or anecdotal writing such as blogs. Check with your supervisor to see if these sources are legitimate for your subject.

If you schedule your time and set yourself goals by the end of each week, and are strict with yourself about working on it, yes it can be done.

Original post by katielouise_a

Thank you for the reply! Do you have any knowledge as to whether I copy the citation word for word within my text or do I put it in my own words and then cite it at the end of the sentence?

Many universities say that unless the author has worded the quote in such a way that rephrasing it would make the point lose emphasis or significance (and therefore needed direct quoting), you should try to paraphrase and either cite in brackets at the end or lead the sentence with "Smith (1990) found..." or something similar.

Reply 7

DrSocSciences

19

Please, just get hold of a decent Harvard citation guide, which will answer all citation questions. Every university will provide access to one.

Alternatively, try:

Pears, R. & Shields, G. (2013). Cite them right: The essential referencing guide. 9th edn. London: Palgrave Macmillan .

And yes, some people can write their dissertation in 2 months. Good dissertations tend to take longer than that.

Dissertation: Can you cite online websites and articles online in your dissertation?

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