INF6320 information literacy assignment (Assignment 2)
This is an individual piece of coursework.
Word count: 1000 words excluding words already in the assignment template, and references (this
applies to the references you paste in to show which articles were allocated to you, and any references in a
reference list for the final part of the coursework). No abstract is required. This assignment is worth 30% of
the total Inf6320 module mark. Remember that you have to pass both of the Inf6320 assignments to pass
the module.
The coursework must be handed in by 14.00 on Wednesday 17th December 2014 and uploaded
separately via Turnitin. Feedback will be returned to you by 4 February 2015.
The aim of this assignment is to improve your skills in engaging with academic articles relevant to the
module.
Description. You will be allocated a highly cited article from the Inf6320 reading list or the lectures
(“Original Article (Article A)” on the allocation list) and an article which cites the original article (“Citing
Article (Article B)” on the allocation list). Firstly, read both articles. Then carry out the following tasks.
1. Original Article (Article A)
I. Identify five items that Article A cites. For each of these five cited items, say why you think
the author(s) of Article A cited the item, identifying one of the ten reasons below, and
explaining why you think that reason applies. Note that you must use your own words,
relating the explanation specifically to Article A.
2. Citing Article (Article B)
I. Say why you think the author(s) of Article B cited Article A, identifying one of the ten reasons
below, and explaining why you think that reason applies. Note that you must use your own
words, relating the explanation specifically to Article B.
3. Comparing articles A and B
I. Do one of the following:
a) Explain how the author(s) of Article B use Article A to develop their theory,
framework, model or argument; identify whether you think this is a valid use of the
material in Article A; and provide a judgment about the extent to which Article A has
been important to the authors in writing Article B; OR
b) Compare and contrast the methodologies used in Articles A and B, bearing in mind
the aims, hypothesis or research questions addressed in each; OR
c) Compare and contrast the conclusions drawn in Articles A and B, and say whether
you feel they are soundly based on the arguments and research presented in the
respective papers.
A template for presenting this work has been uploaded to MOLE, and you should use this. You will note
that a set number of marks are allocated to each section
Classification of reasons for citing
These reasons are based on the following article: Harwood, N. (2009) An interview-based study of the
functions of citations in academic writing across two disciplines. Journal of Pragmatics, 41(3), 497-518.
doi: 10.1016/j.pragma.2008.06.001
1. Signposting
(a) Helping and interesting less informed readers. This type of citation is used to provide introductory
reading for those who may be unfamiliar with the subject of the current publication, e.g., a chapter in an
edited book might mean that part of the audience will require citations to background material that would
not have been required when writing for a specialist journal.
(b) Keeping the argument on track. This type of citation is used to avoid tangential details, definitions, and
methodological explanations, e.g., rather than describing some complex statistical test or large body of
previous studies in detail, those interested can read the cited work.
2. Supporting
(a) Justifying the topic of research. This type of citation is used to show that the topic of the publication is
of current or continuing interest, or to show that there is a gap or limitation in the published research that
needs addressing
(b) Justifying the method and methodology employed. This type of citation is used to support the particular
approach used in a publication, e.g., if the author anticipates readers’ and/or reviewers’ objections to the
handling of methodological issues.
(c) Justifying claims. This type of citation is used to support the claims that are being made by the author in
the current publication.
3. Credit
(a) Paying respect. This type of citation is used to reflect the debt that the author owes to previous
publications, e.g., acknowledging an idea from an individual or a specific article that has provided the basis
for the current publication.
(b) Self-defence. This type of citation is used to acknowledge that others have already published in the
area of the current publication, contrasting their particular approach with that in the current publication
(possibly to avoid criticisms from reviewers)
4. Position
(a) Exemplars of positions. This type of citation is used to provide illustrative examples of different views
that have been expressed in the literature, e.g. “A has said this whereas B suggests that…”.
(b) Detailed explication of positions and results. This type of citation is used to spell out the details of a
previous publication in considerable detail, e.g., when proposing some subtle methodological improvement
or when seeking to criticise previous work.
(c) Tracing positions over time. This type of citation is used to summarize the origins and chronological
development of a subject, or of a specific author’s contribution to that subject.
5. Engaging
(a) Praising but then identifying problems with the source. This type of citation is used when the author is
broadly in agreement with a previous publication but when the author wishes to note some flaw or limitation
in the arguments presented therein.
(b) Identifying inconsistencies in source’s position. This type of citation is used when there is a more
marked disagreement with a previous publication, e.g., highlighting a major flaw or inconsistency, criticising
the statistical methods used to analyse the data, or simply suggesting that the publication is seriously
incorrect.
6. Building
(a) Building by citing own work or that of others. Much academic research is necessarily incremental in
nature, building on previous publications (and this is particularly the case with many self-citations): this type
of citation is used so that readers can obtain the necessary basis for the work described in the current
publication.
7. Tying
(a) Tying in with others’ methods. This type of citation is used to align the current publication with an
existing methodological approach, e.g., to demonstrate that a standard, well-established approach is being
used to analyse the data in a project.
(b) Tying in with schools of thought. This type of citation is used to show that the current publication is
aligned with a particular school of thought, methodological approach, or position in some ongoing debate
within the discipline
8. Future
(a) Mapping out future work planned by writer. This type of citation is used to identify sources that could
form the basis for future work, e.g., “we intend to apply our methods to the dataset described by X”
9. Competence
(a) Displaying knowledge of the literature. This type of citation is used when citing key articles by leaders in
the field, enabling authors to display their knowledge of the literature and thus underscoring their command
and competence of the area.
10 Other
(a) Any type of citation that is not described by any of the nine reasons above. If you chose this option
you need to say what you think this “other” reason is.
Information School Coursework Submission Requirements
It is the student’s responsibility to ensure no aspect of their work is plagiarised or the result of other unfair
means. The University’s and Information School’s Advice on unfair means can be found in your Student
Handbook, available via http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/is/current
Your assignments have word count limits. A deduction of 3 marks will be applied for coursework that is 5%
or more above or below the word count as specified above or that does not state the word count.
It is your responsibility to ensure your coursework is correctly submitted before the deadline. It is highly
recommended that you submit well before the deadline. Coursework submitted after 2pm on the stated
submission date will result in a deduction of 5% of the mark awarded for each working day after the
submission date/time up to a maximum of 5 working days, where ‘working day’ includes Monday to Friday
(excluding public holidays) and runs from 2pm to 2pm.
Coursework submitted after the maximum period will receive zero marks.
Work submitted electronically, including through Turnitin, should be reviewed to ensure it appears as you
intended.
Before the submission deadline, you can submit coursework to Turnitin numerous times. Each submission
will overwrite the previous submission. Only your most recent submission will be assessed. However, after
the submission deadline, the coursework can only be submitted once.
During your first Semester at the School, when submitting a piece of work through Turnitin, you will only be
able to view a ‘similarity report’ when submitting your Test Essay. You can then edit and resubmit your Test
Essay. For other coursework you will not be able to view a Turnitin ‘similarity report’. Details about the
submission of work via Turnitin can be found at http://youtu.be/C_wO9vHHheo
If you encounter any problems during the electronic submission of your coursework, you should
immediately contact the module coordinator and one of the Information School Exams Secretaries (Julie
Priestley, J.Priestley@sheffield.ac.uk, 0114 2222839 or Larah Arvandi, l.arvandi@sheffield.ac.uk, 0114
2222640). This does not negate your responsibilities to submit your coursework on time and correctly.