In the previous lesson you learned how to give credit to authors at the end of information. This lesson will cover how to give credit before information.

Experiments and Similar Studies

Scientists and other researchers often conduct experiments, perform surveys, or do similar studies.

Let’s say you write the following paraphrase:

From 2008-2012, a study was conducted in northeastern Spain. Three scientists wanted to know why the litter sizes of wild boar in that region were so much larger than in other provinces.

Why should readers have to wait to find out the names of the researchers?

To avoid that, place the citation before the information. The beginning of the paragraph might read:

From 2008-2012, Rosell et al. (2012) conducted in northeastern Spain. They wanted to know why the litter sizes of wild boar in that region were so much larger than in other provinces.

When Not to Cite Before Information

Avoid citing after the information and before the information in the same paragraph.  It is easy to develop a problem regarding which citation some information belongs to. In the paragraph below, for instance, we know that the information in Sentence 1 comes from Servanty et al. and that the information in Sentence 3 is from Fenner.  But what about the information in Sentence 2? Does it belong to Servanty et al. or to Fenner?

Servanty et al. (2009) collected and analyzed data on 1,666 female wild boars from a forest in Northeast France between 1983 and 2005. The researchers concluded that sow breeding peaked when rainfall and temperature were high in the summer. This is because a rainy and hot summer leads to a longer vegetative growing season (Fenner, 1998).

Here the problem is fixed:

Servanty et al. (2009) collected and analyzed data on 1,666 female wild boars from a forest in Northeast France between 1983 and 2005. The researchers concluded that sow breeding peaked when rainfall and temperature were high in the summer. Fenner (1998) also pointed out that a rainy and hot summer leads to a longer vegetative growing season.

Some Citation Specifics

Before-information citations differ slightly from after-information citations:

• The names occur outside of the parenthesis. Only the year will be inside.

After information

(Williams, 2014).

Before information

Williams (2014) believed that …

• The word and takes the place of the ampersand.

After information

(Smith & Wesson, 2021).

Before information

Smith and Wesson (2021) argued that  …

• If you start the sentence with According to, a comma will occur after the parenthesis. Otherwise, there will be no punctuation there.

Correct

According to Smith and Wesson (2021), the research

Correct

Smith and Wesson (2021) argued that …

Incorrect

Smith and Wesson (2021), argued that …

• The verb is called a signal word. It helps readers interpret the material by telling them the researchers’ reactions.
• Do not continuously use said, stated, or suggested. Instead, read the material carefully, and chose the most appropriate word that describes the author’s or authors’ reactions.

Weak
         Janson and Javonich (2002) say that …
Good
         Janson and Javonich (2002) insist that …