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PSYC1029: Tips for effective use of sources and citations
Identifying Appropriate Sources
You should use mainly empirical scientific (peer-reviewed) studies to support your argument. It's fine
to include reviews where appropriate, but you will need to discuss original data as well. Avoid citing
blog posts, web pages, etc.
Discussing Scientific Findings
In order to get full points for the "Analysis" component, you'll need to:
• Have a clear thesis statement with a definitive argument (e.g., "In this essay I will show that
higher levels of paternity uncertainty lead to intensified mate guarding behaviours in men,
increased rates of relationship conflict, and decreased paternal investment in offspring.").
• Support that argument with empirical research.
• Explain how the findings of the research support your argument.
Saying something like "Research shows that higher levels of paternity uncertainty lead to increased
rates of sexual violence (Smith et al., 2000)." Will not get you points for analysis. 1) Tell us briefly
what Smith et al did in their study (e.g., asked heterosexual couples with children to complete a
survey on relationship conflict, asked the men to complete a separate survey aimed at measuring
paternity confidence), 2) Tell us what they found (e.g., both man and woman were more likely to
report severe relationship conflict in the previous year if the man scored low on the paternity
confidence scale), and 3) Tell us how this finding supports your argument (e.g., "These findings
provide strong evidence that increased levels of paternity uncertainty (i.e., low scores on the paternity
confidence scale) can destabilise romantic pair bonds.")
Identifying Weaknesses
If you notice a particular weakness in a study that you cite, it's great to be able to identify it. However,
don't do this just for the sake of trying to include a weakness! (e.g., "The authors only reported
findings from 20 couples. Results might differ if they had included more people.) If you have a
legitimate criticism of the study or think more information is needed, tell us what they should have
done instead and why. You don't need to identify weaknesses to get a high mark, so don't try to force
this in where it doesn't fit.
Incorporating/Citing lecture material
We request that you reference at least 2 lectures somewhere in your essay. This is a small component,
so don't overdo it! Two brief references are plenty; we don't want you basing your entire essay off of
the lecture material. This is just an opportunity for you to show in a couple places that you engaged
with the lectures and that you're capable of integrating what you learned in the course with what
you've discovered in your independent reading.
Examples:
1) Using a lecture reference to support a broad argument:
"In species where females typically mate with multiple males, sperm competition represents a
significant reproductive challenge for males (Richardson, Lecture 2.2)."
2) Addendum to a citation discussed in a lecture:
"One study found that men gave significantly more tips to female lap dancers when the dancers
were ovulating (Miller et al., 2007; discussed in Zimmermann, Lecture 4.1)."
For in-text references to lectures, simply follow the format shown in the examples, i.e., (Last name of
lecturer, Lecture number). In the reference list, please cite these as:
Richardson, R. (2023) Lecture 2.2, Sperm Wars
Zimmermann, K. (2023) Lecture 4.1, Simply Irresistible
Use "2023" as the date for all lectures.
