Page 154 - Smart Thinking: Skills for Critical Understanding and Writing, 2nd Ed

BRINGING IT ALL TOGETHER: NARRATIVE AND STRUCTURE 141

the kinds of standard methods that are available (such as the APA
system)]13, make sure readers are easily able to go from their text to
others via those references.]14.

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©• ©

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The last sentence could either contain two claims and an implied claim or
three claims. Since the phrase starting 'using...' is what I use to infer the exis-
tence of the implied claim, I think it is best cast as three claims as indicated.
Obviously the phrase 'using...' is not, in its current form, a complete claim. I
would suggest that what it is really saying is: 'if referencing is a service to readers,
then readers will only be able to benefit from this service by going to other texts
via the references when an author uses the kinds of standard methods that are
available'.
g
The second reason noted above was that [authors owe a debt to those
other writers who have provided them with information, inspiration and
ideas.]15 [This debt is both scholarly and ethical.]16 What do I mean by
assigning two different aspects to this notion of debt? Following the 'debt'
metaphor through a little further, it is possible to say first that [the schol-
arly community within which an author writes enforces payment of the
debt]17 [(their readers will check their work, either consciously or not, for
evidence that proper referencing has taken place)]18. Second, [it is
enforced, or at least made possible, by the ethical behaviour of individual
authors who, privately, must recognise they need to acknowledge those
other writers who have helped them.]19 [Without referencing, the system
of mutual obligation on authors to use each others' work, to link new
pieces of work to those already published, and to rely on one another's
specific expertise would collapse.]20 Thus [referencing is important, even
h
if the references were never actually followed up (though, of course, they
regularly are).]21