Highlighting The Importance of References In Blog Writing

Written By: Elaine Vanessa

Posted on: October 3, 2019

An adequate acknowledgment of references might seem like a cakewalk. However, it is highly crucial to a scientist altogether with much instances where incorrect attributions go unchecked. Factually, most popular geniuses are also dependent on forebears. Also, there is an importance of giving a credit where credit is due.

There is a vibrant and vast literature on the conflict of proper citation, referencing, and credentials. The problem clearly refers to academic integrity and the potential pitfalls of plagiarism along with a considerable list of further reading at the end of every blog article that offers few suggestions. 
Besides, the self-evident reasons, many arguments are less considered for scientists to be conscientious about references and citation sources in a reliable manner. Some ideas may be perfect for the research and marketing community in terms of excellent credentials, while others are more towards personal. 
Below are six of the less obvious but compelling reasons that argue for reserving the importance of references to attend citations.

Referencing enables better verification of your work

A piece of content gets vetted many times before publishing on a site or into print. Although, the job of an editor, reviewer, or an editorial assistant is to just simply track down and verify sources of your statistics, referencing and images accurately.
Life is much simple and easy when there is less work. Hence, make your content accurate enough to pass through the editing rounds and get minimal criticism with positive feedback for publishing. You just need to attribute your information and reference your sources correctly. 

Careful referencing practices builds your credibility 

Lastly, the above point is a corollary summary of the above reasons. Showcasing your talents can be a cherry to your cake. Since a well-referenced article is the best thing that you can offer with quality content. A deeper and meaningful role of authentic referencing plays an essential role in a writer’s credibility in the niche market. The better your arguments, claims, and research will be, the better credible you will be considered as a blog writer. 

Referencing makes you a better researcher

The hallmark of being a good researcher is the induction of attention to every detail with the ability to discern patterns and make connections. Referencing practice can help them both.
A perfect attribution of references entailed the descriptions including; spellings, figures, and formatting along with the accuracy of facts and claimed points of details. They matter the most as you are presenting your own article with your thought to the readers. Practicing and polishing yourself to be detail-oriented is a fundamental aspect of instilling good habits in your writing automatically that will highlight you across the board room in your team as well.
Your ability to get the patterns, trends, and ways to a well-researched and referenced blog article trains you for every complicated task. In a critical scientific analysis, a vast amount of data is required, and you have to condense it in good shape without losing its essence.

Attribution serves as a fact-checking tool

Preciseness and accuracy are essential in every niche of writing, especially in academic and technical writing. The art of looking up to references for verification also serves as an accuracy check and adds authenticity to your statement. Check twice every quote and make sure zero plagiarism in your paraphrasing, do give credits and cite to studies and relate picture source as well.
Facts and figures may vary from source to source; however, getting data from an authentic site like; WHO, FDA, FORBES, THE GUARDIAN, WFF, and ISCFA can be great for your reference. Hence, try to get data from a renewed site around the world and eliminate every red flag of criticism for your content.

Good referencing practices make you a better writer.

An adequately cited and well reference article nullifies reader’s queries. You have cleared your point well, and it can make the right image of your reliability. Also, referencing can easily use an active voice and prevents raising red flags of passive tone from editorials and reviewers. Everyone has aspired towards a relevant piece of content with the prose of excellent attribution, and the habit builds a robust foundation towards perfection.
Referencing removes intellectual laziness, sloppy writing, and vague thinking. It prevents generalization, false claims, and clichés as well. Hence, always replace "they say" and "everyone knows" type of phrases with specific references. Eliminate "it is said" from your writing and make it well-sourced.

A useful bibliography shows off your knowledge

A bibliography is basically a compilation of all the sources that you have cited and collected data in your article or any content. Therefore, an extensive bibliography is an organic way of showcasing well-informed research.
Reviewers can draw harsh critics for errors and omit rejection for not having absolute references. Lastly, know your field as you may forget to cite a well-known and precious piece of your literature.  

Conclusion

In a nutshell, blogging is more an art than science. When you write a piece of content for any sector, it is supposed to convey desired messages including, a precise brand message, product’s description, how-to tips, ways to guide customers and to share inspirational stories.
Moreover, a blog article is meant to create a fan pool, increase traffic to your site, and gets benefited with a high amount of retention rates with decreasing bounce rates. All of the above can be achieved with high-quality content. Since high-quality content is considered to engage visitors and provide relevant information to the readers, referencing and authentic sourcing is as essential as the other components of a blog article. 
Adding possible references and credentials along with proper citation and bibliography can add an additional score to your work and helps to build trust. Hence with this, your followers get back to you whenever they need fruitful information from a reliable source. And that’s a great achievement for a writer!