1. Why We Need to
Cite Previous Scholars
and Researchers:
The 8 Rhetoric Reasons
Presentation by:
Wycliff Edwin Tusiime
Researcher:
Vocational Teacher Education
Oslo & Akershus University College, Norway
March, 2013

2. Citations are used to recognize
and acknowledge the intellectual
property rights of authors. They
are a matter of ethics and a
defense against plagiarism
(Swales & Freak, 2009).

3. Citations are used to show respect
to previous to previous scholars.
They recognize the history of the
field by acknowledging previous
achievements
(Swales & Freak, 2009).

4. Citations are reading guides; they point
the reader to the relevant works
(Swales & Freak, 2009).

5. Citations project what the writer perceives to be
the relevant work; they establish an intellectual
network (White, 2001)

6. Citations are used to
create a research space
for the citing author. By
describing what has been
done, citations point the
way to what has not been
done and so prepare a
space for new research
(Swales, 1990)

7. Citations are used to
demonstrate that the author
qualifies as a member of the
chosen scholarly community;
citations are used to
demonstrate familiarity with
the field (Bavelas, 1978)

8. Citations are tools
of persuasion; we
use them to give
statements greater
authority
(Gilbert, 1977).

9. Citations operate as a kind of mutual reward
system. Rather than pay other authors money
for their contributions, writers pay them in
citations (Ravetz, 1971)

10. Discussion
a) Which of these 8 Rhetoric
reasons presented
contribute the least to your
understanding of citation
use?
b) What simple, straight
forward answer would you
choose from the 8 reasons
presented and why?