Referencing at the School of Business

Every assignment submitted to the School of Business should follow APA referencing guidelines.
This is expected and standard in both the academic world and the business world. Its very important
that every School of Business student reads and understands the Academic Honesty and Plagiarism
Policy at Centennial College.
What is referencing?
Referencing, also known as citing or sourcing, is the practice of identifying where you found
facts, ideas, or quotes you use in your writing.
APA is a type of referencing style that is very popular in the business world.
Proper referencing includes in-text citations and a Reference page at the end of the
document.
o In-text citations
Example for a quote under 40 words:
Every group evolves a structure that may help or hinder effectiveness.
(Bolman, 2013, p. 112)
o Reference page
This should always be a separate page at the end of your document
Example:
References
Bolman, L. G., & Deal, T. E. (2013). Reframing organizations: Artistry, choice and leadership.
San Francisco, CA: John Wiley & Sons Inc..
More resources and examples can be found here:
Links to OWL Purdue
Links to Centennial College Libraries

Why does this matter?

1. Authors deserve credit for their work. You provide this credit when you acknowledge their
work with proper citations.
2. When someone does not cite their sources, it is like saying, I came up with all these facts
myself, and didnt do any research to prove my point. This weakens your writing and the
point or argument you are trying to make.
3. Readers may need to find out more about your topic, and they will use the reference list to do
that.
4. Its an expected practice in all higher education institutions around the world. If you plan to
pursue further education, consistent use of proper referencing is an absolute requirement.
5. Its also an expected practice in most business environments, as it prevents intellectual
copyright infringement, counterfeiting, and encourages proper research and support for
decision-making and strategic planning.