Developing students' referencing skills: a matter of plagiarism, punishment and morality or of learning to write critically?

Just as plagiarism is viewed poorly in the academic community, so is plagiarism viewed poorly in student writing, with a range of sanctions and penalties applying for not displaying academic integrity. Yet learning to cite effectively to progress one's argument, position or understandings is a skill that takes time to develop and hone. This paper examines the skills underlying effective use of citation and the problems students have in citing effectively. It compares these to the messages that beginning students receive about citation through a focus on academic integrity, plagiarism and punishment. It examines the prevalence of plagiarism and the development of citation skills in student writing when the teaching focuses instead on developing critical writing abilities through the skillful selection, use and acknowledgement of sources.