“Citation” is one of the dreaded words for students entering their studies. The thought of cringing at the sight of a long list of references on your exam paper, filled with tedious bibliographies and incomprehensible references, is more than enough to make you want to hide somewhere and cry. Sadly, many students have to deal with this type of situation, and the best way to avoid it is by getting a job as a full-time academic writer. Here is how you can do just that.
The Importance Of Citations
It might come as a bit of a surprise, but citations are actually rather important. Why is that? Let’s have a look.
Most definitely, you will need to include citations when referencing other academic papers or blog posts in your work. After all, the academic community expects you to know how to do this. However, there is so much more to citing than just the names of your sources. In fact, proper citations are a crucial part of the academic workflow. Here are some of the important reasons why citations are vital to your academic success.
Attribution
When you use someone else’s work, you should provide them with the proper credit, also known as attribution. In other words, you need to give the author of the work and the year in which it was published. For example, if you are citing a blog post, you should include the name of the author (in this case, “Blog article”), the title of the article (in this case, “How to Get a Job Writing Citations?”), and the URL of the article (in this case, www.brickwriters.com/how-to-get-a-job-writing-citations/).
Citations are also important for the authenticity of your work. After all, if you are citing someone else’s work, then you are essentially vouching for its authenticity. In other words, by citing a work, you are saying that you find the information in that specific book or article to be true. Without proper citations, your work might not seem as reliable to your academic audience. If that’s the case, then it’s better not to cite it at all. A lot of times, it’s also about whether you agree or disagree with the content of the cited work. If you don’t believe the information, then it’s better not to cite it. However, if you do, then you should properly acknowledge that fact. Citing a work does not necessarily mean that you agree with everything in that book or article, but it does mean that you found the information to be reliable and of good quality.
Citation Styles
When you are writing your bibliography or reference list, you will need to choose one particular style of citation. This is especially important if you are writing for a certain academic audience. For example, if you are writing for a marketing audience, you might want to use the Vancouver Style of Citation. As the name suggests, the Vancouver Style of Citation is used for marketing and business-related studies. You will find it written in a more informal and attractive manner. The most common citation styles are as follows:
- Vancouver Style: Informal, attractive, and business-related
- Chicago Style: Formal and scientific
- Harvard Style: Modest, yet extremely precise
- Modern Style: Concise and to the point
- Loose Style: Concise yet precise
- Spanish Style: Popularly used in Spain, Portugal, and Latin America
- Initialisms: All letters, words, or phrases, or any combination thereof that are used as an identifier or to form a noun, verb, adjective, or adverb are generally considered to be acceptable for initial use (i.e. “WWW”, “HTML”, “NASA”, “Oxbridge”, “ATM”, “DVD”, “WiFi”, “DNA”, etc.).
- Plain Old Paper: Typically, the information in a paper that is not in digital form (e.g. PDF, Word, Excel, etc.).
- Digital Versions Of Papers: As the name suggests, this type of citation is used when the source is in digital form (e.g. PDF, WORD, EXCEL, etc.).
- Self-Cited Papers: This category includes all papers that cite themselves (i.e. the author of the paper serves as a reference).
As you can see, there are several different styles of citations, and you need to choose which one to use based on your academic target audience. Just keep in mind that in general, the more casual the style, the more attractive it will be to a potential employer.
How To Get A Job As An Academic Writer
If you’re interested in getting a job as an academic writer, it’s best to first figure out what you’re qualified for. You will need to have a strong background in English, with either a Master’s degree or PhD. In fact, many publishing houses only employ academic writers, so it’s best to have a look there first. If you are still waiting to hear back from one of the big-name publishing houses after submitting your application, then it might be a good idea to look at the small to medium-sized publishers. These types of companies usually buy work in bulk, and as a result, they have more frequently opened up their opportunities to recent graduates. You should also look at online academic journals, as they are usually the ones that connect with the most potential employers.
The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly
There are several advantages to getting a job as an academic writer. First, it’s fairly easy to get hired, provided you can demonstrate you have the necessary skills. In most cases, you can just attach your CV to an email, and within a few days, you will receive a reply from a hiring manager. Second, the work is usually of high quality, as you will be working with top-notch researchers and academics. Third, you get to build a reputation as an expert in your field, and with that, you have the opportunity to gain more employment in the future. Fourth, you get to travel the world and discover new things, as lots of academic jobs allow for international travel. Fifth, it’s fairly easy to find a mentor, and with that, you can get introduced to the field and gain more knowledge.
On the other hand, there are several disadvantages to getting a job as an academic writer. First, the pay is usually lower than what you would get as a normal, full-time job. Second, you have to be willing to take on a variety of tasks, including handling multiple projects at the same time. Third, it can be quite stressful, as you will be working hard to prove yourself and maintain a high level of quality throughout the year. Fourth, lots of travel is usually required, as most employers want to maximize their investment in developing your skills, so they can have you on-site, as much as possible. Fifth, as with any other type of job, there is a lot of competition, especially among new graduates. As a result, you might have to work hard to prove yourself and earn your keep.
Regardless of whether you decide to pursue this type of job or not, proper citation is an absolute must. Without it, your work will seem incomplete, and worse, it could appear to be fabricated. With that in mind, make sure you are always mindful of the source, and ensure you always attribute it correctly.