LibGuides: APA 7th Edition Referencing: Misattribution

What is Misattribution and How to Avoid It

Avoiding Referencing Misattribution.

It’s important to clearly separate your own ideas from those of others when writing an assessment. Sometimes students merge their own ideas in a sentence with reference to another source, making it unclear when a cited author’s words end and your thoughts begin.

The following two examples demonstrate this point:

Pressure ulcers develop due to immobility (Jefferson & Kim, 2022)
In my view, frequent repositioning helps prevent ulcers (Jefferson & Kim, 2022).

What Is Misattribution?
Reference attribution means giving credit to the original source for any idea, quote, or information you use. When you cite properly, you meet ethical standards, show authority, and help readers check your sources. Statement 2 is an example of Reference Misattribution, this can mislead readers, undermine academic integrity and can be considered misconduct – even if unintentional.

Tips to avoid misattribution:

Ensure references are placed immediately after statements or ideas that directly come from the cited source. None of your own work or thoughts must be included and none of the content of an assignment task or a case study either. Only the original author’s actual work must be included and referenced.
Distinguish between your own analysis and that of the source. If you are discussing your own thoughts or interpretation, do not attribute these to another author. You are responsible for your own work and must be credited for it. Just like the other authors must be credited for their work only.
If paraphrasing, always cite the original source even when using your own words. Never attribute your paraphrased ideas to another author unless explicitly supported by the reference.
Cross-check that each citation directly supports the point made and avoid blanket referencing for paragraphs composed of your own work.

Remember: Own your ideas. Reference what others say, but take credit for your own thinking and original ideas. Take pride in your writing. Your thoughts are valuable, too.

Examples

	Statement	Notes
Correct	The patient developed pressure ulcers due to prolonged immobility (Jefferson & Kim, 2022).	Statement reports a finding directly supported by the source.
Incorrect	Based on my observations, more frequent repositioning decreased ulcer incidence (Jefferson & Kim, 2022).	This is the student’s own conclusion, and is not found in the cited source.
Correct	In the presented case, pain management was tailored to individual response (Smith, 2020).	Smith’s paper discusses individualised pain management.
Incorrect	As I observed during my placement, individual response dictates the pain management strategy (Smith, 2020).	The statement is the student’s personal observation and is not stated in Smith’s paper.
Correct	The NMBA requires nurses to document wound assessment every shift (NMBA, 2016).	Factual policy explicitly stated in NMBA standards.
Incorrect	During my case study, I ensured every wound assessment was documented each shift (NMBA, 2016).	Statement is about the student’s action. The NMBA standard isn’t the direct origin of this claim.