Difference between revisions of "The dictionary"
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No academic should ever give as a reference ''''the Dictionary'''' - "It says in <strike>the Dictionary</strike> that the word means ...";. Nor is it satisfactory academic proof of the existence or meaning of a word to say "It's in <strike>the Dictionary</strike>". There are many dictionaries, even in one language. Academics always say <u>which</u> Dictionary, and give the full details in a footnote or Bibliography. | No academic should ever give as a reference ''''the Dictionary'''' - "It says in <strike>the Dictionary</strike> that the word means ...";. Nor is it satisfactory academic proof of the existence or meaning of a word to say "It's in <strike>the Dictionary</strike>". There are many dictionaries, even in one language. Academics always say <u>which</u> Dictionary, and give the full details in a footnote or Bibliography. | ||
| − | An error not uncommonly seen is a reference in a student's work to the 'Oxford Dictionary'. There is, as far as | + | An error not uncommonly seen is a reference in a student's work to the 'Oxford Dictionary'. There is, as far as AWE is aware, no such thing. The [[Oxford University Press]] (OUP) publishes a number of dictionaries, each one of which has a more precise name than the one above - ''The Concise Oxford Dictionary'', for example - perhaps the commonest in use among students (one small volume); the ''Oxford English Dictionary'', the most authoritative - and 20 very large volumes in length; and ''The Oxford Dictionary of English'', a single volume aimed mostly at non-native speakers. In this, as in all [[referencing]] for [[academic]] work, be precise in copying the titles of the works you list.) |
[[Category:Academic English]][[Category:Academic culture]][[Category:Referencing]] | [[Category:Academic English]][[Category:Academic culture]][[Category:Referencing]] | ||
[[category:dictionaries]] | [[category:dictionaries]] | ||
[[category:Usage errors]] | [[category:Usage errors]] | ||
| + | [[category:Oxford Dictionaries]] | ||
Revision as of 16:07, 29 May 2012
No academic should ever give as a reference 'the Dictionary' - "It says in the Dictionary that the word means ...";. Nor is it satisfactory academic proof of the existence or meaning of a word to say "It's in the Dictionary". There are many dictionaries, even in one language. Academics always say which Dictionary, and give the full details in a footnote or Bibliography.
An error not uncommonly seen is a reference in a student's work to the 'Oxford Dictionary'. There is, as far as AWE is aware, no such thing. The Oxford University Press (OUP) publishes a number of dictionaries, each one of which has a more precise name than the one above - The Concise Oxford Dictionary, for example - perhaps the commonest in use among students (one small volume); the Oxford English Dictionary, the most authoritative - and 20 very large volumes in length; and The Oxford Dictionary of English, a single volume aimed mostly at non-native speakers. In this, as in all referencing for academic work, be precise in copying the titles of the works you list.)
