Reference, argument, and evidence. How good referencing and citation serve design research and rofessional design practice

A challenge to the value of referencing and citations is sometimes heard in design research circles. This challenge questions the value of good referencing and citations to research and practice in design. This article will address the misunderstandings that give rise to these challenges. This article outlines the foundations of referencing and citation. It clarifies central issues in referencing and citation. It discusses literature review as an exercise linked to good referencing and it offers resources and tools for design research. Most important, it discusses the role of evidence in analyzing and solving problems in design research. While some design problems involve taste and interpretation, most design arguments rest on statements of fact. Statements of fact have truth-value established by evidence. References make evidence accessible distinct from the person and claims of the writer. By providing evidence for reasoned argument, good referencing and citation serves both the field of design practice and the discipline of design research. Good referencing is central to the growing literature of design research for four main reasons: reasoned argument, access to common evidence, building the field, and improving the intellectual and practical quality of the discipline.