Scenario: You want to mention the findings that “brand attachment is a more significant predictor of customer behaviour than both brand love and brand loyalty” from Connors et al (2021)
Links to an external site.
. However, you did not read the study by Connor et al. Instead, you learned about it in the paper Das Guru et al. (2024)
Links to an external site.
.

Question: What should you do?

Question

Scenario: You want to mention the findings that “brand attachment is a more significant predictor of customer behaviour than both brand love and brand loyalty” from Connors et al (2021)
Links to an external site.
. However, you did not read the study by Connor et al. Instead, you learned about it in the paper Das Guru et al. (2024)
Links to an external site.
.

Question: What should you do?

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

Here we examine the scenario and evaluate each possible course of action.

Option A (the provided answer): Quote the secondary source and use an in-text citation like "Connors and his colleagues’ study (as cited by Das Guru et al., 2024) suggests ..." and include the secondary source in the reference list. This approach follows the proper scholarly practice when the original study was not read by you. By citing the secondary source (Das Guru et al., 2024) and indicating that Connors et al. (2021) is cited within that source, you acknowledge the chain of evidence while avoiding misrepresentation of details you have not personally verified. Including the secondary source in the references provides readers with the source of the information you are summarizing and retains academic transparency. It also aligns with standard citation norms for secondary citations: you attribute the claim to the secondary source while clearly signaling that you did not consult the original study.

Option B (quote the original source even though you did not read it): Include an in-text citation like "According to a study (Connors et al., 2021) ...." and include Connors et al. (2021) in the reference list. This path is problematic because you have not read Connors et al. (2021), and presenting a direct quotation or specific claims from a source you have not consulted risks misquotation, misinterpretation, and misrepresentation of the study’s findings. Relying on a source you have not reviewed undermines scholarly integrity, and many citation standards require that you only quote or paraphrase material you have read or clearly mark it as a secondary citation with appropriate caveats. In short, this option invites factual inaccuracies and weakens credibility because the reader cannot verify the exact wording or nuance from the original source.

Option C (quote the secondary source versus misrepresent the chain): Include an in-text citation such as "Connors and his colleagues’ study (as cited by Das Guru et al., 2024) suggests ..." and include the secondary source in the reference list. At first glance this resembles Option A, but the precise wording matters: you should explicitly indicate that Connors et al. (2021) is cited within Das Guru et al. (2024) and not present as a direct quotation from Connors unless you have verified the original text. This option captures the correct practice (secondary citation) while also ensuring readers understand the original source is not read directly. If the wording is ambiguous about whether Connors et al. is being quoted or paraphrased, you should prefer a clearly phrased secondary citation as in Option A to avoid misinterpretation.

Option D (quote the primary source while implying you read it): Include an in-text citation like "According to a study (Connors et al., 2021) ...." and include Connors et al. (2021) in the reference list. This is essentially the same as Option B but reiterates reliance on the original study. The core issue remains: you did not read Connors et al. (2021), so you should not present verbatim material or precise claims from it without verifying the source. This option risks inaccuracies and misrepresentation of the original study’s findings. Therefore, it is not the appropriate course of action in this scenario.

LANG1406 (T16) Library Quiz 1 on Citing Sources (2025 Spring)

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