PhD/PsyD Citations in SoP?

[bre333]

Hey guys, what's the consensus on citing information in your statement of purpose? In one part of my SoP I discuss how I combined two existing models to look at something new--is it okay to just say Heider's balance theory, or do I need to cite a specific paper? Then, if I'm referring to a particular article by a professor I want to work with, do I need to give it a full formal citation, give it a full title in the paper, or just say "article examining XYZ"?

Thanks!

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[neuronic]

Maybe tailor your research interests more broadly to reflect general areas of interest, than specific articles.

 

[WisNeuro]

Yeah, no citation in the SOP. Also, no references, tables, footnotes, acknowledgements, bibliography, atlas, thesaurus, etc.

 

[Member1928]

I see nothing wrong with a citation in a SOP. Get a professor or two to read it and if its out of place they will tell you. If portions of your SOP are a bit more scientific- hey that is fine with me as long as I can also get a vibe on who you are as a person.

 

[MCParent]

I think it would be weird. Citing work in their area? They know the model you're talking about. Citing the POI's own paper? They know what they wrote.

I agree to write about the areas you're interested in, rather than specific things. Once papers actually get published, the project could be years old and not where the professor is heading now in research. You don't want to try to sound informed but end up steering in a totally different direction.

 

[bre333]

Okay, good. I didn't think it would be necessary to cite, but you know after 8 years of hearing that not citing is plagiarism and will give you an F is a little hard to shake, haha.

As for the paper of the PI, I was just noting that I came across one of her papers while doing some research for my current lab, and it's actually the reason I ended up looking at X Y and Z factors, so I don't think the dated problem would apply to that.

But that's a really good tip about papers taking a while to publish, I will keep that in mind!

On broadening interests: I know that if I was working with this woman, I would be interested in researching low-income couples and preventative relationship interventions. Is that broad enough, or should I generalize it more to "couples and interventions"?