The simple answer is:
AS OFTEN AS YOU CAN
The way I look at it your reader has no reason to believe what you're writing unless you can prove it is true by:
a) Providing a relevant reference
b) Providing relevant results from your own work
References can be used at the start, middle, or end of a sentence.
References should be cited as soon as they are relevant, i.e. not at the end of the paragraph
When I write essays most sentences have at least one reference.
A single sentence can contain more than one reference.
References can also be used to point to related research and ideas.
Below is an example sentence from a write-up:
While the nature and use of these mental images has been debated in the past (Pylyshyn, 1973, 1981) a consistent pattern of results has been established (Borst, Kosslyn, & Denis, 2006; Finke & Pinker, 1982; Kosslyn, Ball, & Reiser, 1978).
Notice how multiple references are included for a single point. This can help demonstrate wide support for or the strength of the idea being presented.
Notice also how the references are used to point to an awareness of alternate viewpoints on the topic without going into them. By citing a prominent theorist and their relevant publications I demonstrate an understanding of the topic (through my choice of reference) and give the reader somewhere to find more information on an alternate viewpoint. However, as this viewpoint will not be a wide part of my write-up, I do not need to go into additional detail.
In the sentence that follows this one I could go on to describe the general pattern of results across the cited studies (Borst, Kosslyn, & Denis, 2006; Finke & Pinker, 1982; Kosslyn, Ball, & Reiser, 1978) with no additional referencing.
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