How to reference an ongoing project?
Referencing ongoing projects is feasible in academic contexts when documenting preliminary findings or collaborative research efforts. Such references acknowledge current investigations despite lacking finalized publications.
The approach entails formally describing the project's scope, objectives, and investigators. Where preliminary findings are shared, cite these explicitly as 'unpublished data' from the project. Alternatively, formal citations are possible only if prior work outputs exist, or if referencing a project proposal via institutional repositories or through personal communications with project investigators (using suitable referencing styles like APA's personal communication format).
To implement this, clearly state the project's title, primary investigators, and affiliation within the text (e.g., "ongoing work by [PI Name], Project [Title]"). If discussing specific data, include it as '(unpublished data from [Project Title/Investigator], Year)'. Finally, only cite pre-existing outputs like protocols or preliminary reports formally, adhering strictly to your chosen citation style guide. Properly referencing ongoing projects enhances transparency and situates current contributions within ongoing scholarly work.
