Index
Referencing guides
What is referencing?
When writing an essay or assignment, you are required to acknowledge all the sources of information that you have used, whether you are directly copying the words of another author (quoting) or putting their ideas into your own words (paraphrasing). This is so you can
- prove that your work has a substantial, factual basis,
- show the research you've done to reach your conclusions,
- allow your readers to identify and retrieve the references for their own use.
References have two parts:
- In-text references (e.g. author and year) used within the text of your work
- The reference list, where full details of each in-text reference used in that work are found.
What if I don’t reference?
If you do not acknowledge your information sources, then you are plagiarising their work. Plagiarism is defined as the taking, using, and passing off as your own, the ideas or words of another. It is a very serious academic offence, and may result in your work being failed automatically.
Need more information?
Need help?
- Contact your Liaison Librarian
- Or Ask a Librarian
- Manage your references with EndNote
Avoid losing marks!
There are many referencing styles that can be used when referencing (or citing) information sources. Make sure that you know which referencing style your School or lecturer requires you to use.
Commonly used referencing styles include APA, Harvard and Vancouver.