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Library Subject Guides

4. Writing up your Research: Referencing

Why do you have to include complete references?

To make your own contribution clear

To acknowledge source material

To ensure reader can find source material

To avoid plagiarism

There are four parts to a citation

  • Who = author(s) / editor(s) / creator(s) of work
     
  • What =  title ( and source if it is a book chapter include book title and page numbers) Journal title, issue number and page numbers if it is journal article 
     
  • When = date / year of publication
     
  • Where = publisher details (print books) DOI or URL (online resource)

What Style should I use ?

There are many different referencing styles. Your lecturer will recommend the style you should use.

For large projects the use of a reference manager such as EndNote, Mendeley or Zotero is advised. They will automatically format your references in the style you choose. 

Referencing styles
If you are unsure which style to use consult your lecturer

ACS
APA
ASCE
Chicago
CSE
Harvard
IEEE
NZLSG (Law)
MHRA
MLA

When to add references

  • When describing or discussing the history of a topic, the arguments for and against and the changes to how this topic is viewed academically over time. to add context 
     
  • To support the writer's interpretation of  what has been observed
     
  • When paraphrasing another person's ideas that has contributed to the writer's interpretations
     
  • To show that the writer understands how the terminology has been developed 
     
  • To acknowledge the  source of tables, photos, statistics, and diagrams included in the writer's document
 

Who to Contact

John Arnold

Phone: +643693905
Internal Phone: 93905