Referencing
A selection of resources to help you develop your referencing skills.
About
Referencing is the literacy which enables learners to acknowledge the work of others, building on their own analysis of existing knowledge. It also enables learners to attribute sources by creating citations and generating accurate bibliographies.
These skills sit within a broad understanding of the legal and ethical context of information and help learners to manage their information and avoid plagiarism.
Correct referencing is an essential component of academic writing. Learn how to reference correctly in the style required by your department, as well as how to avoid plagiarism, using the guides below.
Why reference?
Watch the video below to find about more about why referencing is important and how to get started.
Watch the video above, or see it in Kaltura: Why reference?
Online tutorials and videos
Understanding plagiarism
Understand plagiarism, the difference between collaboration and collusion, and identify ways to avoid plagiarism through appropriate note taking, reference management, and time management.
View tutorial as a PDF (288KB)
Referencing: the essentials
Referencing is an essential component of academic writing and research. It enables you to acknowledge the work of others when developing your own perspective.
This tutorial will give you an understanding of referencing and how you should use it in your academic work.
Plagiarism and referencing quiz
A self help quiz to test your knowledge and understanding of plagiarism and the importance of referencing.
Guidance for taught course students inserting images and figures into university work
Learn how to attribute images used in your work to give fair credit to those whose work you use, and how this differs in digital and print forms.
Turnitin: interpreting your originality report
This video from the Digital Learning Team will show you how to access and interpret your originality report for an assignment submitted to Turnitin.
Watch the video above, or see it in Kaltura: Turnitin: interpreting your originality report (students)
Workshops
Referencing and preventing plagiarism
This workshop introduces the purpose of referencing, the concept of plagiarism and how it can be avoided, and gives you an opportunity to practice referencing in your departmental style.
Using reference management software: an introduction
In this workshop you will learn how to prevent plagiarism and reference correctly, using reference management software to manage and edit your references. Find out more about reference management software on our dedicated webpage.
Referencing style guides
The University referencing style guides adhere to the appropriate published standard, with interpretations of rules where required (such as an item type where no published guidance exists) made in a standard University style.
If you know your style, use links below, if you want to check the style used by your department check the departmental referencing styles.
Depending on your course or assignment, you may be asked to use different styles to those listed here. If in doubt, check with your tutors.
Harvard
This guide is based on the advice given in the Cite Them Right (2016) 10th rev. and expanded edition, with interpretations of rules where required made in a standard University style.
View our QuickStart Harvard guide (PDF, 281KB) for a shortened, easy to print version of the most frequently referenced items in the style guide.
AIP
This guide is based on guidance from the American Institute of Physics, with interpretations of rules where required made in a standard University style.
View our QuickStart AIP guide (PDF, 283KB) for a shortened, easy to print version of the most frequently referenced items in the style guide.
APA 7th edition
This is the updated 7th edition of APA referencing. It adheres to the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association 7th edition, with interpretations of rules where required made in a standard University style.
View our QuickStart APA 7th edition guide (PDF, 283KB) for a shortened, easy to print version of the most frequently referenced items in the style guide.
IEEE
This guide adheres to the Publication Manual of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, with interpretations of rules where required made in a standard University style.
View our QuickStart IEEE guide (PDF, 279KB) for a shortened, easy to print version of the most frequently referenced items in the style guide.
MHRA Author-Date
This guide adheres to the Modern Humanities Research Association Style Guide: Third edition, with interpretations of rules where required made in a standard University style.
View our QuickStart MHRA Author-Date guide (PDF, 304KB) for a shortened, easy to print version of the most frequently referenced items in the style guide.
MHRA Footnotes
This guide adheres to the Modern Humanities Research Association Style Guide: Third edition, with interpretations of rules where required made in a standard University style.
View our QuickStart MHRA Footnotes (PDF, 280KB) for a shortened, easy to print version of the most frequently referenced items in the style guide.
OSCOLA Referencing
The Oxford University System for the Citation of Legal Authorities or OSCOLA referencing style is designed by Oxford University to accurately reference authorities, legislation, and a variety of legal materials.
It is widely used by Law Schools and legal researchers in the UK. This resource is from Cardiff University.
Vancouver
This guide adheres to the National Library of Medicine's Citing Medicine Style Guide, with interpretations of rules where required made in a standard University style.
View our QuickStart Vancouver guide (PDF, 227KB) for a shortened, easy to print version of the most frequently referenced items in the style guide.
Cell
This guide has been retired as Cell is no longer a recommended style. Biosciences taught students should use the Harvard referencing guide above.