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A Quick Guide to Harvard Referencing | Citation Examples

Published on 14 February 2020 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on 15 September 2023.

Referencing is an important part of academic writing. It tells your readers what sources you’ve used and how to find them.

Harvard is the most common referencing style used in UK universities. In Harvard style, the author and year are cited in-text, and full details of the source are given in a reference list .

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Table of contents

Harvard in-text citation, creating a harvard reference list, harvard referencing examples, referencing sources with no author or date, frequently asked questions about harvard referencing.

A Harvard in-text citation appears in brackets beside any quotation or paraphrase of a source. It gives the last name of the author(s) and the year of publication, as well as a page number or range locating the passage referenced, if applicable:

Note that ‘p.’ is used for a single page, ‘pp.’ for multiple pages (e.g. ‘pp. 1–5’).

An in-text citation usually appears immediately after the quotation or paraphrase in question. It may also appear at the end of the relevant sentence, as long as it’s clear what it refers to.

When your sentence already mentions the name of the author, it should not be repeated in the citation:

Sources with multiple authors

When you cite a source with up to three authors, cite all authors’ names. For four or more authors, list only the first name, followed by ‘ et al. ’:

Sources with no page numbers

Some sources, such as websites , often don’t have page numbers. If the source is a short text, you can simply leave out the page number. With longer sources, you can use an alternate locator such as a subheading or paragraph number if you need to specify where to find the quote:

Multiple citations at the same point

When you need multiple citations to appear at the same point in your text – for example, when you refer to several sources with one phrase – you can present them in the same set of brackets, separated by semicolons. List them in order of publication date:

Multiple sources with the same author and date

If you cite multiple sources by the same author which were published in the same year, it’s important to distinguish between them in your citations. To do this, insert an ‘a’ after the year in the first one you reference, a ‘b’ in the second, and so on:

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A bibliography or reference list appears at the end of your text. It lists all your sources in alphabetical order by the author’s last name, giving complete information so that the reader can look them up if necessary.

The reference entry starts with the author’s last name followed by initial(s). Only the first word of the title is capitalised (as well as any proper nouns).

Sources with multiple authors in the reference list

As with in-text citations, up to three authors should be listed; when there are four or more, list only the first author followed by ‘ et al. ’:

Reference list entries vary according to source type, since different information is relevant for different sources. Formats and examples for the most commonly used source types are given below.

• Entire book
• Book chapter
• Translated book
• Edition of a book

Journal articles

• Print journal
• Online-only journal with DOI
• Online-only journal with no DOI
• General web page
• Online article or blog
• Social media post

Sometimes you won’t have all the information you need for a reference. This section covers what to do when a source lacks a publication date or named author.

No publication date

When a source doesn’t have a clear publication date – for example, a constantly updated reference source like Wikipedia or an obscure historical document which can’t be accurately dated – you can replace it with the words ‘no date’:

Note that when you do this with an online source, you should still include an access date, as in the example.

When a source lacks a clearly identified author, there’s often an appropriate corporate source – the organisation responsible for the source – whom you can credit as author instead, as in the Google and Wikipedia examples above.

When that’s not the case, you can just replace it with the title of the source in both the in-text citation and the reference list:

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Harvard referencing uses an author–date system. Sources are cited by the author’s last name and the publication year in brackets. Each Harvard in-text citation corresponds to an entry in the alphabetised reference list at the end of the paper.

Vancouver referencing uses a numerical system. Sources are cited by a number in parentheses or superscript. Each number corresponds to a full reference at the end of the paper.

A Harvard in-text citation should appear in brackets every time you quote, paraphrase, or refer to information from a source.

The citation can appear immediately after the quotation or paraphrase, or at the end of the sentence. If you’re quoting, place the citation outside of the quotation marks but before any other punctuation like a comma or full stop.

In Harvard referencing, up to three author names are included in an in-text citation or reference list entry. When there are four or more authors, include only the first, followed by ‘ et al. ’

Though the terms are sometimes used interchangeably, there is a difference in meaning:

• A reference list only includes sources cited in the text – every entry corresponds to an in-text citation .
• A bibliography also includes other sources which were consulted during the research but not cited.

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Caulfield, J. (2023, September 15). A Quick Guide to Harvard Referencing | Citation Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved 25 March 2024, from https://www.scribbr.co.uk/referencing/harvard-style/

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How to Write a Reference List (or Bibliography) For an Essay

An essay without a reference list is like a house without foundations – weak and unsupported!

After all, the reference list is ‘proof’ that the books and journals you referred to in your essay do exist. In turn, this makes your essay seem more credible.

But a reference list will only enhance your essay if it is accurate . That said, let’s explore how to write a clear and accurate reference list for an essay.

How to label your list of references

Firstly, make sure you know what to call the list of references at the end of your essay. The most common name for this list is a ‘reference list’. But some referencing styles call it a ‘bibliography’ or even a ‘works cited’ list. Also, it’s possible to have a ‘reference list’ and a ‘bibliography’ in the same essay.

What’s the difference between a reference list and a bibliography?

Generally speaking, a ‘reference list’ includes a list of all the sources that were cited in the essay – nothing more and nothing less. A bibliography, on the other hand, includes works that were consulted but not specifically cited in the essay. This is the traditional meaning of the term bibliography, at least.

But, in OSCOLA style, the ‘bibliography’ functions more like a ‘reference list’.

Confused? Don’t worry! This table will show you how to label the list of references according to your chosen referencing style.

Referencing styleHow to label the refs at the end of the essayDescriptionAPA

General rules to follow

Once you know how to label your list of references, you can start putting the list together. Here are some general rules that apply to all referencing styles:

• Start your list of references on a new page – it looks a lot neater!
• Get the placement right – references usually come at the end of the essay but before the appendix (if applicable).
• Alphabetical order – the references should be arranged in alphabetical order (by surname).
• Remove hyperlinks – that way, your reference list will look neat and tidy when it’s viewed on-screen.
• Don’t change Americanisms – References should be written in their original form. So, if you’re citing the ‘Journal of Behavior Studies’ , don’t be tempted to change this to the ‘Journal of Behaviour Studies’ .
• Word count – Remember that the reference list does not contribute to the total word count, so remember to deduct these words when you calculate the final word count.

When looking for sources, you might have noticed that some publications offer ‘suggested citations’. It can be helpful to copy and paste these suggested citations, but you will probably need to make some changes to ensure the citation is compliant with your referencing style. That said, let’s take a look at each referencing style in a bit more depth.

How to write a reference list in APA style

Key points to remember:

• As a minimum, the reference should contain the author’s name , the date of the publication, the title , and the source (I.e. where it came from).
• Additional information is also required for journals, such as the page number(s), the volume number and the issue number (see example).
• The doi should be provided at the end of the reference (if applicable).
• All lines except the first line should be indented – this is called a hanging indent. (Word: Paragraph>Special>Hanging).
• Remember to put a full stop at the end of each reference.

For further guidance, check out APA Seventh Edition ! This resource is great as it provides plenty of examples.

How to write a bibliography in OSCOLA

At the end of your essay, you should report a ‘Table of Cases’ a ‘Table of Legislation’, and finally, a ‘Bibliography’. In OSCOLA, the bibliography should include all secondary sources that were cited in the essay.

The secondary sources are listed in a very similar way to the footnotes except that the author’s name is inverted (surname, first initial).

If there are any unattributed works, these should begin with ——.

You’ll notice that OSCOLA is a pretty minimalist referencing style. This means it’s quite easy to get the hang of. You can find full and detailed guidance in this OSCOLA referencing handbook .

How to write a reference list in Harvard style

There is no official manual for Harvard style like there is for APA and Chicago. Rather, universities adopt their own versions of Harvard style. So, if your faculty uses Harvard style, get a hold of your university’s referencing guide to check the requirements.

• Generally speaking, though, a Harvard-style reference list is similar to an APA-style reference list, in that you must provide the author’s name, date of publication, title, and source. Similarly, book titles and journal titles should be italicised.
• Unlike APA, there is no need to add a hanging indent.
• Finally, when citing books, you should provide both the publisher’s name and location (Publisher Location: Publisher Name).

This Harvard referencing guide from The University of East Anglia is comprehensive yet easy to understand – definitely one of the best guides out there!

ASA reference list guidance

• ASA is fairly similar to APA but notice the differences in punctuation (see examples).
• The reference list must be double-spaced.
• You should include the author’s first name and surname (unless the first name was not included in the original publication).
• Also, the first author’s name should be inverted (surname, first name) but any subsequent names should not be inverted (first name, surname).

Note how a colon is used to introduce the page numbers. This is one of the key differences between APA and ASA style. For more information, check out the ASA quick style guide .

MLA ‘works cited’ guidance

As mentioned, the works cited list is equivalent to a reference list, so it must list all the publications that were cited in the essay.

• The references should be formatted with a hanging indent (like APA).
• Uniquely, the date comes towards the end of the reference.
• First and last names are required (inverted)
• The publisher’s name is required but the location is not.

Want to know more? This MLA resource is highly recommended!

How to write a reference list in Chicago style (in-text references)

• Like APA and MLA, the references should be indented (hanging)
• The author’s first name and surname should be provided
• For books, the publisher’s location and name are required.
• Notice that commas are rarely used (except to separate the volume and issue number of a journal).
• A doi should be provided after an electronic resource. If there is no doi, a URL is acceptable.

The Chicago Manual of Style is updated regularly so always use the latest guidance. Finally, if you are using the Chicago footnote style of referencing, check out the bibliography guidance here .

Is the reference list really that important?

In a word, yes!

Imagine, for a moment, that you’ve just finished reading an essay…

Overall, it made some interesting points, but there were no references to back up the claims that were made. Would you think this was a good essay? Would you trust what the author had written? Or would you think it was lacking?

Once you see things from the reader’s perspective, the importance of the reference list suddenly becomes clear.

In essence, this special list boosts the credibility of your essay. So, don’t make it an after-thought.

Need help with your referencing list or bibliography? Our essay writing service can help!

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OASIS: Writing Center

Reference list: common reference list examples, article (with doi).

Alvarez, E., & Tippins, S. (2019). Socialization agents that Puerto Rican college students use to make financial decisions. Journal of Social Change , 11 (1), 75–85. https://doi.org/10.5590/JOSC.2019.11.1.07

Laplante, J. P., & Nolin, C. (2014). Consultas and socially responsible investing in Guatemala: A case study examining Maya perspectives on the Indigenous right to free, prior, and informed consent. Society & Natural Resources , 27 , 231–248. https://doi.org/10.1080/08941920.2013.861554

Use the DOI number for the source whenever one is available. DOI stands for "digital object identifier," a number specific to the article that can help others locate the source. In APA 7, format the DOI as a web address. Active hyperlinks for DOIs and URLs should be used for documents meant for screen reading. Present these hyperlinks in blue and underlined text (the default formatting in Microsoft Word), although plain black text is also acceptable. Be consistent in your formatting choice for DOIs and URLs throughout your reference list. Also see our Quick Answer FAQ, "Can I use the DOI format provided by library databases?"

Jerrentrup, A., Mueller, T., Glowalla, U., Herder, M., Henrichs, N., Neubauer, A., & Schaefer, J. R. (2018). Teaching medicine with the help of “Dr. House.” PLoS ONE , 13 (3), Article e0193972. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0193972

For journal articles that are assigned article numbers rather than page ranges, include the article number in place of the page range.

For more on citing electronic resources, see  Electronic Sources References .

Article (Without DOI)

Found in a common academic research database or in print.

Casler , T. (2020). Improving the graduate nursing experience through support on a social media platform. MEDSURG Nursing , 29 (2), 83–87.

If an article does not have a DOI and you retrieved it from a common academic research database through the university library, there is no need to include any additional electronic retrieval information. The reference list entry looks like the entry for a print copy of the article. (This format differs from APA 6 guidelines that recommended including the URL of a journal's homepage when the DOI was not available.) Note that APA 7 has additional guidance on reference list entries for articles found only in specific databases or archives such as Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, UpToDate, ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global, and university archives. See APA 7, Section 9.30 for more information.

Found on an Open Access Website

Eaton, T. V., & Akers, M. D. (2007). Whistleblowing and good governance. CPA Journal , 77 (6), 66–71. http://archives.cpajournal.com/2007/607/essentials/p58.htm

Provide the direct web address/URL to a journal article found on the open web, often on an open access journal's website. In APA 7, active hyperlinks for DOIs and URLs should be used for documents meant for screen reading. Present these hyperlinks in blue and underlined text (the default formatting in Microsoft Word), although plain black text is also acceptable. Be consistent in your formatting choice for DOIs and URLs throughout your reference list.

Weinstein, J. A. (2010).  Social change  (3rd ed.). Rowman & Littlefield.

If the book has an edition number, include it in parentheses after the title of the book. If the book does not list any edition information, do not include an edition number. The edition number is not italicized.

American Nurses Association. (2015). Nursing: Scope and standards of practice (3rd ed.).

If the author and publisher are the same, only include the author in its regular place and omit the publisher.

Lencioni, P. (2012). The advantage: Why organizational health trumps everything else in business . Jossey-Bass. https://amzn.to/343XPSJ

As a change from APA 6 to APA 7, it is no longer necessary to include the ebook format in the title. However, if you listened to an audiobook and the content differs from the text version (e.g., abridged content) or your discussion highlights elements of the audiobook (e.g., narrator's performance), then note that it is an audiobook in the title element in brackets. For ebooks and online audiobooks, also include the DOI number (if available) or nondatabase URL but leave out the electronic retrieval element if the ebook was found in a common academic research database, as with journal articles. APA 7 allows for the shortening of long DOIs and URLs, as shown in this example. See APA 7, Section 9.36 for more information.

Chapter in an Edited Book

Poe, M. (2017). Reframing race in teaching writing across the curriculum. In F. Condon & V. A. Young (Eds.), Performing antiracist pedagogy in rhetoric, writing, and communication (pp. 87–105). University Press of Colorado.

Include the page numbers of the chapter in parentheses after the book title.

Christensen, L. (2001). For my people: Celebrating community through poetry. In B. Bigelow, B. Harvey, S. Karp, & L. Miller (Eds.), Rethinking our classrooms: Teaching for equity and justice (Vol. 2, pp. 16–17). Rethinking Schools.

Also include the volume number or edition number in the parenthetical information after the book title when relevant.

Freud, S. (1961). The ego and the id. In J. Strachey (Ed.),  The standard edition of the complete psychological works of Sigmund Freud  (Vol. 19, pp. 3-66). Hogarth Press. (Original work published 1923)

When a text has been republished as part of an anthology collection, after the author’s name include the date of the version that was read. At the end of the entry, place the date of the original publication inside parenthesis along with the note “original work published.” For in-text citations of republished work, use both dates in the parenthetical citation, original date first with a slash separating the years, as in this example: Freud (1923/1961). For more information on reprinted or republished works, see APA 7, Sections 9.40-9.41.

Classroom Resources

Citing classroom resources.

If you need to cite content found in your online classroom, use the author (if there is one listed), the year of publication (if available), the title of the document, and the main URL of Walden classrooms. For example, you are citing study notes titled "Health Effects of Exposure to Forest Fires," but you do not know the author's name, your reference entry will look like this:

Health effects of exposure to forest fires [Lecture notes]. (2005). Walden University Canvas. https://waldenu.instructure.com

If you do know the author of the document, your reference will look like this:

Smith, A. (2005). Health effects of exposure to forest fires [PowerPoint slides]. Walden University Canvas. https://waldenu.instructure.com  

A few notes on citing course materials:

• [Lecture notes]
• [Course handout]
• [Study notes]
• It can be difficult to determine authorship of classroom documents. If an author is listed on the document, use that. If the resource is clearly a product of Walden (such as the course-based videos), use Walden University as the author. If you are unsure or if no author is indicated, place the title in the author spot, as above.
• If you cannot determine a date of publication, you can use n.d. (for "no date") in place of the year.

Note:  The web location for Walden course materials is not directly retrievable without a password, and therefore, following APA guidelines, use the main URL for the class sites: https://class.waldenu.edu.

Citing Tempo Classroom Resources

Clear author: 

Smith, A. (2005). Health effects of exposure to forest fires [PowerPoint slides]. Walden University Brightspace. https://mytempo.waldenu.edu

Unclear author:

Health effects of exposure to forest fires [Lecture notes]. (2005). Walden University Brightspace. https://mytempo.waldenu.edu

Conference Sessions and Presentations

Feinman, Y. (2018, July 27). Alternative to proctoring in introductory statistics community college courses [Poster presentation]. Walden University Research Symposium, Minneapolis, MN, United States. https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/symposium2018/23/

Torgerson, K., Parrill, J., & Haas, A. (2019, April 5-9). Tutoring strategies for online students [Conference session]. The Higher Learning Commission Annual Conference, Chicago, IL, United States. http://onlinewritingcenters.org/scholarship/torgerson-parrill-haas-2019/

Dictionary Entry

Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Leadership. In Merriam-Webster.com dictionary . Retrieved May 28, 2020, from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/leadership

When constructing a reference for an entry in a dictionary or other reference work that has no byline (i.e., no named individual authors), use the name of the group—the institution, company, or organization—as author (e.g., Merriam Webster, American Psychological Association, etc.). The name of the entry goes in the title position, followed by "In" and the italicized name of the reference work (e.g., Merriam-Webster.com dictionary , APA dictionary of psychology ). In this instance, APA 7 recommends including a retrieval date as well for this online source since the contents of the page change over time. End the reference entry with the specific URL for the defined word.

Discussion Board Post

Osborne, C. S. (2010, June 29). Re: Environmental responsibility [Discussion post]. Walden University Canvas.  https://waldenu.instructure.com  

Dissertations or Theses

Retrieved From a Database

Nalumango, K. (2019). Perceptions about the asylum-seeking process in the United States after 9/11 (Publication No. 13879844) [Doctoral dissertation, Walden University]. ProQuest Dissertations and Theses.

Retrieved From an Institutional or Personal Website

Evener. J. (2018). Organizational learning in libraries at for-profit colleges and universities [Doctoral dissertation, Walden University]. ScholarWorks. https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=6606&context=dissertations

Unpublished Dissertation or Thesis

Kirwan, J. G. (2005). An experimental study of the effects of small-group, face-to-face facilitated dialogues on the development of self-actualization levels: A movement towards fully functional persons [Unpublished doctoral dissertation]. Saybrook Graduate School and Research Center.

For further examples and information, see APA 7, Section 10.6.

Legal Material

For legal references, APA follows the recommendations of The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation , so if you have any questions beyond the examples provided in APA, seek out that resource as well.

Court Decisions

Reference format:

Name v. Name, Volume Reporter Page (Court Date). URL

Sample reference entry:

Brown v. Board of Education, 347 U.S. 483 (1954). https://www.oyez.org/cases/1940-1955/347us483

Sample citation:

In Brown v. Board of Education (1954), the Supreme Court ruled racial segregation in schools unconstitutional.

Note: Italicize the case name when it appears in the text of your paper.

Name of Act, Title Source § Section Number (Year). URL

Sample reference entry for a federal statute:

Individuals With Disabilities Education Act, 20 U.S.C. § 1400 et seq. (2004). https://www.congress.gov/108/plaws/publ446/PLAW-108publ446.pdf

Sample reference entry for a state statute:

Minnesota Nurse Practice Act, Minn. Stat. §§ 148.171 et seq. (2019). https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/148.171

Sample citation: Minnesota nurses must maintain current registration in order to practice (Minnesota Nurse Practice Act, 2010).

Note: The § symbol stands for "section." Use §§ for sections (plural). To find this symbol in Microsoft Word, go to "Insert" and click on Symbol." Look in the Latin 1-Supplement subset. Note: U.S.C. stands for "United States Code." Note: The Latin abbreviation " et seq. " means "and what follows" and is used when the act includes the cited section and ones that follow. Note: List the chapter first followed by the section or range of sections.

Unenacted Bills and Resolutions

(Those that did not pass and become law)

Title [if there is one], bill or resolution number, xxx Cong. (year). URL

Sample reference entry for Senate bill:

Anti-Phishing Act, S. 472, 109th Cong. (2005). https://www.congress.gov/bill/109th-congress/senate-bill/472

Sample reference entry for House of Representatives resolution:

Anti-Phishing Act, H.R. 1099, 109th Cong. (2005). https://www.congress.gov/bill/109th-congress/house-bill/1099

The Anti-Phishing Act (2005) proposed up to 5 years prison time for people running Internet scams.

These are the three legal areas you may be most apt to cite in your scholarly work. For more examples and explanation, see APA 7, Chapter 11.

Magazine Article

Clay, R. (2008, June). Science vs. ideology: Psychologists fight back about the misuse of research. Monitor on Psychology , 39 (6). https://www.apa.org/monitor/2008/06/ideology

Note that for citations, include only the year: Clay (2008). For magazine articles retrieved from a common academic research database, leave out the URL. For magazine articles from an online news website that is not an online version of a print magazine, follow the format for a webpage reference list entry.

Newspaper Article (Retrieved Online)

Baker, A. (2014, May 7). Connecticut students show gains in national tests. New York Times . http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/08/nyregion/national-assessment-of-educational-progress-results-in-Connecticut-and-New-Jersey.html

Include the full date in the format Year, Month Day. Do not include a retrieval date for periodical sources found on websites. Note that for citations, include only the year: Baker (2014). For newspaper articles retrieved from a common academic research database, leave out the URL. For newspaper articles from an online news website that is not an online version of a print newspaper, follow the format for a webpage reference list entry.

Online Video/Webcast

Walden University. (2013).  An overview of learning  [Video]. Walden University Canvas.  https://waldenu.instructure.com  

Use this format for online videos such as Walden videos in classrooms. Most of our classroom videos are produced by Walden University, which will be listed as the author in your reference and citation. Note: Some examples of audiovisual materials in the APA manual show the word “Producer” in parentheses after the producer/author area. In consultation with the editors of the APA manual, we have determined that parenthetical is not necessary for the videos in our courses. The manual itself is unclear on the matter, however, so either approach should be accepted. Note that the speaker in the video does not appear in the reference list entry, but you may want to mention that person in your text. For instance, if you are viewing a video where Tobias Ball is the speaker, you might write the following: Tobias Ball stated that APA guidelines ensure a consistent presentation of information in student papers (Walden University, 2013). For more information on citing the speaker in a video, see our page on Common Citation Errors .

Taylor, R. [taylorphd07]. (2014, February 27). Scales of measurement [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDsMUlexaMY

Walden University Academic Skills Center. (2020, April 15). One-way ANCOVA: Introduction [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/_XnNDQ5CNW8

For videos from streaming sites, use the person or organization who uploaded the video in the author space to ensure retrievability, whether or not that person is the speaker in the video. A username can be provided in square brackets. As a change from APA 6 to APA 7, include the publisher after the title, and do not use "Retrieved from" before the URL. See APA 7, Section 10.12 for more information and examples.

See also reference list entry formats for TED Talks .

Technical and Research Reports

Edwards, C. (2015). Lighting levels for isolated intersections: Leading to safety improvements (Report No. MnDOT 2015-05). Center for Transportation Studies. http://www.cts.umn.edu/Publications/ResearchReports/reportdetail.html?id=2402

Technical and research reports by governmental agencies and other research institutions usually follow a different publication process than scholarly, peer-reviewed journals. However, they present original research and are often useful for research papers. Sometimes, researchers refer to these types of reports as gray literature , and white papers are a type of this literature. See APA 7, Section 10.4 for more information.

Reference list entires for TED Talks follow the usual guidelines for multimedia content found online. There are two common places to find TED talks online, with slightly different reference list entry formats for each.

TED Talk on the TED website

If you find the TED Talk on the TED website, follow the format for an online video on an organizational website:

Owusu-Kesse, K. (2020, June). 5 needs that any COVID-19 response should meet [Video]. TED Conferences. https://www.ted.com/talks/kwame_owusu_kesse_5_needs_that_any_covid_19_response_should_meet

The speaker is the author in the reference list entry if the video is posted on the TED website. For citations, use the speaker's surname.

TED Talk on YouTube

If you find the TED Talk on YouTube or another streaming video website, follow the usual format for streaming video sites:

TED. (2021, February 5). The shadow pandemic of domestic violence during COVID-19 | Kemi DaSilvalbru [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGdID_ICFII

TED is the author in the reference list entry if the video is posted on YouTube since it is the channel on which the video is posted. For citations, use TED as the author.

Walden University Course Catalog

To include the Walden course catalog in your reference list, use this format:

Walden University. (2020). 2019-2020 Walden University catalog . https://catalog.waldenu.edu/index.php

If you cite from a specific portion of the catalog in your paper, indicate the appropriate section and paragraph number in your text:

...which reflects the commitment to social change expressed in Walden University's mission statement (Walden University, 2020, Vision, Mission, and Goals section, para. 2).

And in the reference list:

Walden University. (2020). Vision, mission, and goals. In 2019-2020 Walden University catalog. https://catalog.waldenu.edu/content.php?catoid=172&navoid=59420&hl=vision&returnto=search

Vartan, S. (2018, January 30). Why vacations matter for your health . CNN. https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/why-vacations-matter/index.html

For webpages on the open web, include the author, date, webpage title, organization/site name, and URL. (There is a slight variation for online versions of print newspapers or magazines. For those sources, follow the models in the previous sections of this page.)

American Federation of Teachers. (n.d.). Community schools . http://www.aft.org/issues/schoolreform/commschools/index.cfm

If there is no specified author, then use the organization’s name as the author. In such a case, there is no need to repeat the organization's name after the title.

In APA 7, active hyperlinks for DOIs and URLs should be used for documents meant for screen reading. Present these hyperlinks in blue and underlined text (the default formatting in Microsoft Word), although plain black text is also acceptable. Be consistent in your formatting choice for DOIs and URLs throughout your reference list.

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How to Write an Academic Essay with References and Citations

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Written by  Scribendi

If you're wondering how to write an academic essay with references, look no further. In this article, we'll discuss how to use in-text citations and references, including how to cite a website, how to cite a book, and how to cite a Tweet, according to various style guides.

You might need to cite sources when writing a paper that references other sources. For example, when writing an essay, you may use information from other works, such as books, articles, or websites. You must then inform readers where this information came from. Failure to do so, even accidentally, is plagiarism—passing off another person's work as your own.

You can avoid plagiarism and show readers where to find information by using citations and references. 

Citations tell readers where a piece of information came from. They take the form of footnotes, endnotes, or parenthetical elements, depending on your style guide. In-text citations are usually placed at the end of a sentence containing the relevant information. 

A reference list , bibliography, or works cited list at the end of a text provides additional details about these cited sources. This list includes enough publication information allowing readers to look up these sources themselves.

Referencing is important for more than simply avoiding plagiarism. Referring to a trustworthy source shows that the information is reliable. Referring to reliable information can also support your major points and back up your argument. 

Learning how to write an academic essay with references and how to use in-text citations will allow you to cite authors who have made similar arguments. This helps show that your argument is objective and not entirely based on personal biases.

How Do You Determine Which Style Guide to Use?

Often, a professor will assign a style guide. The purpose of a style guide is to provide writers with formatting instructions. If your professor has not assigned a style guide, they should still be able to recommend one. 

If you are entirely free to choose, pick one that aligns with your field (for example, APA is frequently used for scientific writing). 

Some of the most common style guides are as follows:

AP style for journalism

Chicago style for publishing

APA style for scholarly writing (commonly used in scientific fields)

MLA style for scholarly citations (commonly used in English literature fields)

Some journals have their own style guides, so if you plan to publish, check which guide your target journal uses. You can do this by locating your target journal's website and searching for author guidelines.

How Do You Pick Your Sources?

When learning how to write an academic essay with references, you must identify reliable sources that support your argument. 

As you read, think critically and evaluate sources for:

Objectivity

Keep detailed notes on the sources so that you can easily find them again, if needed.

Tip: Record these notes in the format of your style guide—your reference list will then be ready to go.

How to Use In-Text Citations in MLA

An in-text citation in MLA includes the author's last name and the relevant page number: 

(Author 123)

How to Cite a Website in MLA

Here's how to cite a website in MLA:

Author's last name, First name. "Title of page."

Website. Website Publisher, date. Web. Date

retrieved. <URL>

With information from a real website, this looks like:

Morris, Nancy. "How to Cite a Tweet in APA,

Chicago, and MLA." Scribendi. Scribendi

Inc., n.d. Web. 22 Dec. 2021.

<https://www.scribendi.com/academy/articles/how_to_cite_a_website.en.html>

How Do You Cite a Tweet in MLA ?

MLA uses the full text of a short Tweet (under 140 characters) as its title. Longer Tweets can be shortened using ellipses. 

MLA Tweet references should be formatted as follows:

@twitterhandle (Author Name). "Text of Tweet." Twitter, Date Month, Year, time of

publication, URL.

With information from an actual Tweet, this looks like:

@neiltyson (Neil deGrasse Tyson). "You can't use reason to convince anyone out of an

argument that they didn't use reason to get into." Twitter, 29 Sept. 2020, 10:15 p.m.,

https://twitter.com/neiltyson/status/1311127369785192449 .

How to Cite a Book in MLA

Here's how to cite a book in MLA:

Author's last name, First name. Book Title. Publisher, Year.

With publication information from a real book, this looks like:

Montgomery, L.M. Rainbow Valley. Frederick A. Stokes Company, 1919.

How to Cite a Chapter in a Book in MLA

Author's last name, First name. "Title of Chapter." Book Title , edited by Editor Name,

Publisher, Year, pp. page range.

With publication information from an actual book, this looks like:

Ezell, Margaret J.M. "The Social Author: Manuscript Culture, Writers, and Readers." The

Broadview Reader in Book History , edited by Michelle Levy and Tom Mole, Broadview

Press, 2015,pp. 375–394.

How to  Cite a Paraphrase in MLA

You can cite a paraphrase in MLA exactly the same way as you would cite a direct quotation. 

Make sure to include the author's name (either in the text or in the parenthetical citation) and the relevant page number.

How to Use In-Text Citations in APA

In APA, in-text citations include the author's last name and the year of publication; a page number is included only if a direct quotation is used: 

(Author, 2021, p. 123)

How to Cite a Website in APA

Here's how to cite a website in APA:

Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Year, Month. date of publication). Title of page. https://URL

Morris, N. (n.d.). How to cite a Tweet in APA, Chicago, and MLA. 

https://www.scribendi.com/academy/articles/how_to_cite_a_website.en.html       

Tip: Learn more about how to write an academic essay with  references to websites .

How Do You  Cite a Tweet in APA ?

APA refers to Tweets using their first 20 words. 

Tweet references should be formatted as follows:

Author, A. A. [@twitterhandle). (Year, Month. date of publication). First 20 words of the

Tweet. [Tweet] Twitter. URL

When we input information from a real Tweet, this looks like:

deGrasse Tyson, N. [@neiltyson]. (2020, Sept. 29). You can't use reason to convince anyone

out of an argument that they didn't use reason to get into. [Tweet] Twitter.

https://twitter.com/neiltyson/status/1311127369785192449

How to Cite a Book in APA

Here's how to cite a book in APA:   

Author, A. A. (Year). Book title. Publisher.

For a real book, this looks like:

Montgomery, L. M. (1919). Rainbow valley.

Frederick A. Stokes Company.

How to Cite a Chapter in a Book in APA

Author, A. A. (Year). Chapter title. In Editor Name (Ed.), Book Title (pp. page range).

With information from a real book, this looks like:

Ezell, M. J. M. (2014). The social author: Manuscript culture, writers, and readers. In

Michelle Levy and Tom Mole (Eds.), The Broadview Reader in Book History (pp. 375–

394). Broadview Press.

Knowing how to cite a book and how to cite a chapter in a book correctly will take you a long way in creating an effective reference list.

How to Cite a Paraphrase in APA

You can cite a paraphrase in APA the same way as you would cite a direct quotation, including the author's name and year of publication. 

In APA, you may also choose to pinpoint the page from which the information is taken.

Referencing is an essential part of academic integrity. Learning how to write an academic essay with references and how to use in-text citations shows readers that you did your research and helps them locate your sources.

Learning how to cite a website, how to cite a book, and how to cite a paraphrase can also help you avoid plagiarism —an academic offense with serious consequences for your education or professional reputation.

Scribendi can help format your citations or review your whole paper with our Academic Editing services .

Take Your Essay from Good to Great

Hire an expert academic editor , or get a free sample, about the author.

Scribendi's in-house editors work with writers from all over the globe to perfect their writing. They know that no piece of writing is complete without a professional edit, and they love to see a good piece of writing transformed into a great one. Scribendi's in-house editors are unrivaled in both experience and education, having collectively edited millions of words and obtained numerous degrees. They love consuming caffeinated beverages, reading books of various genres, and relaxing in quiet, dimly lit spaces.

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This page gives basic guidelines for formatting the reference list at the end of a standard APA research paper. Most sources follow fairly straightforward rules. However, because  sources obtained from academic journals  carry special weight in research writing, these sources  are subject to special rules . Thus, this page presents basic guidelines for citing academic journals separate from its "ordinary" basic guidelines. This distinction is made clear below.

Formatting a Reference list using APA

Your reference list should be included at the end of your paper. The whole point of the reference list is to provide the information necessary for any reader to locate and retrieve any source you cite in the body of the paper. Each source you cite in the paper must appear in your reference list; likewise, each entry in the reference list must be cited in your text.

Your references should begin on a new page separate from the text of the essay; label this page "References" in bold, centered at the top of the page (do NOT underline or use quotation marks for the title). All text should be double-spaced just like the rest of your essay.

The Basics for Most Sources

• All lines after the first line of each entry in your reference list should be indented one-half inch from the left margin. This is called hanging indentation. (This is a key attribute of APA format)
• All authors' names should be inverted (i.e., last names should be provided first).
• For example, the reference entry for a source written by Jane Marie Smith would begin with "Smith, J. M."
• If a middle name isn't available, just initialize the author's first name: "Smith, J."
• Give the last name and first/middle initials for all authors of a particular work up to and including 20 authors ( this is a new rule, as APA 6 only required the first six authors ). Separate each author’s initials from the next author in the list with a comma. Use an ampersand (&) before the last author’s name. If there are 21 or more authors, use an ellipsis (but no ampersand) after the 19th author, and then add the final author’s name.
• Reference list entries should be alphabetized by the last name of the first author of each work.
• For multiple articles by the same author, or authors listed in the same order, list the entries in chronological order, from earliest to most recent.
• Note again that the titles of academic journals are subject to special rules. See that section below.
• Italicize titles of longer works (e.g., books, edited collections, names of newspapers, and so on).
• Do not italicize, underline, or put quotes around the titles of shorter works such as chapters in books or essays in edited collections.

The Basics for Academic Journal Citations using APA

• Include journal titles in full, such as " Hawai'i Journal of Medicine & Public Health " instead of an abbreviation.
• Italicize journal titles.
• For example, you should use  Past & Present  instead of  Past and Present.
• This distinction is based on the type of source being cited. Academic journal titles have all major words capitalized, while other sources' titles do not.
• Capitalize  the first word of the titles and subtitles of   journal articles , as well as the  first word after a colon or a dash  in the title, and  any proper nouns .
• Do not italicize or underline the article title.
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APA (7th Edition) Referencing Guide

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Notes on the layout for your reference list:

Layout of page:

• The reference list starts on a new page, after your assignment and before any appendices. Place the word "References", centered, in bold, at the top of the page. APA does not require other formatting for the title of your reference page (like underlining), but check with your lecturer.
• Each entry in the reference list has a hanging indent , so that the first line of the entry is flush with the left margin, but all other lines are indented (this is the opposite of the paragraph structure in the body of your essay). Tip: You can do this easily by selecting your references, and pressing Ctrl + T on a PC, or Command (⌘) + T on a Mac. (For Word Online, see the instructions for creating a hanging indent here: https://libanswers.jcu.edu.au/faq/266638 ).

Order of references:

• For APA the reference list is arranged in alphabetical order of authors' surnames.
• Arrange by first author's name, then by second author if you have the same first author, etc. ( check the page on Authors for how to lay out the reference if you have more than one author ).
• If a reference has no author , list it alphabetically according to the title. Ignore the words 'A', 'An' and 'The' at the beginning of a corporate author or title for deciding where it fits alphabetically.
• N.B. A year without a date is considered to be "older" than a year with a date ("nothing comes before something"), so 2018 will go before 2018, September - and a month without a day will go before a month with a day, so 2018, September will go before 2018, September 12. Please note that the year only is required in-text, so you will need to follow the advice below whenever you have multiple citations in the same year.
• N.B. If you have a full date, only use the title to order the references if the date is identical. Always use 'a', 'b', etc after the year, if more than one work has been published by the same author in the same year, as this is used in the in-text referencing, e.g. (2019a, April 12), (2019b, March 23). For example:

Queensland Health. (2017a, April 9). Managing your asthma symptoms . https://www.health.qld.gov.au/news-alerts/news/managing-asthma-symptoms

Queensland Health. (2017b, August 23). Five things you might not know about asthma . https://www.health.qld.gov.au/news-alerts/news/5-things-you-might-not-know-about-asthma

Format of titles:

• APA uses sentence case for all titles except for journal titles.
• Begin each title and subtitle with a capital letter, but only names should be capitalised for all titles other than journal titles.

Below is an example of a reference list formatted in APA style.  Mouse over the references to find more information about writing a reference list.

This list has been single spaced for this guide, but you will probably be asked to double-space your assignment, and that includes the reference list.

Note: the DOIs and URLs in the reference list above should be hyperlinked to the appropriate page, but the code for hyperlinking and the code for mouseover text was not compatible. In your reference list, make sure your DOIs and URLs are hyperlinked to the relevant page.

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How to Format a Harvard Reference List

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• 7th September 2020

Many universities recommend using the Harvard referencing citation style . There are many variations of this system, so make sure to check your style guide for specifics, but all of them require you to include a reference list. In this post, then, we’ll look at the basic format of a Harvard style reference list.

What Is a Harvard Reference List?

A reference list or bibliography (the terms are often used interchangeably) comes at the end of your work and provides the full source information for all the author–date citations in the main text of your work.

It’s vital to include a reference list like this for several reasons, such as:

• Readers can check your sources to find out more on the subject matter.
• It helps you show that you have read the relevant background literature.
• It helps you to avoid plagiarism by showing where you’ve drawn on other people’s ideas or directly quoted their words in your writing.

When researching an essay, it’s thus a good idea to note down as much information as you can about the sources you read (e.g., author names, titles, publication details). This will make it easier to compile the final reference list.

As mentioned in the introduction, the exact format of a Harvard reference list will vary depending on the version of the system you’re using. However, there are some basic principles you should always follow:

• A reference list should always go at the end of the document.
• Reference lists should have a clear title (e.g., “Reference List” or “References”).
• All sources should be listed with full publication details. If you cannot find every detail you need, make sure to include enough for a reader to find the exact version of the source you’ve used.
• Sources should be listed alphabetically by author surname. This means you should give author names surname first, followed by first name (e.g., “Ricoeur, Paul”) or initials (e.g., “Ricoeur, P.”).
• Titles of longer works (e.g., books and journals) are usually italicized.
• Whichever style you use, make sure to apply it consistently!

In addition, common variations include:

• Adding a half-inch (1.27 cm) hanging indent for each entry.
• Placing titles of shorter works (e.g., journal articles) in quote marks.

To make sure your reference list is perfect, then, you will want to check your school’s style guide for formatting guidelines.

Harvard Reference Formats

The information to include for each source in a Harvard reference list depends on two things:

• The format of the source (e.g., book, journal article, webpage).
• The version of Harvard referencing you’re using.

Here again, you’ll want to check your university’s style guide to know the exact format to use. But we can give you a couple of examples using the Open University Harvard Referencing Style Guide [PDF] .

The basic format for a book in this version of Harvard referencing is:

Surname, INITIAL(S). (Year)  Title , Place of publication, Publisher.

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And in practice, then, a book reference will look like this:

Tolkien, J.R.R. (1991) The Hobbit, or There and Back Again , London, HarperCollins.

The generic format for a journal article, meanwhile, is:

Surname(s), INITIAL(S). (Year) “Title of Article,” Title of Journal , volume, issue number, page number(s).

And you can see how this would look in practice below:

Gray, L. (2018) “Exploring How and Why Young People Use Social Networking Sites,” Educational Psychology in Practice, vol. 34, no.2, pp. 185–194.

As you can see, the Open University version of this system doesn’t use a hanging indent, but it does place article titles in quote marks. For more information on reference formats, take a look at our writing tips blog .

Harvard Referencing Proofreading

Whichever version of Harvard referencing you are using, we have proofreaders who can help ensure your writing is error free.

All you need to do is let us know which style guide to use when you submit your work for proofreading. Submit a 500-word sample document to our referencing experts for free today to find out more.

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Referencing at Birmingham Newman

• Introduction to Newman Harvard referencing
• In-text citations: guide and examples

Using Newman Harvard referencing in your work

Presenting your full reference lists, reference list examples: frequently used sources, reference list examples: written sources (online or print) a-z, reference list examples: other sources (audio, video and multimedia) a-z, further help.

• Last reviewed
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• Help with other referencing styles

Your tutors will be expecting to see in-text citations and full references in your assignments. Don’t forget, every in-text citation must also be fully referenced in your reference list at the end of your assignment.

Anyone reading your reference list must be able to find all of the sources that you have cited in your in-text citations if they want to, so it’s important to give full details for every source.

A reference list entry should contain:

• the last names and initials of all of the authors or editors of a source
• the year of publication
• the full title of the source
• details of where the source can be found or where it was published

Reference lists have punctuation rules that are very different to how you normally write. Use the following guide and referencing examples to help you present your references correctly.

Put all the entries in your reference list in alphabetical order by the first authors’ surnames. Every entry in your reference list must end with a full stop.

Authors' and editors' names

List all the names of the authors or editors in the same order as they appear on the source.

Do not mix named people and organisations (e.g. Laws, D. and Department for Education) – use organisation names only if there are no individual people’s names given.

Write names in this format:

• [Last Name]
• [Initial(s)]
• [full stop]

Lists of names should be separated by commas, with the last name on this list preceded by ‘and’. If the people named are editors, not authors, write (ed.) or (eds.) after their names.

Do not mix authors and editors. If both are listed, use authors.

Anionwu, E.

Krauss, L. M. and Cox, B.

Nye, E., Gardner, F., Hansford, L., Edwards, V., Hayes, R. and Ford, T.

Pollard, A. (ed.)

Glister, J. and Lee, J. (eds.)

Year of publication

This should be in round brackets and comes straight after the authors’ or editors’ names. Do not put a full-stop after the date.

The full title of the source

Always write the title in ‘sentence case’. This means that you only use capital letters for the first word of the title and for any proper nouns (names of things that are usually capitalised, e.g. ‘Elizabeth’ or ‘London’).

Follow this rule even if the source you’re using does not.

Depending on what sort of source you have used, you will need to either write the title in italics (slanted text) or put it into single quotation marks. The referencing examples will tell you which you should use.

Example: title of a book

Pride and prejudice

Example: title of a journal article

'The Darcy effect: regional tourism and costume drama'

Publication details

The details you put into this section depend on the type of source you’re using.

8th edn. London: Routledge.

Revised edn. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.

British Journal of Criminology, 59 (4), pp.1035-1053.

Business, Education and Technology Journal, 2001 (Fall), pp.6-21.

Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-48760522 (Accessed 14 July 2019).

DOI: 10.1787/9789264305847-en.

The referencing examples will tell you what details to use for each type of source. If you can’t find an example for the type of source you’re using, use the ‘Where to get further help’ section of this guide for more options.

Anonymised sources from professional experience placements or research data

For courses involving placements or professional experiences, or if you carry out research in these areas, it’s unethical to name people or organisations directly. You should change the names of people and organisations to code names.

In your research, you used Midtown High School’s Behaviour management policy and Uptown Grammar School’s Pupil code of conduct . In your assignment you might change the name ‘Midtown High School’ to ‘Secondary School A’ and ‘Uptown Grammar School’ to ‘Secondary School B’.

An in-text reference may look like this:

Strategies include working with pupils to create "personalised positive behaviour plans" (Secondary school A, 2015a)...

In an interview, a teacher from Midtown High School says something of interest. You might change the name of the teacher to ‘Teacher A1’ to show that they were from Midtown High School. A teacher from Uptown Grammar School might therefore become ‘Teacher B1’.

Use the code names in all your in-text citations and in your full reference list.

In your reference list entry, you must also remove anything from the publication details that might identify organisations or people – even if this means that you have to leave out parts of the full reference that you would normally include (for example, the URL of the source).

Secondary school A (2017) Behaviour management policy.

Rather than

Secondary school A (2017) Behaviour management policy. Available at http://www.uptown.sch.uk/upload/docs/behaviour-management.pdf (Accessed: 23 May 2019).

Reference list entries for secondary references

You will find details on how to set out secondary references in the In-text citations: guidance and examples tab, under the heading 'Citing a source that is cited in another source (secondary referencing)' .

Your reference list should only contain the details of sources that you have actually read.

If you used the following in-text citation in your essay:

(Scriven, 1991, cited in Hattie, 2012, p.143)

you would only put the Hattie source in your reference list, as you did not read the source by Scriven.

Hattie, J. (2012) Visible learning for teachers: maximizing impact on learning. Abingdon: Routledge.

Anyone who is reading your work and who wants to find the Scriven source can consult Hattie to find the reference for it.

Book or e-book

You reference books and e-books in the same way unless the e-book has been downloaded to an e-reader (Kindle, Kobo, etc.)

• Author(s) [Last name, Initials]
• Year (in round brackets)
• Title of book (in italics )
• [full-stop]
• Edition [Nth edn]
• Place of publication

You don't state the edition number if it is the first or only edition of the book.

Book with one author

Bell, J. (2018) Doing your research project. 7th edn. London: Open University Press.

Book with more than one author

Cross, A., Borthwick, A., Beswick, K., Board, J. and Chippindall, J. (2016) Curious learners in primary maths, science, computing and DT. London: SAGE.

Don't use et al. in your full references: write all the authors out in full. Remember your reference list is not included in your word count.

Chapter or section of an edited book

Information about Cite them right 12th edition . January 2023.

We are aware that the latest edition of Cite them right , published in 2022, has changed the way that editors' names should be written in reference lists for this type of source.

You may choose whether to use this guidance or the new guidance. However, your references for this type of source should be consistent across your reference list. If this is the case, you should not lose any marks. Be aware that, if you are using a reference management app with " Cite them right 12th edition" as the output style, your references will be formatted in the new way, and you should check any that you may have entered manually or created with an earlier edition or Birmingham Newman Harvard style.

Use this guidance:

• for books and e-books where each chapter or section has a different author or authors
• when you want to use a section of a standard book, like a foreword, introduction, commentary, notes or other editorial material, that is written by a different named author to the book's author or authors.
• Author(s) of chapter or section [Last name, Initials.]
• 'Title of chapter or section' (in 'single quotation marks')
• in Editor(s) names [Last name, Initials] (ed.) or (eds.)
• Title of whole book (in italics )
• pp. [page range of chapter or section]

You don't state the edition number if it is the first or only edition of the book.

When you use several chapters or sections of this type of book or e-book, each chapter or section needs its own reference list entry.

Chakraborti, R. (2010) ‘Constructing character’, in Cavanagh, D., Gillis, A., Keown, M., Loxley, J. and Stevenson, R. (eds.) The Edinburgh introduction to studying English literature. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, pp. 129-138.

Worrall, N. (2016) 'Commentary', in Chekhov, A. The cherry orchard . Translated by M. Frayn. London: Bloomsbury Methuen.

In-text citations for chapters of sections of edited books

You use the authors of the chapter or section that you have used in your in-text citation:

(Chakraborti, 2010, p.131)

(Worrall, 2016, p. xxiv)

Journal article (online or print)

Print or online journal articles with volume and issue numbers.

• 'Title of article' (in 'single quotation marks')
• Name of Journal (in italics and Title Case)
• Volume number or name (if available)
• (Issue number or name) (in round brackets) (if available)
• pp. [page range]

Some journals do not split volumes into issues, and some don't use volume numbers at all. Just use the details that are available in your reference.

Wijtvliet, W. and Dyevre, A. (2021) 'Judicial ideology in economic cases: evidence from the general court of the European Union', European Union Politics , 22(1), pp. 25-45.

Online journal articles with a DOI

A DOI ('Digital Object Identifier') is a permanent reference for an online document. If the article you are referencing has a DOI, use this instead of volume/issue and page numbers.

• DOI: [number]

Staring-Derks, C., Staring, J. and Anionwe, E.N. (2015) 'Mary Seacole: global nurse extraordinaire', Journal of Advanced Nursing , DOI: 10.1111/jan.12559.

When you use a DOI, don't state the date you accessed the document.

Copies of journal articles in archives, repositories or direct from the author

"pre-prints" and "post-prints".

Sometimes you may find an article that has not yet been peer-reviewed or published in a journal that you wish to use. These are called pre-prints . Pre-prints are common in scientific and healthcare related disciplines, where the results of new research are highly anticipated or may be needed quickly, but may be found in other disciplines too.

On the other hand, you can also find copies of articles that have already been published, but a copy has also been archived by the university where the author works. Sometimes, you may also contact the author of an article and ask for a copy to use. These copies are called post-prints .

You are free to reference pre-print and post-print copies of articles in your work, but you should always make sure that your copy of the article is real and from a legitimate source. Pre-prints and post-prints may not have the journal publisher's formatting or page numbers.

• [Pre-print] OR [Post-print] (in [square brackets])
• Available at: [URL]
• (Accessed: [date]) (in round brackets)

If the author sent you the document directly, you can replace the URL and Accessed date with:

• Author-supplied copy

Mac an Ghaill, M. and Haywood, C. (2018) 'Performance and surveillance in an era of austerity: schooling the reflexive generation of Muslim young men', British Journal of Sociology of Education [Post-print]. Available at: https://newman.repository.guildhe.ac.uk/id/eprint/17211/ (Accessed 9 December 2022).

Ikueze, S. and Ejesu, O. A. (2022) 'Journalism and the representation of truth in Nigerian postcolonial literature', African Journalism Studies [Pre-print]. Author-supplied copy.

In-text citation for pre-print and post-print copies

You must still use page numbers for quotations and paraphrases in in-text citation for pre-print and post-print copies of articles. This means that if the part of the article you are citing is on page 4 of the document in front of you, this is what you should use in your in-text citation.

(Mac an Ghaill, and Haywood, 2018, p.4)

Legislation (Laws -- Acts of Parliament)

• Title of Act [Year] (in italics )
• c. [Chapter number] (if relevant)
• County/jurisdiction (required only if you have references to laws from more than one country)

Use in in-text citation

Use the full title of the Act of Parliament in your in-text citation, and add a section number when you quote or paraphrase a specific part.

Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panels are responsible for "serious child safeguarding cases in England which raise issues that are complex or of national importance" ( Children and Social Work Act 2017 , s.13).

Use in reference list

Children and Social Work Act 2017 , c. 16. Available at: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2017/16/contents (Accessed: 17 March 2020).

News article (online or print)

For an online news article, use the following:

• Name of online news source (in italics )
• Day and month

If there is no named author, the name of the news source moves from its position after the title of the article to the 'first position' in front of the date.

Stanford, P. (2022) 'Pope Benedict XVI: obituary', The Guardian , 31 December. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/dec/31/pope-benedict-obituary (Accessed: 4 January 2023).

For an article from a print newspaper, replace the online publication details with:

• p. [page number]

Bayes, H. (2015) 'Can theatre break down social barriers about mental health?', The Stage , 21 May, p.6.

Report, briefing paper or short documents (including PDFs published online)

You can use this guidance to reference most documents published online as PDFs by organisations, and for printed reports and short documents.

• Author(s) [Last name, Initials.] OR Organisation name
• Title of source (in italics )

Save the Children (2021) Annual report 2021: together, we power possible . Available at: https://www.savethechildren.org.uk/content/dam/gb/reports/annual-report-2021-save-the-children.pdf (Accessed: 4 January 2023).

If you are referencing a printed document, replace the online publication details with the following:

Lemos, G. (2005) The search for tolerance: challenging and changing racist attitudes and behaviour among young people . York: Joseph Rowntree Foundation.

Teaching and learning materials from Birmingham Newman modules

Use this guidance when you need to reference sources provided to you as part of your studies, either in person or uploaded to Moodle. This includes lectures, presentations, handouts and other materials created by lecturers and other students.

Do not use this guidance to reference text extracts or scans from books or journal articles or other published sources. Use the appropriate guidance for the type of source instead.

• Author(s) [Last name, Initials.]
• 'Title of source' (in 'single quotation marks')
• [Medium] (in [square brackets])
• Module code and title (in italics )
• Birmingham Newman University
• Day and month (if appropriate)
• Available at: [URL] (if required)
• (Accessed: [date]) (in round brackets) (if required)

If the source is not available online, replace the online publication details with the word 'Unpublished'. Remember to end your reference with a full stop.

Chen, L. (2019) 'Apiary construction: part 1' [Lecture]. BKU401: Introduction to Beekeeping . Birmingham Newman University. 16 October. Available at: https://moodle3.newman.ac.uk/19-20/mod/page/view.php?id=9999 (Accessed: 22 October 2019).

Springer, P. (2017) '5 key readings on recreation and social policy' [Handout]. PEU663: Recreation and Society . Birmingham Newman University. Unpublished.

Use this example to reference webpages, unless your source is

• an online news article
• a blog or vlog post
• a social media post

For these, use the separate examples in this guide.

• Author(s) [Last name, Initials] OR Organisation name
• Title of webpage (in italics )

You can usually find the title of a webpage on the browser or tab heading.

Named author

Doyle, A. (2019) Behavioural based job interview questions. Available at: https://www.thebalancecareers.com/behavioral-job-interview-questions-2059620 (Accessed: 14 August 2019).

Organisation as author

Runnymede Trust (no date) Common cause networks. Available at: hhttps://www.runnymedetrust.org/projects-and-publications/parliament/common-cause-network.html (Accessed: 10 March 2021).

AI (Artificial Intelligence) generated content (e.g ChatGPT, DALL-E)

Please note that, at this time, Birmingham Newman Library does not recommend using and citing information generated by AI systems in your work unless you have expressly agreed with your tutors that it is OK to do so.

AI content with shareable links

If the AI system provides you with a shareable link to a session containing multiple prompts, use the automatically-generated session title or the first prompt of the session (in full) in your reference list entry.

• Name of AI system or tool
• (Year) (in round brackets)
• Title of chat OR Full first prompt (in italics )
• [Prompt provided by [First Name, Family Name] (in [square brackets]) (if not yourself)

Do not change the automatically generated name of any session unless it would create confusion about which session you are referring to. Remember that you can add a letter (a, b, c etc.) after the year to distinguish between references from the same ‘author’ in the same year.

ChatGPT (2023) Van Eyck vs Coolidge . 12 September. Available at: https://chat.openai.com/share/92c3873d-a1c6-4254-b74e-5bbcffada2c1 (Accessed 18 September 2023).

ChatGPT (2023a) Sun-themed poetry workshop [prompt provided by Ben Moore]. 18 September. Available at: https://chat.openai.com/share/9272556d-5d5b-4452-bf8c-401e01b263b7 (Accessed 18 September 2023).

AI content without shareable links

If the system does not give you a shareable link to a session, or does not allow for sessions containing multiple prompts, you will need to provide a reference list entry for every prompt and response that you use in your work that is provided by the AI system.

• Full prompt text (in italics )

Interrail Chatbot (2023a) Tell me about overnight trains . 15 September.

Interrail Chatbot (2023a) Do I always need to reserve a seat? 15 September.

Anthology (collection) of texts e.g.poems, plays, short stories, essays or extracts

You should only use this guidance if you are referencing the collection as a whole. For individual plays, poems and stories, see the guidance under each source type under 'Written sources (online or print) A-Z' on this page.

• Editor/compiler [Last name, Initials] (ed.) or (eds.)
• Title of anthology (in italics )

Wu, D. (ed.) (2012) Romanticism: an anthology. 2nd edn. Oxford: Wiley Blackwell.

• Author(s) or editor(s) [Last name, Initials]
• Narrated by [First name, Last name] (if available)
• (Downloaded: [date]) (in round brackets)

Rowling, J.K. (2015) Harry Potter and the chamber of secrets. Narrated by Stephen Fry. Available at: http://www.audible.co.uk (Downloaded: 19 June 2018).

Bills (Parliament - draft legislation)

Bills are draft laws discussed and debated in Parliament. If they become law, you must use the referencing guidance for ‘Acts of Parliament’ instead.

Bills can be published by either the House of Commons or House of Lords.

• Title of Bill (in italics and Title Case)
• House of [Commons or Lords]

Anonymity (Arrested Persons) Bill (2017) Parliament: House of Lords. Bill no. 30. Available at: https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/bills/lbill/2017-2019/0030/lbill_2017-20190030_en_1.htm (Accessed: 21 August 2019).

Blogs and 'news' sections of websites

• 'Title of message' (in 'single quotation marks')
• Title of internet site (in italics )
• Day and month of message

Craig, M. (2022) 'Why we can’t tackle the environmental emergency without tackling racism', The Runnymede Trust blog , 8 November. Available at:https://www.runnymedetrust.org/blog/why-we-cant-tackle-the-environmental-emergency-without-tackling-racism/ (Accessed: 5 January 2023).

Book downloaded to an e-reader (Kindle, Kobo, Nook, etc.)

E-readers often don’t use page numbers. Use the information your e-reader gives you (for example 'loc' (location) or percentage).

• Author(s) (Last name, Initials)
• Edition [Nth edn.]

Using 'loc' in an in-text citation

Woolf, again, pokes fun at the lofty, overwrought style of Victorian biography (Woolf, 2012, loc 1239).

Reference list entry

Woolf, V. (2012) Orlando: a biography. Available at: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Orlando-Biography-Virginaia-Woolf-ebook/dp/B006T5JTSY (Downloaded: 11 March 2021).

Book read or downloaded in accessible format from RNIB Bookshare

If you use the PDF version of the book from RNIB Bookshare, then you can reference it as a standard book or e-book, as the page numbers for your in-text citations will be identical to those in the file. However, for other accessible versions use the guidance below, and note the differences for presenting your in-text citations.

• [EPUB] (for Online Reader or EPUB files) OR [MS Word] OR [DAISY] OR [Braille] (in [square brackets])
• Place of Publication

Anthony, D. (2009) Partnership working [EPUB]. Abingdon: Routledge.

Mullany, L. and Stockwell, P. (2016) Instriducting English language [MS Word]. 2nd edn. Abingdon: Routledge.

Collins, P.H. and Bilge, S. (2016) Intersectionality [Braille]. London: Wiley.

In-text citation of accessible formats

Most accessible formats will not follow the page numbers of the standard editions of books and will often not have traditional page numbers. For your in-text citation, you have two options:

• Cross reference your quotes and paraphrases with the standard edition or the PDF edition which has the page numbers and then use these page numbers in your in-text citations. If you do this, then do not reference the book as an accessible resource in your reference list . Use the standard guidance instead.
• Use the page or progress system available in the accessible resource. This can often be (for example) a percentage, a location code or a section and page number.
• For MS Word files use the page number in an unedited version of the document (i.e the page number it was on when you downloaded it and before you changed the font size, style or page margins, etc.)

Examples of in-text citations for accessible resources

(Anthony, 2009, 54%)

(Mullany and Stockwell, 2016, loc 4535)

(Collins and Bilge, 2016, s.4 p.6)

Book translated from a foreign language

• Translated by [First name or Initials Last name]

You don't state the edition number if it is the first or only edition.

Translators' names are written differently to the usual way you write names in references.

Schweitzer, A. (1911) J.S.Bach. Translated by Ernest Birmingham Newman. New York: Dover Publications.

Murakami, H. (2003) Norwegian wood. Translated by J. Rubin. London: Vintage.

Book with author(s) and editor(s) named

Older texts, such as classic plays and novels and important scientific or philosophical works, are often reprinted in new editions.

You should add the details of the editor to your references because

• the editor may have made important contributions to the work and should be credited
• it will be easier for the person reading your work to find the exact edition you used.
• Edited by [First name or Initials Last name]

Editors' names are written differently to the usual way you write names in references.

Mill, J. S. (1982) On liberty . Edited by G. Himmelfarb. London: Penguin.

When referencing an edited book, use the publication date of the edition you are using, not the publication date of the original.

Book review published in a journal or other periodical (e.g. newspaper, magazine)

• Reviewer(s) [Last name, Initials]
• 'Title of review' (in 'single quotation marks') (if available)
• Review of [Book title] (in italics)
• by [Author of book being reviewed] [First name (or initials) Last name]
• Name of Journal or Periodical (in italics and Title Case)
• Issue number or name (in round brackets) (if available)

If the article is published in a periodical that does not have volumes and issue numbers (e.g. newspapers) replace these details with:

Hagopian, P (2019) 'The war that never ended'. Review of The Vietnam war reexamined , by Michael G. Kort. History Today , 69(2), pp.99-101.

Fox, M. (2022) 'The fine print'. Review of Index, a history of the , by Dennis Duncan. The New York Times Sunday Book Review , 27 February, p.1.

If the book review is published online, you can replace the print publication details with either the DOI or URL publication details. Use the guidance for Online journal articles with a DOI or News article (online or print) to help you.

Computer programming or source code

Only follow this guidance if you wish to reference the actual code of a program or application.

If you want to reference the content of a program or application, use the 'mobile and computer apps' example.

• Developer name [Last name, Initials] or Organisation
• (Year of release or update) (in round brackets)
• Title of program/source code (in italics and Title Case)
• (Version number) (in round brackets)
• [program code] or [source code] (in [square brackets])
• (Accessed: [date]) OR (Downloaded: [date])

If the program you are referencing is a physical item (e.g. a CD-ROM), rather than online or a downloaded file, replace the online publication details with:

• Place of distribution
• Distributor's name

Shiny Frog Ltd. (2019) Bear (Version 1.6.15) [source code]. Available at: https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/bear/id1016366447 (Downloaded 12 August 2019).

Sega Enterprises (1987) Alex Kid in Miracle World [program code]. ROM cartridge. Tokyo: Sega Enterprises Ltd.

If no developer or organisation is listed, use the title of the app in your in-text citations and as the first part of the full reference.

Conference papers

• 'Title of paper' (in 'single quotation marks')
• Title of conference (in italics )
• Location of conference

Conole, G. (2010) 'Current challenges in learning design and pedagogical patterns research', Seventh international conference on networked learning. Denmark, 3-4 May. Available at: http://www.lancs.ac.uk/fss/organisations/netlc/past/nlc2010/abstracts/Conole.html (Accessed: 22 July 2010).

If the paper is in a printed edition of the conference proceedings, you should substitute the online publication details with:

Morgan, J. I. (2013) 'Exploring the benefits of a brief health psychology intervention in the workplace', Contemporary ergonomics and human factors: proceedings of the international conference on ergonomics and human factors. Cambridge, 15-18 April. London: CRC Press, pp.441-442.

Confidential information

The ' special cases ' section of this guide shows you how to create code names for organisations and people that must remain confidential.

• Code name of institution
• Title of document (in italics )

Do not add any other details.

Secondary school A (2015) Behaviour management policy.

Remember to also substitute the code name into the title of the document if necessary:

Primary school B (2018) Safeguarding at primary school B.

Dictionary (online or print)

Rules for referencing dictionaries are slightly different for online and print versions.

Referencing an online dictionary

• 'Word or phrase being cited' (in 'single quotation marks')
• Name of dictionary (in italics )

Using a dictionary definition for an in-text citation

...the definition of 'hero' suggests a character should have "superhuman strength, courage or ability" ('Hero', 2014)

'Hero' (2014) Oxford English dictionary . Available at: https://www.oed.com/view/Entry/86297 (Accessed 19 August 2019).

Referencing a printed dictionary

...the definition of 'hero' suggests a character should have "superhuman qualities" ( Concise Oxford Dictionary , 1999, p.666)

Concise Oxford Dictionary (1999) 10th edn. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Encyclopaedia article (online and print)

• Author(s) [Last name, initials]
• Title of encyclopedia (in italics)
• (Accessed: [date])

Kirk, G. S. (2019) 'Homer', Britannica academic . Available at: https://academic.eb.com/levels/collegiate/article/Homer/106285 (Accessed: 20 August 2019).

For printed encyclopaedias, replace the online publication details with:

Griffin, M.D. (2003) 'Demonology', New catholic encyclopedia. 2nd edn. London: Gale.

If there is no author listed for an article, use the title of the article (in 'single quotation marks') in both in-text citations and as the first part of the reference list entry.

If the article you are referencing comes from a wiki (an online source that can be continuously and anonymously updated by many people), use the separate example in the written sources A-Z.

Government department reports and publications

• Name of government department
• Title of report (in italics )

Department for Education (2018) Information sharing: advice for practitioners providing safeguarding services to children, young people, parents and carers. Available at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/721581/Information_sharing_advice_practitioners_safeguarding_services.pdf (Accessed: 9 July 2018).

For printed reports, replace the online publication details with:

Department for Education (2018) Information sharing: advice for practitioners providing safeguarding services to children, young people, parents and carers. London: Department for Education.

Law reports (case law)

Please note: this guidance should be followed by third year (level 6) students studying our Law (LL.B.) programme at Birmingham Newman. It is not the same as the style in Cite them right . If you are a first or second year Law student, or studying a different programme, your tutors may expect your references to law reports to be presented differently. If you need guidance, please check with your module leader.

Law reports before 2002

• Name of case (in italics)
• Title or Initials of Law Report series
• Volume number (if applicable)
• First page number of the report

You do not need a volume number if only one volume of the law report series was published in that year.

Donoghue v Stevenson (1932) AC 562.

R v Ghosh (1982) QB 1 1053.

J Lauritzen AS v Wijsmuller BV (The Super Servant Two) (1990) Lloyd's Law Reports 1 1.

Law reports from 2002 onwards

Law Reports from the United Kingdom since 2002 use a 'neutral citation', which are independent of the printed law report series. Cases are given a citation that includes the year they were heard, the court they were heard in and a case number. You can use these citations to search for cases in our online databases.

For cases after 2002, you must use the neutral citation in your reference list entries. You may use neutral citations for cases before 2002, where they are provided, if you wish.

• Name of case (in italics )
• Initials of court and case number

Chalcot Training Ltd v Ralph (2020) EWHC 1054 (Ch).

R (on the application of Miller) v Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union (2017) UKSC 5.

In-text citation for law reports

Your in-text citations must be set out as follows:

• at: [page number] OR [[paragraph reference]] (in [square brackets])

If you are just summarising a case or referencing it in passing, you may not need to put a page or paragraph reference to it.

( R v Ghosh , 1982, at 1055)

( Chalcot Training Ltd v Ralph , 2020, [30])

Be careful when using paragraph references that the number you give is from the case you are reading. On LexisNexis, where quotations are made by the judge from other cases, they often have the paragraph number from the quoted case embedded in them.

Saving words in your in-text citations

Case names can quickly become expensive when it comes to your word count. You can save words by using abbreviated case names, but you must follow these rules :

The first time you cite the case, you should write out the citation in full, e.g:

• ( R v Ghosh , 1982)
• ( Donoghue v Stevenson , 1932)
• ( R (on the application of Miller) v Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union , 2017)
• ( J Lauritzen AS v Wijsmuller BV (The Super Servant Two) , 1990)

When you cite the case again, you can just use the first party to the case's name on its own (e.g. ( Donoghue , 1932)), unless:

• The first party is R (i.e the Crown, as in most criminal cases) or another government official (e.g. Attorney General or Director of Public Prosecutions). In this case use the name of the second party, e.g. ( Ghosh , 1982)
• The first party is R (on the application of [name]) (i.e. a judicial review case). In this case, use the applicant's name , e.g. ( Miller , 2017)

Make sure that the abbreviated name is in italics to signal it is a case, rather than the author of another source's name.

Leaflets, flyers and other written ephemera

These types of source are called 'ephemera', as they are short-lived and not scholarly or literary.

Ephemera often don't have all of the details that you would usually need for a reference. You should think carefully about the reasons you want to include these sources in your work.

• Author or organisation name
• [Type of source and where it was found] (in [square brackets])
• Date the source was found

Birmingham City Council (2016) Summer 2016 in Birmingham. [Leaflet obtained at Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery]. 4 June 2016.

If there is no author or organisation listed, use the title of the source in your in-text citation and at the start of your reference list entry.

Legal name fraud (2016) [Poster seen in Northfield, Birmingham]. 12 June 2016.

We recommend that you to talk to your Module Leader before you include ephemera in your assignment. They may suggest you include a copy of the material in an appendix to your assignment, rather than giving it a full reference.

***WRITE HERE***

Mobile and computer apps

This style is only used for referencing content in an application. Use the 'computer programming or source code' example if you need to reference the code of an app.

• Author(s) or Developer(s) [Last name, Initials] or Organisation
• Title of App (in italics and Title Case)
• Edition (if given)
• Version number (if given) (in round brackets)
• [(Type of device) app] (in [square brackets])
• Available at: app store name
• (Downloaded: [date])

Shiny Frog Ltd. (2019) Bear . Apple i-phone edition (Version 1.6.15) [Mobile app]. Available at: Apple App Store (Downloaded 12 August 2019).

If there is no developer or organisation listed, use the title of the app in your in-text citations and as the first part of the full reference.

Goodreads (2018) Apple i-phone edition. (Version 3.9.6) [Mobile app]. Available at: Apple App Store (Downloaded: 5 June 2018).

Parliamentary papers and reports

Do not use this guidance for Acts of Parliament (legislation), Bills (draft legislation), Statutory Instruments, speeches or written answers given by members in the Houses of Parliament. There are separate examples in this guide for these sources.

• Parliament. House of [Commons or Lords]
• Title of paper or report (in italics )
• (Paper number) (in round brackets)

Parliament. House of Commons (2019) Road safety: driving while using a mobile phone: twelfth report of the Select Committee on Transport, 2017-2019. (HC2329). Available at: https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201719/cmselect/cmtrans/2329/2329.pdf (Accessed 21 August 2019).

Parliamentary speeches and written answers to questions

Speeches in Parliament are published in Hansard , the official record of Parliamentary proceedings. Before 2014 written questions and answers can also be found in Hansard .

• Author or Speaker [Last name, Initials (or Title for members of the House of Lords)]
• 'Subject of the debate, speech or question' (in 'single quotation marks')
• Hansard: [series] (in italics )
• Volume and column or page number

Debbonaire, T. (2016) 'The government's plan for Brexit', Hansard: House of Commons debates , 7 December, 618, c.298. Available at: https://hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/2016-12-07/debates/CA09D9B2-9634-41C8-8979-8B9CD82DBB8F/TheGovernmentSPlanForBrexit (Accessed 12 March 2021).

Since 2014, Parliament has published written questions and answers in the Written questions and answers database, instead of Hansard . Use the following guidance for these sources from 2014 onwards.

• Author [Last name, Initials (or Title for Members of the House of Lords)]
• 'Subject of the question, answer or statement' (in 'single quotation marks')
• Parliament: written questions and written answers (in italics )
• Question number

Williams, Baroness (2019) 'Immigration: written statement', Parliament: written questions and written answers, 23 July, HLWS1766. Available at: https://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-statement/Lords/2019-07-23/HLWS1766/ (Accessed: 21 August 2019).

Personal communication (letters, emails, text messages, conversations)

• Author or Speaker [Last name, Initials]
• Type of communication and name of person communicated with [First name, Last name]

Slater, H. (2016) E-mail to Brian Jones, 10 January.

You must seek permission from the people involved before including personal communication in your assignment, unless it has been published.

We recommend asking your Module Leader for advice and checking the 'special cases' section in this guide for advice on how to cite sources from research anonymously.

Plays published as a single volume

Reference a play published on its own in the same way as a book. If the play is included in an anthology or collection, follow the guidance in the ‘Plays published as part of an anthology or collection’ section of this guide.

• Title of resource (in italics )

If the play has an editor or is a translation, you should add these details to the reference. See the examples 'books translated from a foreign language' and 'books with author(s) and editor(s) named' for full details.

Hare, D. (1995) Skylight. London: Faber and Faber.

Pinter, H. (1993) The caretaker. Edited by Margaret Rose. London: Faber and Faber

Sophocles (1995) Electra. Translated by George Young. Edited by Thomas Crofts. New York: Dover Publications.

Plays published as part of an anthology or collection

Reference a play in an anthology in the same way as a chapter from an edited book.

• Author(s) of chapter or section [Last name, Initials]
• 'Title of play' (in 'single quotation marks')
• pp. [page range of play]

Bond, E. (2018) ‘Dea’, in Bond, E. Plays: 10. London: Bloomsbury Methuen Drama, pp.1-91.

Shakespeare, W. (2005) 'The merry wives of Windsor', in Wells, S. and Taylor, G. (eds.) The Oxford Shakespeare: the complete works. 2nd edn. Oxford: Clarendon Press, pp.511-536.

In-text citations using lines from a play

You must put the Act and Scene number for a play in your in-text citation as well as the page number (or line number in some plays, such as those by Shakespeare).

This means you will set out your in-text citation in the following way:

• Scene number
• p.[page number] or [line number]

'I wanted to say I’m not guilty.' (Hare, 1995, 1.2: p.15).

'I am all the daughters of my father's house,' (Shakespeare, 2010, 2.4: 128).

Poems published in an anthology or collection

Reference a poem in an anthology in the same way as a chapter from an edited book.

• Author [Last name, Initials]
• 'Title of poem' (in 'single quotation marks')
• in Author or Editor(s) names [Last name, Initials] (ed.) or (eds.)
• pp. [page range of poem]

Shelley, P.B. (1998) 'Ode to the West Wind', in Wu, D. (ed.) Romanticism: an anthology. 2nd edn. Oxford: Wiley Blackwell, pp. 859-861.

Heaney, S. (1975) 'Come to the bower', in Heaney, S. North. London: Faber and Faber, p24.

Poems published online

Reference a poem found online in the same way as a webpage.

• Title of poem (in italics )

Braithwaite, E.K. (2005) Bread. Available at: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/52763/bread-56d2318008d8f (Accessed: 12 March 2021).

Press releases

• Author [Last name, Initials] or Organisaion
• Title of press release (in italics )
• [Press release] (in [square brackets])
• Accessed: [date]

Birmingham City Council (2019) Council moves forward with effort to rezone site of proposed Sherman Industries concrete facility [Press release], 14 May. Available at: https://www.birminghamalcitycouncil.org/2019/05/14/ (Accessed: 21 August 2019).

If the press release is a printed document, do not include any details after the day and month.

Report from FAME, MarketLine or other databases

• Author(s) (Last name, Initials) or Publishing organisaion
• (Year of latest update) (in round brackets)

Bureau van Dijk (2018) Virgin Atlantic company report . Available at: http://fame.bvdep.com (Accessed: 12 July 2018).

MarketLine (2015) Amazon UK Ltd. Available at: http://web.ebscohost.com (Accessed: 20 October 2015).

Reference book

You reference sections or definitions from a reference book in a similar way to a chapter or section of an edited book.

• Author(s) or Editor(s) of book
• 'Title of section or definition' (in 'single quotation marks')
• in Title of whole book (in italics )

If you are using an online reference book, replace the printed publication details with:

• Available at: [date]

McLean, I. and McMillan, A. (eds.) (2009) 'Multiculturalism', in The concise Oxford dictionary of politics. Available at: http://www.oxfordreference.com/views/ENTRY.html?subview=Main&entry=t86.e853> (Accessed: 12 December 2011).

Sacred texts (Holy Bible, Holy Qu'ran, Torah, etc.)

In-text citations for sacred texts.

Set out in-text citations for sacred texts like this:

• Name of sacred text (or book/section)
• chapter or surah number
• verse number

"a time to kill and a time to heal" (Ecclesiastes 3: 3)

"And Moses brought Aaron and his sons, and washed them with water. (Vayikra 8: 6)

"Thy Guardian-Lord Hath not forsaken thee, Nor is He displeased. (Qu'ran 93: 2)

Reference list entries for sacred texts

For Theology module assignments, you do not need to provide a reference list entry. However, you must always provide an in-text citation.

For all other modules, reference lists for sacred texts should be set out as follows:

Holy Bible or Torah

• Name of sacred text ( not in italics)
• Version (for Holy Bible)

Holy Bible. Ecclesiastes 3:1-8. New International Version.

Torah. Bamidbar 1:1.

The Qu'ran and other sacred texts

• Book (if applicable)
• Chapter or Surah
• Translated by: [First name or Initials Last name] (if applicable)

Qu'ran 47: 5. Translated by Tarif Khalidi. London: Penguin.

Short story

Stories published as part of an anthology or collection.

Reference a short story in an anthology in the same way as a chapter from an edited book.

• Author(s) of story [Last name, Initials]
• 'Title of story' (in 'single quotation marks')
• pp. [page range of story]

Faulkner, W. (1967) 'Pennsylvania Station’, in Faulkner, W. Uncle Willy and other stories. London: Chatto & Windus, pp.203-220.

Conan Doyle, A. (2005) 'Lot no. 249', in Luckhurst, R. (ed.) Late Victorian gothic tales. Oxford: Oxford World's Classics, pp.109-140.

Stories published as a single volume

Reference a short story published on their own in the same way as a book.

• Title of story (in italics )

If the story has an editor or is a translation, add these details to the reference. See the examples 'books translated from a foreign language' and 'books with author(s) and editor(s) named' for full details.

Mansfield, K. (1920) Prelude. London: Hogarth Press.

Andersen, H.C. (2015) The tinder box. Translated by Tiina Nunnally. London: Penguin Little Black Classics.

Social media and instant messaging services

Birmingham Newman does not follow the guidance in Cite them right for social media posts.

Posts on social media sites (including Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, etc.)

Use this guidance for anything published publicly on a social media site. This can include posts to closed groups on Facebook, or locked accounts on Twitter and Instagram.

To help anyone reading your assignment, you could include screenshots of social media posts and their context in an appendix. We recommend you talk to your Module Leader if you are unsure what to do.

• Author of post [Last name, Initials] OR [Organisation name] OR ['username']
• [Social media platform name] (in [square brackets])
• Available at: [URL of post]

Blackman, M. (2019) [Twitter] 14 August. Available at: https://twitter.com/malorieblackman/status/1161558270735261696?s=20 (Accessed: 28 August 2019).

Extinction Rebellion Birmingham (2019) [Instagram] 27 August. Available at: https://www.instagram.com/p/B1rKF5anxjD/ (Accessed 28 August 2019).

'jøll' (2019) [TikTok], July. Available at: http://vm.tiktok.com/2r1s3F/ (Accessed: 28 August 2019).

Instant messenger services and private messages on social media sites (including WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, etc.)

Reference conversations in instant and private messenger services in the same way as personal communication.

We recommend asking your Module Leader for advice and checking the ‘special cases’ section in this referencing guide for advice on how to cite sources from research anonymously. Again, you may decide to include screenshots in an appendix to your assignment.

• Author [Last name, Initials] or ['username']
• Type of communication and name of person communicated with [First name, Last name] or ['username] or ['group name']

Malone, S. (2018) Facebook Messenger chat with Wai Lang, 9th May.

Kolhi, V. (2019) WhatsApp chat with 'Broadbury Neighbourhood Watch', 21 December.

'notrupertgiles' (2019) Direct message on Twitter to Andrew Lovell, 16 March.

Students' own work

We recommend that you check with your tutor before using any of your previous work as a source for a new assignment. Some programmes or modules will have different rules about when it is or is not appropriate to self-reference.

If you use any of your own previous work that you have published or submitted for assessment at Birmingham Newman or elsewhere, you must make sure that you reference yourself. This is so you can avoid self-plagiarism .

Assessed work and assignments

• Your name [Last name, Initials]
• (Year submitted or published) (in round brackets)
• 'Title of work' (in single quotation marks')
• Assignment for [ module code ] [ name of module]italics )
• [Course name] (in italics )
• Name of college or university
• Unpublished assignment

Giles, S. (2014) 'How do Shakespeare's heroes interrogate attitudes towards masculinity?' Assignment for AA306: Shakespeare: Text and Performance, BA (Hons) English Literature , The Open University. Unpublished assignment.

Published work

Reference any work you have had published in the appropriate way for the type of source that it is (e.g. short story, news article, etc.).

Theses and dissertations

• (Year of submission) (in round brackets)
• Title of thesis or dissertation (in italics )
• Degree statement
• Degree awarding body
• Available at: [URL] (if viewed online)
• (Accessed: date) (if viewed online)

Atherton, J. (2012) Rioting, dissent and the church in late eighteenth century Britain . PhD thesis. University of Leicester.

Scott, Z.A.A. (2007) The inquiring sort: ideas and learning in late eighteenth-century Birmingham. PhD thesis. University of Warwick. Available at: http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.491507 (Accessed: 14 June 2014).

A wikis is a type of online source where often large groups of users, who may be anonymous, contribute to the content. This means that some information you would usually include in a reference is unavailable or not relevant.

• 'Title of wiki article' (in 'single quotation marks')
• (Year the source was last updated) (in round brackets)
• Title of wiki site
• (Accessed: date)

'Book of numbers' (2018) Wikipedia. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_of_Numbers (Accessed: 12 July 2018).

Audio, video, or images shared online (e.g. Soundcloud, YouTube, Instagram, TED, Vimeo)

You should only use this referencing style for original online content shared by its creator or an official distributor.

You must not reference content found on the Internet that the person who posted it did not have permission to share.

• Creator(s) [Last name, Initials] OR Organisation name OR 'username' (in single quotation marks)
• (Year posted) (in round brackets)
• Day and month (if available)
• (Accessed: [date]) OR (Downloaded: [date]) (in round brackets)

'Porter Brook' (2019) No-one asked vol. 1. 2 August. Available at: https://soundcloud.com/user-325713513/mix-june-19 (Accessed: 30 August 2019).

'How to ADHD' (2019) Why people pleasing doesn't make people happy (and what to do instead). 9 May. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BanqlGZSWiI (Accessed: 30 August 2019).

Wernet, L. (2014) Spring feelings. Available at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/farbenflut/13546763753/in/gallery-flickr-72157695356899955/ (Downloaded: 13 June 2017).

Book illustration, figure, diagram, table, etc.

Use this guidance if you are referencing an illustration, diagram, table or figure etc. independently of the rest of the source. This means that if, for example, you are citing text from the source as well, there is usually no need to create a separate reference list entry for the illustration, diagram, table or figure, etc.

• Author(s) of book [Last name, Initials]
• p. [page number] (if applicable)
• illustration OR figure OR diagram OR table, etc.

If the item you are referencing is in a chapter of an edited book or another source, such as a journal article, use the guidance for referencing that type of source, adding the page number and description after the publication details.

In-text example

Pinkey's illustration for the first edition cover of Roll of thunder, hear my cry (Watson and Montgomery, 2009, plate 10) deomonstrates...

Reference list example

Montgomery, H. and Watson, N.J. (eds.) (2009) Children's literature: classic texts and contemporary trends Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, plate 10, illustration.

• Artist [Last name, Initials]
• 'Title or caption of cartoon' (in 'single quotation marks')
• Name of publication (in italics )

Pritchett, M. (2019) 'Lunatic' [Cartoon]. The Telegraph , 3 September.

Films and documentaries

Use this guidance for 'feature length' films and documentaries not made for TV. For television broadcasts use the guidance for ‘television and radio programmes’.

• Title of film (in italics )
• (Year of distribution) (in round brackets)
• Directed by [First name Last name]
• [Film] (in square brackets) OR [format] (in [square brackets])

For films streamed from an online service (such as Netflix or Box of Broadcasts) add access details after the distributor's name:

• Available at: [URL] OR Available on: [name of subscription service]

Grey Gardens (1975) Directed by David and Albert Maysles [Film]. United States: Portrait Films.

Rashomon (2001) Directed by Akira Kurosawa [DVD]. London: BFI video.

The birds (1963) Directed by Alfred Hitchcock [Film]. Los Angeles: Universal Pictures. Available on: Netflix UK (Accessed: 20 July 2018).

Chennai express (2011) Directed by Rohit Shetty [Film]. United Kingdom: IG Interactive Entertainment. Available at: https://learningonscreen.ac.uk/ondemand/index.php/prog/05F3BF0E?bcast=116695478 (Accessed 10 Mar 2021).

In-text citations for films and documentaries

You do not use writers' or directors' names for your in-text citation for films and documentaries. Instead, use the name of the film or documentary (in italics) and the year:

( Grey Gardens , 1975)

( Rashomon , 2001)

You may also choose to use a 'timestamp' if your reference needs to highlight a particular part of your film or documentary:

( The birds , 1963, 1:03:32)

( Chennai express , 2011, 00:04:52)

Music and spoken word - live performances

• Artist or Composer [Last name, Initials] OR [Group name]
• Title of performance (in italics ) (for Classical music)
• Performers (for Classical music)
• [Venue, day and month] (in [square brackets])

Chic (2017) [Glastonbury Festival, 25 June].

Glass, P. (2012) Einstein on the beach . Philip Glass Ensemble conducted by Michael Riesman; choreography by Lucinda Childs. [Barbican Theatre, London, 12 May].

Music and spoken word - recorded performances

Albums, eps and tracks released as singles.

• (Year of release) (in round brackets)
• Title of album (in italics )
• [format] (in [square brackets])
• Performer (for Classical music)

If you streamed or downloaded the source from an online service (such as Spotify or Apple Music), remove the [format] element and add access details after the distributor's name:

• (Accessed: [date]) (in round brackets) OR (Downloaded: [date]) (in round brackets)

The Beatles (1965) Rubber soul [CD]. London: Parlophone.

Shostakovich, D. (1962) Symphony no. 7 [Vinyl]. New York Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Leonard Bernstein. New York: Columbia Masterworks.

Shah, N. (2013) Love your dum and ma . Apollo. Available on: Spotify UK (Accessed 12 March 2021).

Songs or tracks from an album

• 'Title of track' (in 'single quotation marks')

If you streamed or downloaded the source from an online service (such as Spotify or Apple Music), remove the [format] element, but add access details after the distributor's name:

Tempest, K. (2016) 'Lionmouth door knocker', Let them eat chaos [CD]. London: Fiction Records.

Saint-Saëns, C. (2005) 'The aquarium', Carnival of the animals . London Symphony Orchestra conducted by Barry Wordsworth. London: London Symphony Orchestra. Available on: Spotify UK (Accessed: 2 September 2019).

Photographs - prints or slides

For original digital images shared online, use the guidance for ’audio, video, or images shared online’.

You should reference the photograph only if you are talking about it as a source (for example as a work of art in itself or as a specific view). If you are referring to the subject as a separate source, you should reference the source that you are writing about (for example if you are referring to a sculpture by Hepworth that you have seen in a photograph, reference the sculpture, not the photograph).

• Photographer [Last name, Initials] (if known)
• Title or subject of photograph (in italics )
• [Photograph] (in [square brackets])
• Place of publication (if known)
• Publisher (if known)

Martin, P. (1907) Tram accident in Carver Street [Photograph].Winson Green: Midland History Resource Centre.

Podcasts in a series with named episodes

• 'Title of episode' (in single quotation marks)
• Title of podcast (in italics)
• [Podcast] (in [square brackets])
• Series [number] (if available)
• episode [number] (if available)
• Day and month of release (if available)

'Headlines and trendlines' (2022) Think with Pinker [Podcast]. 27 January. Available on: BBC Sounds (Accessed 22 February 2022).

'Reaction offices and the future of work' (2022) 99% Invisible [Podcast], episode 476. Available at: https://99percentinvisible.org/episode/reaction-offices-and-the-future-of-work/ (Accessed: 22 February 2022).

Podcasts by individuals or organisations not linked as a series

• Presenter's name [Surname, Initials] OR Organisation name
• Title or subject of podcast

Barton, L. (2017) When women wore the trousers [Podcast], 13 June. Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p055slc5 (Accessed: 22 February 2022).

Unicef Office of Research - Innocenti (2021) Special focus on sub-Saharan Africa [Podcast]. Available at: https://www.unicef-irc.org/podcasts/?id=59 (Accessed 22 February 2022).

In-text citations for podcasts

When citing podcasts in-text, you must use the information that is in the position before the date in your reference list entry. This means that for podcasts in a series with named episodes, the in-text citation will be the name of the episode (in 'single quotation marks') and the date, for example:

('Headlines and trendlines', 2022)

For other podasts, you will use the presenter or organisation's name and the date, which means they will look the same as in-text citations for written sources, for example:

(Barton, 2017)

You may also choose to use a 'timestamp' if your reference needs to highlight a particular part of a podcast:

(Unicef Office of Research - Innocenti, 2021, 0:56:16)

Public lectures, seminars, speeches, presentations, etc. (including online and videoconferencing)

For teaching and learning content from your course, including items uploaded to Moodle, use the guidance on 'Teaching and learning resources from Birmingham Newman modules'.

Use this guidance to reference the spoken content of a public lecture, seminar, presentation, etc.

• Speaker(s) [Last name, Initials]
• Title of communication (in italics )
• [medium] [in square brackets]
• Institution (if appropriate)

Extinction Rebellion Hackney (2019) NVDA training [Seminar]. Extinction Rebellion Hackney, London. 23 October.

Cannon, J. (2019) An evening with Joanna Cannon [Lecture]. Waterstones Booksellers, Birmingham. 24 October.

Radio and television programmes

• Title of programme (in italics )
• Name of channel
• Day and month of transmission (if available)

For programmes streamed from an online service (such as Netflix or Box of Broadcasts), add access details after the day and month of transmission:

Scotland decides: Salmond versus Darling (2014) BBC Two Television, 25 August.

Prince Albert: a Victorian hero revealed (2019) Channel 4, 24 August. Available at: https://learningonscreen.ac.uk/ondemand/index.php/prog/145118BE?bcast=129988335 (Accessed: 3 Sep 2019).

What happened, Miss Simone? (2015) Available on: Netflix UK (Accessed: 15 June 2015).

In-text citations for radio and television programmes

You do not use writers' or directors' names for your in-text citation for radio and television programmes. Instead, use the name of the programme (in italics) and the year:

( Scotland decides: Salmond versus Darling , 2014)

( Prince Albert: a Victorian hero revealed , 2019)

You may also choose to use a 'timestamp' if your reference needs to highlight a particular part of your programme:

( What happened, Miss Simone? , 2015, 0:32:43)

Radio and television programmes - episodes from a series

This guidance was updated on 21 February 2022. Advice on programmes without named episodes has been updated. This will affect both reference list entries and in-text citations.

Programmes with named episodes

• Title of programme (in italics)
• Series [number] (if required)
• episode [number]

'That was fun' (2020) I may destroy you , episode 4. BBC1, 16 June. Available at: https://learningonscreen.ac.uk/ondemand/index.php/prog/164081D2?bcast=132155513 (Accessed 11 March 2021).

'I wasn't ready' (2013) Orange is the new black , Series 1, episode1. Available on Netflix UK (Accessed: 4 June 2014).

Programmes without named episodes

• Day and month of transmission

The Office (2013) Series 1, episode 5. BBC Two Television, 13 August.

EastEnders (2022) Episode 6437. BBC One Television, 18 February.

In-text citations for episodes of radio and television programmes

You do not use writers' or directors' names for your in-text citation for radio or television programmes. Instead, use the episode name (in 'inverted commas') and the year (for programmes with named episodes), or the name of the programme (in italics ) and the year (for programmes without named episodes):

('That was fun', 2020)

( EastEnders , 2022)

You may also choose to use a 'timestamp' if your reference needs to highlight a particular part of an episode:

('I wasn't ready', 2015, 0:10:16)

Theatrical Performances (plays, musicals, opera, etc.)

Use this guidance for performances watched live only. For filmed performances available online (e.g. from Drama Online) use the guidance for 'Films and documentaries' or 'Audio, video and images shared online', as appropriate.

• Title of theatrical performance (in italics )
• by [Author/Composer Initials/First name Family name]
• (Year of production) (in round brackets)
• Directed by [First name Family name]
• [Venue, day and month] in [square brackets]

Turandot by G. Puccini, G. Adami and R. Simoni (2023) Directed by Andrei Serban. [Royal Opera House, London, 22 March].

Doctor Faustus by Christopher Marlowe (2011) Directed by Matthew Dunster. [Globe Theatre, London, 16 October].

In-text citations for theatrical productions

You do not use writers' or directors' names for your in-text citation for theatrical performances. Instead, use the name of the play, musical, or production (in italics) and the year:

( Turandot , 2023)

( Doctor Faustus , 2011)

Visual art - paintings, drawings, sculpture, etc.

• Artist(s) [Last name, Initials]
• (Year created) (in round brackets)
• Title or subject of work (in italics )
• [medium of work] (in [square brackets])
• Name of gallery or collection (if applicable)

Bruegel the Elder, P. (1566) St. John the Baptist preaching [Oil on oak panel]. Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest.

Hepworth, B. (1970) Ancestor I [Sculpture]. University of Birmingham, Edgbaston campus, Birmingham.

This guide and referencing examples show you how to reference most of the sources you’re likely to use in your work.

If there isn’t an example that fits what you’re trying to use, try 3 things:

1. Use the book

Our referencing style is based on the principles in Cite them right by Richard Pears and Graham Shields. This book is available from the Library, and we have both print copies that you can borrow as well as an e-book.

CIte them right also contains examples for APA 7th Edition and OSCOLA referencing.

You may find yourself using this book enough over your time with us that it is worth buying your own copy. If you wish to do this, the details are:

Pears, R. and Shields, G. (2022)  Cite them right: the essential referencing guide . 12th edn. London: Bloomsbury Study Skills. ISBN: 9781350933446.

2. Ask an Academic Service Librarian

You can ask Academic Service Librarians for advice on referencing by:

• using our live online chat service during our advertised chat hours
• emailing [email protected].

3. Ask your Module Leader

If a particular reference is causing you trouble, your Module Leader should be able to tell you how they would like you to present it.

Last reviewed: 26 October 2023

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• Last Updated: Feb 9, 2024 1:15 PM
• URL: https://libguides.newman.ac.uk/referencing

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 Reference List (Harvard & APA)

The basic overview

All the sources that you use in the main body of your text must be listed at the end of your essay; this is called a reference list or  bibliography. the sources in the reference list must follow a specific word order and have  correct punctuation.  , important: different universities have slightly different versions of  referencing so you need to check with your university what guide they use.   look at these two examples of a book  reference. .

• Harvard reference
• APA 7th edition reference
• Helpful referencing advice

Source:  Imperial College London – Harvard referencing guide.

Important: Some Harvard university guides do not use brackets and have different punctuation.

Advice on creating a reference list

• Some universities  do not have a single standard method for citing and referencing.
• Departments have different requirements so it is very important to check your student handbook or ask your academic supervisor to be clear on what is expected for your assignments and dissertations.
• Check which method you are required to use, footnotes or the in-text author-date (Harvard) method.
• If your department has not specified the method and style then it is your choice. The emphasis is on consistency and not mixing methods and styles. Choosing a specific style will make it easier to find and follow rules for each reference.
• Cite this for me   is a website which contains advice on how to reference different resources, in a range of styles and provides a tutorial on citing and referencing practice.
• Reference management software can help you cite and reference consistently. Use software to collect, store and organise your references as you research. Then you can insert your citations using the software and build your reference list as you write your assignment.  
• The most commonly used software in British universities are : EndNote ,  Mendeley and   Zotero .
• Your department librarian can assist you in using the software.

Referencing List or Bibliography?

What is a reference list a list of  sources (books, articles, websites, journals) you have used in your essay, what’s a bibliography  a is a list of sources that you read but may not have used in essay., ***important: some universities see reference list and bibliography as the same thing, how to create a reference list in harvard (two versions) & apa 7th edition.

• Harvard Referencing Guide
• APA 7th Edition Referencing Guide

Book with one author

Allen, P. (2008)  Effective time management.  London: Pan Books.

Book with two authors

Miller, P. & Huntington, C. (2010)  Speaking persuasively.  Sydney: Allen and Unwin.

Book with three or more authors

Smith, R., Jones, W. & Watton, B. (2011)  Negotiating a business agreement.  2nd edition, London: Century Business.

Book – second or later edition

Bridges, R. (1995)  Successful study for degrees , 2nd edition, London: Routledge.

Book by same author in the same year

Nikon, A. (1993a)  Fatal storm , Sydney: Allen and Unwin.

Nikon, A. (1993b)  Survival at sea , Sydney: Allen and Unwin.

Books with an anonymous or unknown author

The University Encyclopedia ( 1985) London: Roydon.

Author, Initials. (Year) Title of article.  Full Title of Journal (italics) , Volume number (Issue/Part number), Page numbers.

Peters, C. (2001) The merger acquisition of IBM.  Business Management Journal , 97(22), pp.63-64.

Electronic Journal from a Database

Author, Initials. (Year) Title of article.  Full Title of Journal (italics) , Volume number (Issue/Part number), Page numbers. Available from: URL or doi [Accessed date].

Revell, A. and Blackburn, R. (2007) The business case for sustainability? An examination of small firms in the UK’s construction and restaurant sectors.  Business Strategy and the Environment , [online] 16(6), pp.404-420. Available from : https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/bse.499  [ Accessed 12 April 2021].

Electronic Journal from the Internet

Authors, Initials. (Year) Title of article,  Full Title of Journal (italics),  [online]. Available from: URL  [Accessed date]. 

Fox, S. (2008) A new dawn for solar energy,  Popular Science,  [online]. Available from: https://www.popsci.com/environment/article/2008-08/new-dawn-solar-energy/  [Accessed 12 April 2021] .

Authorship or Source (Year)  Title of web document or web page (italics).  Available from: URL [Accessed date]. 

The British Psychological Society (2018) Code of ethics and conduct. Available from: https://www.bps.org.uk/news-and-policy/bps-code-ethics-and-conduct  [ Accessed: 22 March 2019].

Online newspaper article

Author or corporate author. (Year) Title of document or page. Name of newspaper (italics),  additional date information. Available from: URL [Accessed date].

Wolf, M. (2018) What really went wrong in the 2008 financial crisis? The Financial Times , 17 July. Available from: https://www.ft.com/content/e5ea9f2a-8528-11e8-a29d-73e3d454535d [Accessed: 9 April 2021].

More information go here:

https://www.imperial.ac.uk/admin-services/library/learning-support/reference-management/harvard-style/your-reference-list/

Allen, P. (2008).  Effective time management.  Pan Books.

Miller, P. & Huntington, C. (2010).  Speaking persuasively. Allen and Unwin.

Smith, R., Jones, W. & Watton, B. (2011).  Negotiating in business.  2nd edition. Century Business.

Bridges, R. (1995).  Successful study for degrees (2nd ed). Routledge.

Nikon, A. (1993a).  Fatal storm . Allen and Unwin.

Nikon, A. (1993b).  Survival at sea . Allen and Unwin.

The University Encyclopedia  (1985). Roydon.

Author, Initials. (Year). Title of article.  Full Title of Journal (italics) , Volume number (Issue/Part number), Page numbers.  

Peters, C. (2001). The merger acquisition of IBM.  Business Management Journal , 97(22), 63-64.

Electronic Journal from a Database with a doi number

Author, Initials. (Year). Title of article.  Full Title of Journal (italics), Volume number (Issue/Part number), Page numbers. doi

Revell, A. and Blackburn, R. (2007). The business case for sustainability? An examination of small firms in the UK’s construction and restaurant sectors.  Business Strategy and the Environment , 16(6), 404-420 . https://doi.org/10.1002/bse.499

  Electronic Journal from the Internet

Authors, Initials. (Year). Title of article,  Full Title of Journal (italics), Volume number (Issue/Part number), Page numbers (if any). URL.

Besser, H. (2002). The next stage: Moving from isolated digital collections to interoperable digital libraries.  First Monday, 7 (6). https://firstmonday.org/ojs/index.php/fm/article/view/958/879

Authorship or Source. (Year & date).  Title of web document or web page (italics). URL.

The British Psychological Society (2018, May 18).  Code of Ethics and Conduct. https://www.bps.org.uk/news-and-policy/bps-code-ethics-and-conduct

Author or corporate author. (Year and date).  Title of document or page (italics). Name of newspaper. URL

Wolf, M. (2018, July 21). What really went wrong in the 2008 financial crisis? The Financial Times . https://www.ft.com/content/e5ea9f2a-8528-11e8-a29d-73e3d454535d  

More information – go here:

https://www.librarydevelopment.group.shef.ac.uk/referencing/apa-7ed.html

• Reference list example
• Harvard Reference List (brackets)
• APA 7th Edition Reference List

An example of an academic bibliography  

 two examples of a reference list, an example of an academic bibliography   (in alphabetical order).

Bills, R. E. (1977)  Foundations for a theory of instruction and educational psychology . London: Harper and Row:  282-385

Boughton, J.M. (2002) The Bretton Woods proposal: an in-depth look.  Political Science Quarterly , [e-journal] 42(6). Available from: https://journals.openedition.org/cidades/686?lang=en [Accessed 12 April 2021].

Buskist, W. and Saville, B. K. (2001) Rapport-building: creating positive emotional contexts for enhancing teaching and learning . Association for Psychological Science.  Vol.14, no.3. Available from: https://www.psychologicalscience.org/observer/rapport-building-creating-positive-emotional-contexts-for-enhancing-teaching-and-learning [Accessed 10 April 2021].  

Chittenden, M., Rogers, L. and Smith, D. (2003) Focus: NHS.  Times Online , [online] 1 June. Available from: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/scotland/article1138006.ece   [Accessed 12 April 2021].  

Dornyei, Z. (2001)  Teaching and researching motivation.  Harlow: Pearson Education Limited.

Ehrman, M. and Dornyei, Z. (1998)  Interpersonal dynamics in second language learning  California: Sage.

Fishman, R. (2005)  The rise and fall of suburbia.  [e-book] Chester: Castle Press. Available from: https://academic.oup.com/ahr/article-abstract/94/1/98/150780?   [Accessed 12 April 2021].

Foundation for Economic Education (FEE). (2014)  England’s Whetstone named FEE’s first “Blinking Lights” award recipient.  [online] Available from: http://www.fee.org/publications/detail/englands-whetstone-namedfees-first-blinking-lights-award-recipient [Accessed 6 April 2021].

Kipper, D. (2008) Japan’s new dawn.  Popular Science and Technology , [online] Available from : http://www.popsci.com/popsci37b144110vgn/html   [Accessed 12 April 2021].

Knight, P. (2001) The development of EFL methodology .  In Candlin, N. and Mercer, N. (Eds)  English Language Teaching in its Social Context.  London: Routledge: 147-166.

McKay, S. L. (2006)  Researching Second Language Classrooms.  New Jersey: Lawerence Erlbaum Associates.

Moore, A. (2004)  The Good Teacher: Dominant Discourses in Teaching and Teacher Education.  Oxon: Routeledge.

Patterson, C. H. (1977)  Foundations for a Theory of Instruction and Educational Psychology . London: Harper and Row: 282-385.

Richmond, J. (2005)  Customer expectations in the world of electronic banking: a case study of the Bank of Britain . Ph. D. Anglia Ruskin University.  

Silas, P., Yates, J.R. & Haynes, P.D. (2008) Density-functional investigation of the rhombohedral to simple cubic phase transition of arsenic. To be published in Physical Review B. Arxiv. [Preprint] Available from: http://arxiv.org/abs/0810.1692 [Accessed: 3rd April 2021]

University of Cambridge. (2007)  CELTA Syllabus. Available from : www.cambridgeesol.org/assets/pdf/celta8 [Accessed 2nd April 2021].

More information on this referencing version:

https://www.imperial.ac.uk/admin-services/library/learning-support/reference-management/harvard-style/your-reference-list/  

An example of an APA 7th edition bibliography : (in alphabetical order)

Bills, R. E. (1977).  Foundations for a theory of instruction and educational psychology . Harper and Row:  282-385

Boughton, J.M. (2002). The Bretton Woods proposal: an in-depth look.  Political Science Quarterly , 42(6 ). http://libweb.anglia.ac.uk

Buskist, W. and Saville, B. K. (2001). Rapport-building: creating positive emotional contexts for enhancing teaching and learning . Association for Psychological Science.  14(3) https://www.psychologicalscience.org/observer/rapport-building-creating-positive-emotional-contexts-for-enhancing-teaching-and-learning  

Chittenden, M., Rogers, L. and Smith, D. (2003, 1 June). Focus: NHS.  Time s. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/scotland/article1138006.ece

Dornyei, Z. (2001).  Teaching and researching motivation. Pearson Education Limited.

Ehrman, M. and Dornyei, Z. (1998).  Interpersonal dynamics in second language learning. Sage.

Fishman, R. (2005).  The rise and fall of suburbia. Castle Pres s.  https://doi.org/10.1086/ahr/94.1.98

Foundation for Economic Education (FEE). (2014, 26 May).  England’s Whetstone named FEE’s first “Blinking Lights” award recipient .   https://fee.org/resources/englands-whetstone-named-fees-first-blinking-lights-award-recipient/

Kipper, D. (2008). Japan’s new dawn.  Popular Science and Technology , https://www.popsci.com/environment/article/2008-08/new-dawn-solar-energy

Knight, P. (2001). The development of EFL methodology .  In Candlin, N. and Mercer, N. (Eds)  English Language Teaching in its Social Context. Routledge: 147-166.

McKay, S. L. (2006).  Researching Second Language Classrooms.  Lawerence Erlbaum Associates.

Moore, A. (2004).  The Good Teacher: Dominant Discourses in Teaching and Teacher Education. Routeledge.

Patterson, C. H. (1977).  Foundations for a Theory of Instruction and Educational Psychology . Harper and Row: 282-385.

Richmond, J. (2005).  Customer expectations in the world of electronic banking: a case study of the Bank of Britain . Ph. D. Anglia Ruskin University.  

Silas, P., Yates, J.R. & Haynes, P.D. (2008, 9 Oct). Density-functional investigation of the rhombohedral to simple cubic phase transition of arsenic. Physical Review B. Arxiv. https://arxiv.org/abs/0810.1692

University of Cambridge. (2007).  CELTA Syllabu s. www.cambridgeesol.org/assets/pdf/celta8 .

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Reference Guide Downloads

Referencing guide: harvard.

 This is a basic reference guide to citing and creating a reference list or a bibliography. It shows the correct way to create in-text citations and reference lists for books, journals, online newspapers and websites.   Web page link . TEACHER MEMBERSHIP  / INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERSHIP

Free Download

Referencing Guide: APA 7th Edition

Referencing lessons, referencing: harvard referencing worksheet 1.

Two part worksheet that is a paragraph and reference list.  Students have to put in the correct in-text reference. The second part is a reference list exercise where students have to put the sections in the correct order. A nice lesson to introduce students to referencing and becoming aware of key referencing principles.  Level ** ** * [B1/B2/C1]  Example  / Webpage link / TEACHER MEMBERSHIP  / INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERSHIP

£4.00 – Add to cart Checkout Added to cart

Referencing: Harvard Referencing Worksheet 2

This lesson supports students in their understanding and use of Harvard referencing. It contains six worksheets: a discussion on referencing, a noticing activity, a reordering task, an error identification exercise, a sentence completion task, a gap-fill activity and a reference list task. Teacher’s notes and key are provided..  Level ** ** * [B1/B2/C1]  Example  / Webpage link / TEACHER MEMBERSHIP  / INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERSHIP

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Two part worksheet that is a paragraph and reference list. Students have to put in the correct in-text reference. The second part is a reference list exercise where students have to put the sections in the correct order. A nice lesson to introduce students to referencing and becoming aware of key referencing principles.  Level ** ** * [B1/B2/C1]    Example   / Webpage link   / TEACHER MEMBERSHIP  / INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERSHIP

This lesson supports students in their understanding and use of APA referencing. It contains six worksheets: a discussion on referencing, a noticing activity, a reordering task, an error identification exercise, a sentence completion task, a gap-fill activity and a reference list task. Teacher’s notes and key are provided. Level ** ** * [B1/B2/C1]    Example   / Webpage link   / TEACHER MEMBERSHIP  / INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERSHIP

How to use www.citethisforme.com 

This lesson is an introduction to using an online reference generator: www.citethisforme.com. It begins by providing a step-by-step guide to using the application and its many functions. The lesson is a task-based activity where students use the reference generator to create bibliography citations.   Worksheet example  Time: 60mins.   Level *** ** [ B1/B2/C1]  / Video / TEACHER MEMBERSHIP / INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERSHIP

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Paraphrasing lesson 1 – how to paraphrase effectively.

 It starts by discussing the differences between quotation, paraphrase and summary. It takes students through the basics of identifying keywords, finding synonyms and then changing the grammatical structure. There is plenty of practice, all with efficient teacher’s notes.  Level ** ** * [B1/B2/C1]   Example  / TEACHER MEMBERSHIP  / INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERSHIP

Paraphrasing Lesson 2 – improve your paraphrasing skills  

This lesson helps students to improve their paraphrasing skills. The guided learning approach includes a text analysis activity where students identify the paraphrasing strategies, five sentence-level tasks to practise the strategies and two paragraph-level exercises to build on the previous tasks..  Level ** ** * [B1/B2/C1]   Example  / TEACHER MEMBERSHIP  / INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERSHIP

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Students are given a worksheet with nine quotes taken from The New Scientist, BBC News, The Economist, etc… and choose only three. They use these three quotes to write a paragraph trying to paraphrase the quotes and produce a cohesion piece of writing.  Level ** ** * [B1/B2/C1]    Example / TEACHER MEMBERSHIP  / INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERSHIP

Reporting verbs: worksheet 

 Use the verbs in the box to put into the sentences in the worksheet. Each sentence has a description of the type of verb needed. Check the grammar of the verb too! Web page link . TEACHER MEMBERSHIP  / INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERSHIP

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Primary and Secondary Sources

Two types of sources Primary and Secondary . A primary source is main source of evidence. This can be raw data, records and key facts. A secondary source draws on the primary data and analyses it.

Key questions to ask when evaluating source material

Is there an author? Date?

Is there evidence? Where is it from? Sourced?

Is there a reference list? And in-text referencing?

Generally, there shouldn’t be glossy pictures or advertising.

It should be written in an academic formal style and quite difficult to read.

Reading & Research Skills:  What is a credible source?

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How to Reference in an Essay (9 Strategies of Top Students)

Are you feeling overwhelmed by referencing?

When you’re first asked to do referencing in an essay it can be hard to get your head around it. If it’s been a while since you were first taught how to reference, it can be intimidating to ask again how to do it!

I have so many students who consistently lose marks just because they didn’t get referencing right! They’re either embarrassed to ask for extra help or too lazy to learn how to solve the issues.

So, here’s a post that will help you solve the issues on your own.

Already think you’re good at referencing? No worries. This post goes through some surprising and advanced strategies for anyone to improve no matter what level you are at!

In this post I’m going to show you exactly how to reference in an essay. I’ll explain why we do it and I’ll show you 9 actionable tips on getting referencing right that I’m sure you will not have heard anywhere else!

The post is split into three parts:

• What is a Reference and What is a Citation?
• Why Reference? (4 Things you Should Know)
• How to Reference (9 Strategies of Top Students)

If you think you’ve already got a good understanding of the basics, you can jump to our 9 Advanced Strategies section.

Part 1: What is a Reference and What is a Citation?

What is a citation.

An in-text mention of your source. A citation is a short mention of the source you got the information from, usually in the middle or end of a sentence in the body of your paragraph. It is usually abbreviated so as not to distract the reader too much from your own writing. Here’s two examples of citations. The first is in APA format. The second is in MLA format:

• APA: Archaeological records trace the original human being to equatorial Africa about 250,000–350,000 years ago (Schlebusch & Jakobsson, 2018) .
• MLA: Archaeological records trace the original human being to equatorial Africa about 250,000–350,000 years ago (Schlebusch and Jakobsson 1) .

In APA format, you’ve got the authors and year of publication listed. In MLA format, you’ve got the authors and page number listed. If you keep reading, I’ll give some more tips on formatting further down in this article.

And a Reference is:

What is a Reference?

A reference is the full details of a source that you list at the end of the article. For every citation (see above) there needs to be a corresponding reference at the end of the essay showing more details about that source. The idea is that the reader can see the source in-text (i.e. they can look at the citation) and if they want more information they can jump to the end of the page and find out exactly how to go about finding the source.

Here’s how you would go about referencing the Schlebusch and Jakobsson source in a list at the end of the essay. Again, I will show you how to do it in APA and MLA formats:

• APA: Schlebusch, C. & Jakobsson, M. (2018). Tales of Human Migration, Admixture, and Selection in Africa. Annual Review of Genomics and Human Genetics , 11 (33), 1–24.
• MLA: Schlebusch, Carina and Mattias Jakobsson. “Tales of Human Migration, Admixture, and Selection in Africa.” Annual Review of Genomics and Human Genetics , vol. 11, no. 33, 2018, pp. 1–24.

In strategy 1 below I’ll show you the easiest and fool proof way to write these references perfectly every time.

One last quick note: sometimes we say ‘reference’ when we mean ‘citation’. That’s pretty normal. Just roll with the punches. It’s usually pretty easy to pick up on what our teacher means regardless of whether they use the word ‘reference’ or ‘citation’.

Part 2: Why Reference in an Essay? (4 Things you Should Know)

Referencing in an essay is important. By the time you start doing 200-level courses, you probably won’t pass the course unless you reference appropriately. So, the biggest answer to ‘why reference?’ is simple: Because you Have To!

Okay let’s be serious though … here’s the four top ‘real’ reasons to reference:

1. Referencing shows you Got an Expert’s Opinion

You can’t just write an essay on what you think you know. This is a huge mistake of beginning students. Instead this is what you need to do:

Top Tip: Essays at university are supposed to show off that you’ve learned new information by reading the opinions of experts.

Every time you place a citation in your paragraph, you’re showing that the information you’re presenting in that paragraph was provided to you by an expert. In other words, it means you consulted an expert’s opinion to build your knowledge.

If you have citations throughout the essay with links to a variety of different expert opinions, you’ll show your marker that you did actually genuinely look at what the experts said with an open mind and considered their ideas.

This will help you to grow your grades.

2. Referencing shows you read your Assigned Readings

Your teacher will most likely give you scholarly journal articles or book chapters to read for homework between classes. You might have even talked about those assigned readings in your seminars and tutorials.

Great! The assigned readings are very important to you.

You should definitely cite the assigned readings relevant to your essay topic in your evaluative essay (unless your teacher tells you not to). Why? I’ll explain below.

• Firstly, the assigned readings were selected by your teacher because your teacher (you know, the person who’s going to mark your essay) believes they’re the best quality articles on the topic. Translation: your teacher gave you the best source you’re going to find. Make sure you use it!
• Secondly, by citing the assigned readings you are showing your teacher that you have been paying attention throughout the course. You are showing your teacher that you have done your homework, read those assigned readings and paid attention to them. When my students submit an essay that has references to websites, blogs, wikis and magazines I get very frustrated. Why would you cite low quality non-expert sources like websites when I gave you the expert’s article!? Really, it frustrates me so, so much.

So, cite the assigned readings to show your teacher you read the scholarly articles your teacher gave to you. It’ll help you grow your marks.

3. Referencing deepens your Knowledge

Okay, so you understand that you need to use referencing to show you got experts’ opinions on the topic.

But there’s more to it than that. There’s actually a real benefit for your learning.

If you force yourself to cite two expert sources per paragraph, you’re actually forcing yourself to get two separate pieces of expert knowledge. This will deepen your knowledge!

So, don’t treat referencing like a vanity exercise to help you gain more marks. Actually view it as an opportunity to develop deeper understandings of the topic!

When you read expert sources, aim to pick up on some new gems of knowledge that you can discuss in your essays. Some things you should look out for when finding sources to reference:

• Examples that link ideas to real life. Do the experts provide real-life examples that you can mention in your essay?
• Facts and figures. Usually experts have conducted research on a topic and provide you with facts and figures from their research. Use those facts and figures to deepen your essay!
• Short Quotes. Did your source say something in a really interesting, concise or surprising way? Great! You can quote that source in your essay .
• New Perspectives. Your source might give you another perspective, angle or piece of information that you can add to your paragraph so that it’s a deep, detailed and interesting paragraph.

So, the reason we ask you to reference is at the end of the day because it’s good for you: it helps you learn!

4. Referencing backs up your Claims

You might think you already know a ton of information about the topic and be ready to share your mountains of knowledge with your teacher. Great!

So, should you still reference?

Yes. Definitely.

You need to show that you’re not the only person with your opinion. You need to ‘stand on the shoulders of giants.’ Show what other sources have said about your points to prove that experts agree with you.

You should be saying: this is my opinion and it’s based on facts, expert opinions and deep, close scrutiny of all the arguments that exist out there .

If you make a claim that no one else has made, your teacher is going to be like “Have you even been reading the evidence on this topic?” The answer, if there are no citations is likely: No. You haven’t.

Even if you totally disagree with the experts, you still need to say what their opinions are! You’ll need to say: “This is the experts’ opinions. And this is why I disagree.”

So, yes, you need to reference to back up every claim. Try to reference twice in every paragraph to achieve this.

Part 3: Strategies for How to Reference in an Essay (9 Strategies of Top Students)

Let’s get going with our top strategies for how to reference in an essay! These are strategies that you probably haven’t heard elsewhere. They work for everyone – from beginner to advanced! Let’s get started:

1. Print out your Reference Style Cheat Sheet

Referencing is hard and very specific. You need to know where to place your italics, where the commas go and whether to use an initial for full name for an author.

There are so many details to get right.

And here’s the bad news: The automated referencing apps and websites nearly always get it wrong! They tell you they can generate the citation for you. The fact of the matter is: they can’t!

Here’s the best way to get referencing right: Download a referencing cheat sheet and have it by your side while writing your essay.

Your assignment outline should tell you what type of referencing you should use. Different styles include: APA Style, MLA Style, Chicago Style, Harvard Style, Vancouver Style … and many more!

You need to find out which style you need to use and download your cheat sheet. You can jump onto google to find a cheat sheet by typing in the google bar:

Download a pdf version of the referencing style cheat sheet, print it out, and place it on your pinboard or by your side when writing your essay.

2. Only cite Experts

There are good and bad sources to cite in an essay.

You should only cite sources written, critiqued and edited by experts. This shows that you have got the skill of finding information that is authoritative. You haven’t just used information that any old person popped up on their blog. You haven’t just gotten information from your local newspaper. Instead, you got information from the person who is an absolute expert on the topic.

Here’s an infographic listing sources that you should and shouldn’t cite. Feel free to share this infographic on social media, with your teachers and your friends:

3. Always use Google Scholar

Always. Use. Google. Scholar.

Ten years ago students only had their online university search database to find articles. Those university databases suck. They rarely find the best quality sources and there’s always a big mix of completely irrelevant sources mixed in there.

Google Scholar is better at finding the sources you want. That’s because it looks through the whole article abstract and analyses it to see if it’s relevant to your search keywords. By contrast, most university search databases rely only on the titles of articles.

Use the power of the best quality search engine in the world to find scholarly sources .

Note: Google and Google Scholar are different search engines.

To use Google Scholar, go to: https://scholar.google.com

Then, search on google scholar using keywords. I’m going to search keywords for an essay on the topic: “What are the traits of a good nurse?”

If you really like the idea of that first source, I recommend copying the title and trying your University online search database. Your university may give you free access.

4. Cite at least 50% sources you found on your Own Research

Okay, so I’ve told you that you should cite both assigned readings and readings you find from Google Scholar.

Here’s the ideal mix of assigned sources and sources that you found yourself: 50/50.

Your teacher will want to see that you can use both assigned readings and do your own additional research to write a top essay . This shows you’ve got great research skills but also pay attention to what is provided in class.

I recommend that you start with the assigned readings and try to get as much information out of them, then find your own additional sources beyond that using Google Scholar.

So, if your essay has 10 citations, a good mix is 5 assigned readings and 5 readings you found by yourself.

5. Cite Newer Sources

As a general rule, the newer the source the better .

The best rule of thumb that most teachers follow is that you should aim to mostly cite sources from the past 10 years . I usually accept sources from the past 15 years when marking essays.

However, sometimes you have a really great source that’s 20, 30 or 40 years old. You should only cite these sources if they’re what we call ‘seminal texts’. A seminal text is one that was written by an absolute giant in your field and revolutionized the subject.

Here’s some examples of seminal authors whose old articles you would be able to cite despite the fact that they’re old:

• Education: Vygotsky, Friere, Piaget
• Sociology: Weber, Marx, C. Wright Mills
• Psychology: Freud, Rogers, Jung

Even if I cite seminal authors, I always aim for at least 80% of my sources to have been written in the past 10 years.

6. Reference twice per Paragraph

How much should you reference?

Here’s a good strategy: Provide two citations in every paragraph in the body of the essay.

It’s not compulsory to reference in the introduction and conclusion . However, in all the other paragraphs, aim for two citations.

Let’s go over the key strategies for achieving this:

• These two citations should be to different sources, not the same sources twice;
• Two citations per paragraph shows your points are backed up by not one, but two expert sources;
• Place one citation in the first half of the paragraph and one in the second half. This will indicate to your marker that all the points in the whole paragraph are backed up by your citations.

This is a good rule of thumb for you when you’re not sure when and how often to reference. When you get more confident with your referencing, you can mix this up a little.

7. The sum total of your sources should be minimum 1 per 150 words

You can, of course, cite one source more than once throughout the essay. You might cite the same source in the second, fourth and fifth paragraphs. That’s okay.

But, you don’t want your whole essay to be based on a narrow range of sources. You want your marker to see that you have consulted multiple sources to get a wide range of information on the topic. Your marker wants to know that you’ve seen a range of different opinions when coming to your conclusions.

When you get to the end of your essay, check to see how many sources are listed in the end-text reference list. A good rule of thumb is 1 source listed in the reference list per 150 words. Here’s how that breaks down by essay size:

• 1500 word essay: 10 sources (or more) listed in the reference list
• 2000 word essay: 13 sources (or more) listed in the reference list
• 3000 word essay: 20 sources (or more) listed in the reference list
• 5000 word essay: 33 sources (or more) listed in the reference list

8. Instantly improve your Reference List with these Three Tips

Here’s two things you can do to instantly improve your reference list. It takes less than 20 seconds and gives your reference list a strong professional finish:

a) Ensure the font size and style are the same

You will usually find that your whole reference list ends up being in different font sizes and styles. This is because you tend to copy and paste the titles and names in the citations from other sources. If you submit the reference list with font sizes and styles that are not the same as the rest of the essay, the piece looks really unprofessional.

So, quickly highlight the whole reference list and change its font to the same font size and style as the rest of your essay. The screencast at the end of Step 8 walks you through this if you need a hand!

b) List your sources in alphabetical order.

Nearly every referencing style insists that references be listed in alphabetical order. It’s a simple thing to do before submitting and makes the piece look far more professional.

If you’re using Microsoft Word, simply highlight your whole reference list and click the A>Z button in the toolbar. If you can’t see it, you need to be under the ‘home’ tab (circled below):

You’ve probably never heard of a hanging indent. It’s a style where the second line of the reference list is indented further from the left-hand side of the page than the first line. It’s a strategy that’s usually used in reference lists provided in professional publications.

If you use the hanging indent, your reference list will look far more professional.

Here’s a quick video of me doing it for you:

9. Do one special edit especially for Referencing Style

The top students edit their essays three to five times spaced out over a week or more before submitting. One of those edits should be specifically for ensuring your reference list adheres to the referencing style that your teacher requires.

To do this, I recommend you get that cheat sheet printout that I mentioned in Step 1 and have it by your side while you read through the piece. Pay special attention to the use of commas, capital letters, brackets and page numbers for all citations. Also pay attention to the reference list: correct formatting of the reference list can be the difference between getting the top mark in the class and the fifth mark in the class. At the higher end of the marking range, things get competitive and formatting of the reference list counts.

A Quick Summary of the 9 Top Strategies…

Follow the rules of your referencing style guide (and that cheat sheet I recommended!) and use the top 9 tips above to improve your referencing and get top marks. Not only will your referencing look more professional, you’ll probably increase the quality of the content of your piece as well when you follow these tips!

Here’s a final summary of the 9 top tips:

Strategies for How to Reference in an Essay (9 Strategies of Top Students)

• Print out your Reference Style Cheat Sheet
• Only cite Experts
• Always use Google Scholar
• Cite at least 50% sources you found on your Own Research
• Cite Newer Sources
• Reference twice per Paragraph
• The sum total of your sources should be minimum 1 per 150 words
• Instantly improve your Reference List with these Three Tips
• Do one special edit especially for Referencing Style

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• In-text citation

Reference list

• Artificial intelligence
• Audiovisual
• Books and chapters
• Government and industry publications
• Legal sources
• Theses and course materials
• Web and social media
• Other sources
• Print this page
• Other styles AGLC4 APA 7th Chicago 17th (A) Notes Chicago 17th (B) Author-Date Harvard MLA 9th Vancouver
• Referencing home

Your reference list in Harvard style needs to include all the works you have cited in your assignment. It is placed at the end of your essay on a new page and has a specific format you need to follow.

This is an overview of the rules given in the  Style Manual  for creating a reference list.

Setting up your list

Formatting rules and examples.

Author A (Year) 'Title of journal article', Title of Journal , Vol No.(Issue No.):page–page, doi:10.xxx

Alexander JC (2015) ‘Measuring, counting, interpreting: our debate on methods continues’, American Journal of Cultural Sociology , 3(3):309–310, doi:10.1057/ajcs.2015.13

Two or more authors

Author A and Author B

Author A, Author B and Author C

Poulin J and Matis S (2019) Social work practice: a competency-based approach , Springer. https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/monash/reader.action?docID=5968733

Nankervis AR, Baird M, Coffey J and Shields J (2017) Human resource management: strategy and practice , 9th edn, Cengage Learning, South Melbourne.

Organisation as the author

Abbreviation of organisation (full name of organisation)

DFAT (Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade) (2021) Australia in brief , DFAT, accessed 21 July 2023. https://www.dfat.gov.au/about-us/publications/australia-in-brief

• The Style Manual states to use the abbreviation for the organisation's name in all in-text citations.

Anonymous/unknown author

Make sure that your in-text citation and reference list entry match. If you have used the name of a blog, website, newspaper, or magazine in your in-text citation in place of the author, use the same name in your reference list. If you have used the title of the work in place of the author in your in-text citation, use the title in place of the author in your reference list.

Multiple works by the same author

Author A (Yeara)

Author A (Yearb)

Smith A (2007a) 'Emerging in between: The multi-level governance of renewable energy in the English regions', Energy Policy, 35(12):6266–6280, doi:10.1016/j.enpol.2007.07.023

Smith A (2007b) 'Translating sustainabilities between green niches and socio-technical regimes', Technology Analysis & Strategic Management, 19(4):427–450, doi:10.1080/09537320701403334

• If there are multiple sources by the same author, arrange them in chronological order by publication year.
• For more than one entry by the same author published in the same year, add a lower-case letter to the end of the year in both the citation and the reference list entry

Multiple works by different authors with the same surname

Miller A (2018) It’s a Matter of Fact : Teaching Students Research Skills in Today’s Information-Packed World, Taylor and Francis, doi:10.4324/9780203731680

Miller V (2021) Child sexual abuse inquiries and the Catholic Church: reassessing the evidence, Firenze University Press, http://digital.casalini.it/9788855182799

• The order of appearance is determined by the author's initial.

Editors and translators

If the main creator of the source is an editor, reference the source under their name and include the abbreviation ed. (or eds. for more than one).

Translators

For translated works, complete the reference, and order the reference list based on the name of the original author of the work, not the translator.

DOIs and URLs

Reference with a doi.

Tharoor S (1990) ‘The universality of human rights and their relevance to developing countries’, Nordic Journal of International Law 59(1):139—152, doi:10.1163/157181090X00288

Reference with a database

Tharoor S (1990) ‘The universality of human rights and their relevance to developing countries’, Nordic Journal of International Law 59(1):139—152. (HeinOnline).

Reference with a URL

Tharoor S (1990) ‘The universality of human rights and their relevance to developing countries’, Nordic Journal of International Law 59(1):139—152, accessed 17 December 2020. https://brill.com/view/journals/nord/59/1/article-p139_15.xml

• Many sources published online, including journal articles , government and industry publications , ebooks, and reports, have a Digital Object Identifier (DOI). Include DOIs in your reference list if they exist as they are more stable than URLs.
• DOIs sometimes have the form of a URL. If so, you don’t need to include the HTTP, etc., start at doi:10.xxx (etc).
• If there is no DOI, include the database or the URL instead.

Example reference list

Perkins Gilman C (2004) Social ethics: sociology and the future of society (Hill MR and Deegan MJ eds) Praeger, https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/monash/detail.action?docID=494814

Halloran JT (2018) Population dynamics in the child welfare system , University of Chicago, accessed 1 February 2021, Proquest Dissertations Publishing.

Tsetsura K and Valentini C (2016) 'The “holy” triad in media ethics: a conceptual model for understanding global media ethics', Public Relations Review , 42(4):573–581, doi:10.1016/j.pubrev.2016.03.013

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How to Reference Essays

Last Updated: January 8, 2024 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Alexander Peterman, MA . Alexander Peterman is a Private Tutor in Florida. He received his MA in Education from the University of Florida in 2017. There are 14 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 365,118 times.

When you begin writing a research essay, you must take into account the format of your writing and reference pages. There are several reference styles that may be assigned to you, including MLA (Modern Language Association), APA (American Psychological Association), and Chicago. Each one has its own set of rules. There's no need to familiarize yourself with all 3 unless you have to, but you do need to learn at least one if you’re in any field involving academic writing. Here are summaries of each style to help you start your essay on the right track.

Referencing Essays Templates

• You will need a citation directly after every sentence (or group of sentences if you're citing the same source in multiple consecutive sentences) containing information you didn't think of yourself. These include: paraphrases, facts, statistics, quotes, and examples.
• An in-text citation using MLA will simply have the author last name (or title if no author) followed by the page number. No comma between author and page number. For example: (Richards 456) Richards is the author last name, and 456 is the page number.
• If you have an author name (or title, if no author) but no page number, simply use author last name (or title).

• The easiest way to keep track of MLA citations while doing research is to copy and paste copyright information into a word processing document as you go, or to write it down in a notebook.
• Things to include for any source are author(s), date published, publisher, page number, volume and issue number, website, date accessed, anything that appears on the copyright page or indicates how to find it again. [2] X Trustworthy Source Purdue Online Writing Lab Trusted resource for writing and citation guidelines Go to source

• As an example, the format for a standard book citation using MLA style is as follows: Last name of author, First name. Title of Book. City published: Publisher Name, Year published. Source Medium.
• An MLA website citation looks like the following. If there's no author listed, begin citation with the name of the page: Last name, first name. "Page Title." Website Title. Publisher. Date published. Source Medium. Date accessed.
• An MLA scholarly article citation looks like the following: Last name, First name. "Title of Article." Title of Journal . Volume.Issue (Year): page numbers. Source Medium.
• Write the title of the main work (book, magazine, journal, website, etc.) in italics, or underline if you’re writing references by hand.
• Chapter or article titles should be in quotation marks.

• If there is no author listed, as is common on websites, simply skip the author’s name and begin the entry with the title of the work.
• Alphabetize by the first letter that appears in the entry, whether it has an author name or not.

• The formatting should be in Times New Roman font, size 12, with “Works Cited” centered at the top of a new page.
• Each entry should have hanging indent, meaning all lines below the first line are indented by half an inch.
• Make sure there is a period after each section of the citations. A period should always end the citation.

• Place a parenthetical citation at the end of every sentence (or group of sentences if you're using the same source for multiple consecutive sentences) containing information you didn't know before doing research.
• An in-text citation using APA will simply have the author last name (or title if no author) followed by the year it was published. No comma between name and year. For example: (Richards 2005) Richards is the author last name, and 2005 is the year.
• If you have an author name (or title if no author) but no page number, simply use author last name (or title). This is common when citing websites.
• APA document formatting is very important. APA papers are divided up into 4 sections: the title page, the abstract, the main body, and the references page. The citations of a research paper using APA appear in the References section, the last portion of an APA document. [7] X Research source

• To form APA reference page citations, you will need such information as author name(s), date published, website URL, date you accessed the website, title of work, and so on. [8] X Trustworthy Source Purdue Online Writing Lab Trusted resource for writing and citation guidelines Go to source

• For example, the format for an APA reference of a scholarly journal article is as follows: Author last name, First initial. (Year published). Article or chapter title. Journal or book title, Issue number , page number range. [10] X Trustworthy Source Purdue Online Writing Lab Trusted resource for writing and citation guidelines Go to source
• The format for an APA book reference looks like: Last name, First name. (Year.) Title of Book: Capital letter also for subtitle . Location: Publisher.
• The format for an APA website reference looks like: Author, A.A. First name, & Author, B.B. (Date published.) Title of article. In Title of webpage or larger document or book (chapter or section number). Retrieved from URL address

• Capitalize the author's last name and first initial, followed by a period.
• Only capitalize the first word of a journal article title, unless the title contains a proper noun (called sentence case). Titles of books should preserve the published capitalization.
• Capitalize the city of publication, and use correct state abbreviations for states. Also capitalize the name of the publisher and end the reference with a period.
• The title of larger works, whether a book, journal, website, or magazine, is in italics (or underlined if handwriting), as is the issue number that appears right after the title. Titles for shorter works like articles and chapters should not have any indicative punctuation in an APA entry. [12] X Trustworthy Source Purdue Online Writing Lab Trusted resource for writing and citation guidelines Go to source
• A period should end all citations.

Using Chicago Manual of Style

• For Notes and Bibliography, you will use a superscript at the instance of each quote in the text with a corresponding footnote at the end of the page. All footnotes are compiled into endnotes at the end of the work, on the bibliography page. [14] X Trustworthy Source Purdue Online Writing Lab Trusted resource for writing and citation guidelines Go to source
• For Author Date, you will use parenthetical in-text citations that include author last name and year published, using no punctuation between name and year. The full version of each parenthetical citation is listed alphabetically on the references page. For example: (Simon 2011) Simon is the author last name, and 2011 is the year.
• You will need a citation directly after every sentence (or group of sentences if you're using the same source for multiple consecutive sentences) containing information you didn't think of yourself. These include: paraphrases, facts, statistics, quotes, and examples.

• If using a book, write down all pertinent information found on the copyright page, including the name of the publisher and the city and year of publication.
• For other sources, look for this information near the title of the piece you’re looking at. Publication date is often at the bottom of webpages.

• Title your references page “Bibliography” centered at the top of the page. Leave 2 blank lines between this title and the first entry, and one blank line between entries.
• Notes and Bibliography style uses footnotes for page endings and endnotes for chapter endings. The bibliography page will be an alphabetized list of all sources in hanging indent.
• An example format for a book is as follows: Last name, First name. Book Title . City: Publisher, Year.
• An example format for a chapter in a print scholarly journal is as follows: Author last name, first name. "Title of Chapter or Article." Book or journal Title Issue Number (Year): Page number range. (For an online scholarly journal article, tack on the following at the end: Date accessed. URL address.)
• When there is no known author, the entry should begin with the title of the document, whether it's a webpage, chapter, article, and so on.
• When there are multiple authors, the first listed author appears last name, first name, so that the citation is alphabetized by this author's last name. Subsequent authors are listed by first name, like this: Alcott, Louisa May, Charles Dickens, and Elizabeth Gaskell.
• Always end a citation with a period.

• When using Author Date style, title your references page “References” centered at the top of the page. Leave 2 blank lines between this title and the first entry, and 1 blank line between entries.
• Author Date style bibliographies should be organized alphabetically by last name (or by title if no author) in hanging indent.
• An example format for a book is as follows: Last name, first name. Year. Book Title . City Published: Publisher.
• An example format for a chapter in a print scholarly journal is as follows: Author last name, first name. Year. "Title of Chapter or Article." Book or journal title issue number: page numbers. (for an online scholarly journal article tack this onto the end: Date accessed. URL address.)
• An example format for a website is as follows: Name of Website. Year. "Page Title." Date last modified. Date accessed. URL address.

Expert Q&A

• You don't have to write each bibliography or reference entry on your own. You can download citation management software like Endnote [17] X Research source (purchase required on this one), Zotero [18] X Research source (it's free), or use websites like http://www.bibme.org/ and http://www.easybib.com/ . Select the name of your style manual before you begin creating citations. Copy and paste the citation into your bibliography or references list. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• If you are assigned to write a paper or other written document in one of these styles, you need to purchase the style manual. It will contain nearly every instance not only of source citation, but paper formatting as well as grammar and punctuation that is unique to that style. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

• This article only lists how to cite research for each style manual. Each style has its own instructions for setting up the format of the essay, including heading, spacing, margins, font, and so on. Thanks Helpful 1 Not Helpful 0

You Might Also Like

• ↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/mla_style/mla_formatting_and_style_guide/mla_in_text_citations_the_basics.html
• ↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/mla_style/mla_formatting_and_style_guide/mla_formatting_and_style_guide.html
• ↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/mla_style/mla_formatting_and_style_guide/mla_works_cited_page_books.html
• ↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/apa_style/apa_formatting_and_style_guide/in_text_citations_author_authors.html
• ↑ https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/
• ↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/apa_style/apa_formatting_and_style_guide/reference_list_electronic_sources.html
• ↑ https://libguides.jcu.edu.au/apa/reference-list
• ↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/apa_style/apa_formatting_and_style_guide/reference_list_author_authors.html
• ↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/apa_style/apa_formatting_and_style_guide/reference_list_basic_rules.html
• ↑ https://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/tools_citationguide.html
• ↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/chicago_manual_17th_edition/cmos_formatting_and_style_guide/chicago_manual_of_style_17th_edition.html
• ↑ http://guides.nyu.edu/c.php?g=276562&p=1844734
• ↑ http://endnote.com
• ↑ https://www.zotero.org

About This Article

To reference an essay using MLA style, add a citation after any information you found through a source, like facts or quotes. When citing the reference, include the author’s name and the page number you pulled the information from in parenthesis, like “(Richards 456).” Once you’ve finished your essay, add a Words Cited page with all of the information you used to research your essay, like books or articles. To create a Works Cited page, list the sources in alphabetical order using the author’s last name, and include additional information, like year published and the medium. For more tips from our Writing reviewer, like how to reference an essay using APA style, read on! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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Free Harvard Referencing Generator

Generate accurate Harvard reference lists quickly and for FREE, with MyBib!

🤔 What is a Harvard Referencing Generator?

A Harvard Referencing Generator is a tool that automatically generates formatted academic references in the Harvard style.

It takes in relevant details about a source -- usually critical information like author names, article titles, publish dates, and URLs -- and adds the correct punctuation and formatting required by the Harvard referencing style.

The generated references can be copied into a reference list or bibliography, and then collectively appended to the end of an academic assignment. This is the standard way to give credit to sources used in the main body of an assignment.

👩‍🎓 Who uses a Harvard Referencing Generator?

Harvard is the main referencing style at colleges and universities in the United Kingdom and Australia. It is also very popular in other English-speaking countries such as South Africa, Hong Kong, and New Zealand. University-level students in these countries are most likely to use a Harvard generator to aid them with their undergraduate assignments (and often post-graduate too).

🙌 Why should I use a Harvard Referencing Generator?

A Harvard Referencing Generator solves two problems:

• It provides a way to organise and keep track of the sources referenced in the content of an academic paper.
• It ensures that references are formatted correctly -- inline with the Harvard referencing style -- and it does so considerably faster than writing them out manually.

A well-formatted and broad bibliography can account for up to 20% of the total grade for an undergraduate-level project, and using a generator tool can contribute significantly towards earning them.

⚙️ How do I use MyBib's Harvard Referencing Generator?

Here's how to use our reference generator:

• If citing a book, website, journal, or video: enter the URL or title into the search bar at the top of the page and press the search button.
• Choose the most relevant results from the list of search results.
• Our generator will automatically locate the source details and format them in the correct Harvard format. You can make further changes if required.
• Then either copy the formatted reference directly into your reference list by clicking the 'copy' button, or save it to your MyBib account for later.

MyBib supports the following for Harvard style:

🍏 What other versions of Harvard referencing exist?

There isn't "one true way" to do Harvard referencing, and many universities have their own slightly different guidelines for the style. Our generator can adapt to handle the following list of different Harvard styles:

• Cite Them Right
• Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU)
• University of the West of England (UWE)

Daniel is a qualified librarian, former teacher, and citation expert. He has been contributing to MyBib since 2018.

Scribbr Citation Generator

Accurate APA, MLA, Chicago, and Harvard citations, verified by experts, trusted by millions

Scribbr for Chrome: Your shortcut to citations

Cite any page or article with a single click right from your browser. The extension does the hard work for you by automatically grabbing the title, author(s), publication date, and everything else needed to whip up the perfect citation.

Perfectly formatted references every time

Inaccurate citations can cost you points on your assignments, so our seasoned citation experts have invested countless hours in perfecting Scribbr’s citation generator algorithms. We’re proud to be recommended by teachers and universities worldwide.

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Citation Generator features you'll love

Look up your source by its title, URL, ISBN, or DOI, and let Scribbr find and fill in all the relevant information automatically.

APA, MLA, Chicago, and Harvard

Generate flawless citations according to the official APA, MLA, Chicago, Harvard style, or many other rules.

Export to Word

When your reference list is complete, export it to Word. We’ll apply the official formatting guidelines automatically.

Lists and folders

Create separate reference lists for each of your assignments to stay organized. You can also group related lists into folders.

Export to Bib(La)TeX

Are you using a LaTex editor like Overleaf? If so, you can easily export your references in Bib(La)TeX format with a single click.

Custom fonts

Change the typeface used for your reference list to match the rest of your document. Options include Times New Roman, Arial, and Calibri.

Industry-standard technology

Scribbr’s Citation Generator is built using the same citation software (CSL) as Mendeley and Zotero, but with an added layer for improved accuracy.

Annotations

Describe or evaluate your sources in annotations, and Scribbr will generate a perfectly formatted annotated bibliography .

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Scribbr’s popular guides and videos will help you understand everything related to finding, evaluating, and citing sources.

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• Introduction
• Finding sources

Evaluating sources

• Integrating sources

Citing sources

Tools and resources, a quick guide to working with sources.

Working with sources is an important skill that you’ll need throughout your academic career.

It includes knowing how to find relevant sources, assessing their authority and credibility, and understanding how to integrate sources into your work with proper referencing.

This quick guide will help you get started!

Finding relevant sources

Sources commonly used in academic writing include academic journals, scholarly books, websites, newspapers, and encyclopedias. There are three main places to look for such sources:

• Research databases: Databases can be general or subject-specific. To get started, check out this list of databases by academic discipline . Another good starting point is Google Scholar .
• Your institution’s library: Use your library’s database to narrow down your search using keywords to find relevant articles, books, and newspapers matching your topic.
• Other online resources: Consult popular online sources like websites, blogs, or Wikipedia to find background information. Be sure to carefully evaluate the credibility of those online sources.

When using academic databases or search engines, you can use Boolean operators to refine your results.

Generate APA, MLA, Chicago, and Harvard citations in seconds

Get started

In academic writing, your sources should be credible, up to date, and relevant to your research topic. Useful approaches to evaluating sources include the CRAAP test and lateral reading.

CRAAP is an abbreviation that reminds you of a set of questions to ask yourself when evaluating information.

• Currency: Does the source reflect recent research?
• Relevance: Is the source related to your research topic?
• Authority: Is it a respected publication? Is the author an expert in their field?
• Accuracy: Does the source support its arguments and conclusions with evidence?
• Purpose: What is the author’s intention?

Lateral reading

Lateral reading means comparing your source to other sources. This allows you to:

• Verify evidence
• Contextualize information
• Find potential weaknesses

If a source is using methods or drawing conclusions that are incompatible with other research in its field, it may not be reliable.

Integrating sources into your work

Once you have found information that you want to include in your paper, signal phrases can help you to introduce it. Here are a few examples:

Following the signal phrase, you can choose to quote, paraphrase or summarize the source.

• Quoting : This means including the exact words of another source in your paper. The quoted text must be enclosed in quotation marks or (for longer quotes) presented as a block quote . Quote a source when the meaning is difficult to convey in different words or when you want to analyze the language itself.
• Paraphrasing : This means putting another person’s ideas into your own words. It allows you to integrate sources more smoothly into your text, maintaining a consistent voice. It also shows that you have understood the meaning of the source.
• Summarizing : This means giving an overview of the essential points of a source. Summaries should be much shorter than the original text. You should describe the key points in your own words and not quote from the original text.

Whenever you quote, paraphrase, or summarize a source, you must include a citation crediting the original author.

Citing your sources is important because it:

• Allows you to avoid plagiarism
• Establishes the credentials of your sources
• Backs up your arguments with evidence
• Allows your reader to verify the legitimacy of your conclusions

The most common citation styles are APA, MLA, and Chicago style. Each citation style has specific rules for formatting citations.

Generate APA, MLA, Chicago,  and Harvard citations in seconds

Scribbr offers tons of tools and resources to make working with sources easier and faster. Take a look at our top picks:

• Citation Generator: Automatically generate accurate references and in-text citations using Scribbr’s APA Citation Generator, MLA Citation Generator , Harvard Referencing Generator , and Chicago Citation Generator .
• Plagiarism Checker : Detect plagiarism in your paper using the most accurate Turnitin-powered plagiarism software available to students.
• AI Proofreader: Upload and improve unlimited documents and earn higher grades on your assignments. Try it for free!
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Example essay extract with citations and references list: Home

Example essay extract with citations and references list.

Below is an example essay, complete with citations and references.

Please remember this is a fictional essay purely designed to demonstrate how and when to reference. 

Embedding experiences and voices in research can “challenge [the] studied ignorance” around race (Arday and Mirza, 2018, p.v) and the academy’s role as gatekeeper of what is considered “relevant knowledge” (Lillis, 2003). Academic conventions around skills such as writing can be excluding, forming “constructions of difference […] that deepen misrecognitions and inequalities” (Burke, 2018, p.366). Lillis (2003) and Arday et al. (2021) both use narrative to listen to the ways in which black students’ experiences are ignored and the marginalising effect of a refusal to validate multiple ways of knowing.

References:

Arday, J., Belluigi, D. Z. and Thomas, D. (2021) Attempting to break the chain: reimaging inclusive pedagogy and decolonising the curriculum within the academy.  Educational Philosophy and Theory .  53 (3), pp.298-313.

Arday, J. and Mirza, H. S. (eds.) (2018) Dismantling race in higher education:  racism, whiteness and decolonising the academy . London: Palgrave Macmillan.

Burke, P. J. (2018) Trans/forming pedagogical spaces: race, belonging and recognition in higher education. In: Arday, J. and Mirza, H. S. (eds.) Dismantling race in higher education: racism, whiteness and decolonising the academy . London: Palgrave Macmillan, pp.365-382.

Lillis, T. (2003) Student writing as ‘academic literacies’: drawing on Bakhtin to move from critique to design. Language and Education. 17 (5), pp.192-207.

• Last Updated: Sep 22, 2023 12:51 PM
• URL: https://libguides.northampton.ac.uk/harvard/exampleessay

Reference Essay

In our research, technical, or science papers, it is common that we have a lot of sources from different books and publications. We need them in order to gather some facts, ideas, images, and many other important information. You may also see essay writing examples .

Using words or ideas from other authors without acknowledging them and citing them is a form of plagiarism, the act of stealing someone’s ideas and using it as its own. This is something that every writer must avoid not only to have a good credibility but also to come up with fresh and novel ideas and notions. You may also like short essay examples & samples .

Citing the authors or the publications in your essay is one thing that you must not forget to do. There are a lot of citation styles that you can use depending on the subject area that you are working on and on the paper that you are writing, and this will be fully discussed in the succeeding sections. You may also check out what are the parts of an essay ?

For now, below are some examples of reference essays that you might find useful for your write-up. Additionally, there are other examples of essays that might interest you.

What is Reference Essay? A Reference Essay is an academic writing piece that extensively cites sources and research to support arguments, analysis, or interpretations on a specific topic. It aims to engage with existing literature, theories, or findings within a field, offering a comprehensive overview of the subject matter based on scholarly evidence.

Reference Essay Format

Title of the Essay: Clear and concise, reflecting the essay’s content. Author’s Name Institutional Affiliation Course Instructor’s Name Date

Introduction

Hook: An engaging opening sentence or question to capture the reader’s interest. Background Information: Brief context or background to the topic being discussed. Thesis Statement: A clear, concise statement of the essay’s main argument or purpose. Overview of the Essay Structure: Briefly outline what the reader can expect in the essay.

Body Paragraphs

Each body paragraph should focus on a single main idea that supports the thesis, structured as follows:

Topic Sentence: Introduces the main idea of the paragraph. Explanation/Analysis: Detailed explanation or analysis of the topic, supported by evidence from scholarly sources. Evidence: Direct quotes, paraphrases, or summaries of relevant research, properly cited. Link to the Thesis: Explain how this evidence supports your thesis. Transition: Smooth transition to the next paragraph or idea.

Summary of Main Points: Concisely restate the main arguments or findings presented in the body paragraphs. Restatement of Thesis: Restate the thesis in light of the evidence discussed. Implications: Discuss the implications of your findings or analysis. Suggestions for Further Research: Identify potential areas for future research.

Example of Reference Essay

The Impact of Social Media on Modern Communication In the digital age, social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram have revolutionized the way we communicate, both personally and professionally. This essay examines the profound impact social media has had on the dynamics of communication, arguing that while social media facilitates global connectivity, it also presents challenges such as the erosion of privacy and face-to-face interactions. Social media has removed geographical barriers, enabling real-time communication across the globe (Smith, 2020). Platforms like LinkedIn have also transformed professional networking, making it easier to connect with industry peers and potential employers (Johnson, 2019).   Despite its advantages, social media has been criticized for diminishing the quality of face-to-face interactions (Doe, 2018). The convenience of digital communication often replaces more meaningful, personal exchanges (Brown, 2017). The proliferation of social media has raised significant privacy concerns, with personal information often being shared or sold without consent (Kumar, 2021). Furthermore, the rapid spread of misinformation on social media platforms has become a global issue, affecting public opinion and even election outcomes (White, 2020).   Social media has undeniably transformed communication, making it more accessible and efficient but not without drawbacks. As we navigate this digital era, it is crucial to balance the benefits of social media with mindfulness of its potential to disrupt traditional communication and privacy norms.   References   Brown, A. (2017). The impact of social media on face-to-face interactions. Journal of Social Psychology , 58(2), 201-208. Doe, J. (2018). Social media’s effect on daily communication. Media Studies Journal , 45(4), 34-47. Johnson, L. (2019). Networking in the digital age: Opportunities and challenges. Professional Communication Quarterly , 63(1), 55-67. Kumar, R. (2021). Privacy in the age of social media: A critical review. Technology and Society , 39(3), 300-310. Smith, H. (2020). Global connectivity and social media: A new communicative era. Global Communication Review , 12(2), 89-105. White, G. (2020). Misinformation and social media: The effects on democracy. Political Science Today , 7(1), 112-119.

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MLA Citation Reference Essay Example

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Basics about Citation

A citation is a way to show within the body of your text a published work such as a book, an article, a chapter of a book, or website, informing the readers that they are your source or sources from which you took your words, ideas, figures, images, and many other important information. The details of these citations can be found in bibliographies and reference lists and are also collected in article and book databases. You may also see essay writing examples & samples .

A citation consists of standard elements, the information necessary to identify and track down a certain publication. The elements in a citation are as follows:

• author name/s
• titles of books, articles, or journals
• date of publication
• page numbers
• volume and issue numbers (for articles)

There are a lot of different presentation on this elements depending on the reference style that the author is using, and this will be discussed in the later part of this article. You may also like concept essay examples .

Importance of Citations

Citations are important in many ways because they are used:

1. To let your readers know that you’ve done proper research in order to get the information that you present in your paper

2. To be a responsible scholar by acknowledging and giving credit to other authors

3. To let your readers be informed for them to be able to track down the sources you used by citing them accurately in your paper through footnotes, a bibliography, or reference list. You may also check out sample essay outlines .

Two Key Elements of Referencing

There are two elements of referencing that you must know and apply in your papers. They are as follows:

1. An in-text marker

This indicates to the reader that certain ideas, concepts, phrases, or words are attributable to other authors.

2. A complete reference list

This provides the full citation details for all sources referred to in the document such as those basic elements of a citation mentioned in the previous section. You might be interested in tips for writing an effective essay .

Referencing Systems

There are two systems that are commonly used for referencing, and they are the following:

1. Note systems

This involves the use of sequential numbers as in-text markers such as footnotes, the notes included at the end of each page, and endnotes, the notes that can be found at the end of a paper. This is typically used in Chicago 16th Edition and Vancouver Reference Styles. You may also see descriptive essay examples .

2. Parenthetical systems

This is also known as the author-date referencing and involves the use of a partial reference, only the author and the date, contained within a parenthesis with the complete details on the last page of the whole document. This is commonly used in APA, Harvard, and MLA reference styles. You may also like persuasive essay examples & samples .

Reference Style Guide

There are different referencing or citation styles that an author can use in his or her write-up depending on the requirement or author’s preference. The common reference styles are APA, MLA, Oxford, Harvard, and Chicago Reference Styles. Here is a brief discussion with regard to the different reference styles that you can use in your paper. You may also check out self-introduction essay examples & samples .

1. APA Reference Style

In-text citation basic format.

The in-text citation must contain basic information of the source which are as follows:

• the author/s
• the year of publication
• the page number (if applicable)

For example:

When testing the usability of a website, it is necessary to gather demographic information about the users (Lazar, 2006).

This is needed when the information or idea you are using is from another source. Similarly, when you paraphrased, summarized, or quoted another author, you must also provide a citation in the text, hence, and in-text citation. You might be interested in descriptive essay examples & samples .

There are some cases when there are two different sources but the same author and year of publication are the same. To distinguish them, a lower-case letter must be attached to the year.

The quotations must be enclosed in quotation marks with the reference citation following the quotations.

When gathering data it is important to remember that “only relevant types of demographic information should be requested” (Lazar, 2006, p. 52).

Quotations must be identical to the original source, but some small changes are acceptable. You may also see informative essay examples & samples .

Reference List Format

Usually, the reference list is presented at the end of the paper. Each reference must have the following parts:

• the name of the author
• other publication information

Bowker, N., & Tuffin, K. (2002). Users with disabilities’ social and economic development through online access. In M. Boumedine (Ed.), Proceedings of the IASTED International Conference on Information and Knowledge Sharing (pp. 122–127). Anaheim, CA: ACTA Press. You may also like samples of formal essays .

2. MLA Reference Style

• the page number

Billy has the ability to relate to others with his voice (Vonnegut 36).

Similarly, this is needed when the information or idea you are using is from another source. Similarly, when you paraphrased, summarized, or quoted another author, you must also provide a citation in the text, hence, an in-text citation. You may also check out high school essay examples & samples .

Quotations must be identical to the original source, but some small changes are acceptable.

• the title of the work
• other publication information including the publishing medium

New Zealand Writers Guild. “Writing for television: A beginners guide.” New Zealand Writers Guild. 2005. Web. 28 June 2011. You might be interested in personal essay examples & samples .

3. Oxford Reference Style

The in-text citation must contain only a footnote.

In-text example:

Every living creature in the sea contains iron.

Footnote example:

Stella Cottrell, The Study Skills Handbook (Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 2013). You may also see photo essay examples & samples .

Cottrell, Stella, The Study Skills Handbook (Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 2013)

4. Harvard Reference Style

When testing the usability of a website, it is necessary to gather demographic information about the users (Lazar 2006).

This is similar to APA Reference Style but without comma between the name of the author and the date. You may also see evaluation essay examples .

Quotations must be identical to the original source, but some small changes are acceptable. You may also like analytical essay examples & samples .

• Book – the order of the elements are author, year, book title, publisher, and place of publication (for example, “Wallace, A, Schirato, T, & Bright, P 1999, Beginning university: Thinking, researching and writing for success, Allen & Unwin, St Leonards, NSW.”) You may also see academic essay examples .
• Chapter in a book – the order of elements are author, year, chapter title, editors, book title, publisher, and place of publication (for example, “Amin, A 2000, ‘The economic base of contemporary cities’, in G Bridge & S Watson (eds), A companion to the city, Blackwell, Oxford.”)
• Journal article – the order of elements are author, year, article title, journal title, volume and/or issue number, and page range (for example, “Castles, FG, Curtin, JC, & Vowles, J 2006, ‘Public policy in Australia and New Zealand: The new global context’, Australian Journal of Political Science, Vol. 41, no. 2, pp. 131–143.”) You may also like scholarship essay examples .
• Web page – the order of elements are author, year, document title, site controller/sponsor, location of controller/sponsor, date of viewing, and URL address (for example, “Benson, A 2006, Potamopyrgus antipodarum, United States Geological Survey, USA, viewed 5 August 2006, <“

5. Chicago Reference Style

Closely similar to Oxford Reference Style, in this style, the authors are identified by a number in the text, and the details are indexed in the form of a footnote or an endnote.

When a source is first used, the complete information must be presented such as the author, title, publisher, year, and page number. If it is cited again, a shortened version can be used. You may also check out argumentative essay examples .

Cottrell¹ emphasises the use of outside source materials in academic writing. When writing an assignment, this will form the crucial second step.²

The footnote or endnote will appear as follows:

1. Stella Cottrell, The Study Skills Handbook , 3rd ed. (New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2008), 181. 2. Cottrell, The Study Skills Handbook , 176.

• Book –  the order of elements are author, book title, city of publication, publisher name, year, page number (for example, “Mason Durie, Ng? k?hui pou: Launching M?ori Futures (Wellington: Huia Publishers, 2003), 22.”)
• Chapter in a book – the order of elements are author, chapter title, book title, editors, page range, city of publication, publisher name, year, page number (for example, “Ash Amin, “The Economic Base of Contemporary Cities,” in A Companion to the City, ed. Gary Bridge and Sophie Watson, 115–129 (Oxford: Blackwell, 2000), 120.”) You might be interested in literary essay examples & samples .
• Journal article – the order of elements are author, article title, journal title, volume number, issue number, year, page range (for example, “Francis G. Castles, Jennifer Curtin, and Jack Vowles, “Public Policy in Australia and New Zealand: The New Global Context,” Australian Journal of Political Science 41, no. 2 (2006): 135.”) You may also see synthesis essay examples & samples .
• Web page – the order of elements are author, page title, site owner, and URL address (for example, “A. Benson, “Potamopyrgus antipodarum,” United States Geological Survey, “

These are the common reference styles that you can use in your paper, and hopefully the discussion and examples presented above enlightened you and helped you a lot.

How to Write Reference Essay

Writing a reference essay involves a detailed process of research, analysis, and synthesis of information from various sources to support your arguments or insights on a specific topic. Here’s a structured approach to crafting a comprehensive reference essay:

1. Choose Your Topic

Select a topic that interests you and is relevant to your study or assignment. Ensure it’s broad enough to research but narrow enough to manage within your essay’s scope.

2. Conduct Preliminary Research

Begin with general sources to gain a broad understanding of your topic. Use academic databases, books, and reputable online sources to gather background information and identify key themes, debates, and researchers in the field.

3. Develop a Thesis Statement

Formulate a clear thesis statement that presents your main argument or perspective on the topic. This statement will guide the direction of your essay and help focus your research.

4. Conduct Detailed Research

Dive deeper into your topic by seeking out specific studies, articles, and scholarly discussions related to your thesis. Look for sources that both support and contradict your perspective to ensure a balanced argument.

5. Create an Outline

Organize your main points and supporting evidence into an outline. This will serve as a roadmap for your essay, helping to ensure a logical flow of ideas.

6. Write the Introduction

Introduce your topic, providing necessary background information to contextualize your essay. Clearly state your thesis statement and briefly outline the main points you will cover.

7. Write the Body Paragraphs

Each body paragraph should focus on a single main idea that supports your thesis. Begin with a topic sentence, followed by evidence from your research, analysis of this evidence, and a concluding sentence that ties the evidence back to your main argument. Properly cite all sources using the required citation style.

8. Write the Conclusion

Summarize the main points of your essay and restate your thesis in light of the evidence you’ve presented. Discuss the implications of your findings and suggest areas for further research.

9. Include References

Provide a comprehensive list of all the sources cited in your essay. Follow the specific formatting guidelines (APA, MLA, Chicago, etc.) for listing references.

How do you reference a source in an essay?

To reference a source in an essay, include an in-text citation within the body that corresponds to a full citation in your bibliography or reference list at the essay’s end.

How do I cite a reference?

To cite a reference, use the prescribed citation style (APA, MLA, Chicago, etc.), providing author name(s), publication year, title, and source details (e.g., volume, issue, pages for journals).

Reference Essay Generator

Text prompt

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Write a Reference Essay on the influence of Greek mythology on modern literature.

Discuss the role of references in establishing credibility in academic writing in your Reference Essay.

Purdue Online Writing Lab Purdue OWL® College of Liberal Arts

Reference List: Books

Welcome to the Purdue OWL

This page is brought to you by the OWL at Purdue University. When printing this page, you must include the entire legal notice.

Copyright ©1995-2018 by The Writing Lab & The OWL at Purdue and Purdue University. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, reproduced, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our terms and conditions of fair use.

Note:  This page reflects the latest version of the APA Publication Manual (i.e., APA 7), which released in October 2019. The equivalent resource for the older APA 6 style  can be found here .

The following contains a list of the most commonly cited print book sources. E-books are described on our "Electronic Sources" page . For a complete list of how to cite print sources, please refer to the 7 th edition of the APA Publication Manual. 

Note: If available, APA 7 requires a DOI for all works that have one — whether print or digital. If a print work does not have a DOI do not include it in the reference citation.

Basic Format for Books

Author, A. A. (Year of publication). Title of work: Capital letter also for subtitle . Publisher Name. DOI (if available)

Stoneman, R. (2008). Alexander the Great: A life in legend . Yale University Press.

Edited Book, No Author

Editor, E. E. (Ed.). (Year of publication). Title of work: Capital letter also for subtitle . Publisher. DOI (if available)

Leitch, M. G., & Rushton, C. J. (Eds.). (2019).  A new companion to Malory . D. S. Brewer.

Edited Book with an Author or Authors

Author, A. A. (Year of publication). Title of work: Capital letter also for subtitle (E. Editor, Ed.). Publisher. DOI (if available)

Malory, T. (2017). Le morte darthur (P. J. C. Field, Ed.). D. S. Brewer. (Original work published 1469-70)

A Translation

Author, A. A. (Year of publication). Title of work: Capital letter also for subtitle (T. Translator, Trans.). Publisher. (Original work published YEAR) DOI (if available)

Plato (1989). Symposium (A. Nehamas & P. Woodruff, Trans.). Hackett Publishing Company. (Original work published ca. 385-378 BCE)

Note : When you cite a republished work, like the one above, in your text, it should appear with both dates: Plato (385-378/1989)

Edition Other Than the First

Author, A. A. (Year of publication). Title of work: Capital letter also for subtitle (# edition). Publisher. DOI (if available)

Belcher, W. (2019). Writing your journal article in twelve weeks: A guide to academic publishing success (2nd ed.). University of Chicago Press.

Article or Chapter in an Edited Book

Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Year of publication). Title of chapter. In E. E. Editor & F. F. Editor (Eds.), Title of work: Capital letter also for subtitle (pp. pages of chapter). Publisher. DOI (if available)

Note : When you list the pages of the chapter or essay in parentheses after the book title, use "pp." before the numbers: (pp. 1-21). This abbreviation, however, does not appear before the page numbers in periodical references. List any edition number in the same set of parentheses as the page numbers, separated by a comma: (2nd ed., pp. 66-72).

Armstrong, D. (2019). Malory and character. In M. G. Leitch & C. J. Rushton (Eds.), A new companion to Malory  (pp. 144-163). D. S. Brewer.

Multivolume Work

Author, A. A. (Year of publication). Title of work: Capital letter also for subtitle (Vol. #) . Publisher. DOI (if available)

David, A., & Simpson, J. (Eds.). (2006). The Norton anthology of English literature: The Middle Ages (8 th ed.,Vol. A). W. W. Norton and Company.