Referencing

What is Referencing?

When we reference sources in our work, we are acknowledging that we are using ideas that are not our own, we have found them through our reading and research.  A citation is another word for this kind of acknowledgement.  Using the work of other people without acknowledging our sources is called plagiarism.

Sources you might need to reference include information from books, journal articles, websites, documentaries and other videos, podcasts and more.

Referencing Techniques

There are a number of different referencing techniques (also known as referencing conventions).  You should check with your teacher whether you need to use any referencing techniques for your course or assignment.  For example, you might be asked to use one or more of the following:

• Reference list

• Bibliography

• Footnotes and endnotes

• Appendices

If your teacher asks you to use a particular referencing method, they may show you how to set this out.   The reference for a book may look something like this:

Greetham, B. (2008) How to Write Better Essays. 2nd edn. Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan.

Author and date of publication Title     Edition Place of publication Publisher

Some of this information can br found on the front cover of the book, the rest can be found just inside the cover.

Where Can I Find More Help with Referencing?