how to write references on an assignment

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References, citations and avoiding plagiarism

Assignments.

• Getting Started
• Independent research
• Understanding a reference
• Managing your references
• How to reference
• Acknowledging and referencing AI
• Harvard referencing
• Vancouver referencing
• APA referencing
• Chicago referencing
• OSCOLA referencing
• MHRA referencing
• MLA referencing

Avoiding plagiarism

• Further help

Referencing in your assignments

In academic work of any kind, effective referencing of your sources will ensure that you:

• show that you are writing from a position of understanding of your topic.
• demonstrate that you have read widely and deeply.
• enable the reader to locate the source of each quote, idea or work/evidence (that was not your own).
• avoid plagiarism and uphold academic honesty.

In order to cite sources correctly in your assignments, you need to understand the essentials of how to reference and follow guidelines for the referencing style you are required to use.

• Referencing styles

Citing your sources can help you avoid plagiarism. You may need to submit your assignments through Turnitin, plagiarism detection software. Find out more about Turnitin and how you can use it to check your work before submitting it:

• What is plagiarism?

Why do I need to reference? Find out more

Referencing and empowerment

Karen Gravett & Ian M. Kinchin (2020) Referencing and empowerment: exploring barriers to agency in the higher education student experience, Teaching in Higher Education, 25:1, 84-97

Plagiarism: what is it, whom does it offend, and how does one deal with it?

J D Armstrong, 2nd (1993) Plagiarism: what is it, whom does it offend, and how does one deal with it?, American Journal of Roentgenology, 161:3, 479-484

Teaching Referencing as an Introduction to Epistemological Empowerment

Monica Hendricks & Lynn Quinn (2000) Teaching Referencing as an Introduction to Epistemological Empowerment, Teaching in Higher Education, 5:4, 447-457

Academic honesty and conduct

• UCL guide to Academic Integrity What is Academic Integrity, why is it important, and what happens if you breach it?
• Understanding Academic Integrity course UCL's online and self-paced course to help you understand academic integrity, designed to help students to develop good academic practice for completing assessments.
• Engaging with AI in your education and assessment UCL student guidance on how you might engage with Artificial Intelligence (AI) in your assessments, effectively and ethically.
• Referencing and avoiding plagiarism tutorial

Referencing style guides

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• Last Updated: Apr 18, 2024 5:20 PM
• URL: https://library-guides.ucl.ac.uk/referencing-plagiarism

• Aberystwyth University
• Referencing & Plagiarism Awareness
• 3. How to insert citations into your assignment.

Referencing & Plagiarism Awareness: 3. How to insert citations into your assignment.

• 1. Introduction
• 2. What is referencing and citation?
• 4. What is plagiarism?
• 5. Referencing Artificial Intelligence Outputs
• 6. Consequences of plagiarism
• 7. Plagiarism in the news
• 8. Referencing Examples
• 9. Reference management tools
• 10. Submitting your work using Turnitin
• 11. How to interpret your Turnitin similarity report
• 12. Further help

What is citing?

Citing is identifying the sources you have used in the text of your assignment.  This may be done as;

a direct quotation

paraphrasing

summarising

In-text citations give brief details about the source that you refer to.

This is an example citation (Harvard referencing style):

(Pears and Shields, 2013)  

Further citation examples from the different referencing styles used at Aberystwyth University can be found here .

The citations will allow the person reading your assignment to locate the full details of the source you have used in the reference list located at the end of your work.

Reference list (Harvard Style)

Pears, R. and Shields, G. (2013) Cite them right: the essential referencing guide . London: Palgrave.

Pears, R. and Shields, G. (2013). Cite them right: the essential referencing guide . London: Palgrave.

How to use quotes in your assignment.

When you use quotations they should be relevant.  Try not to use too many as they can break the flow of your text.  You will need to balance quotations with your own understanding of the sources used.

Don't forget - quotes are included in your word count!

A few tips:

Enclose any quotes in " quotation marks " - be consistent. Check out the further examples to see whether your chosen referencing style uses single or double quotation marks.

If using long quotes that are more than a few sentences, add these as a separate paragraph. This should be indented and there is no need to use quotation marks. ( Please note : The Department of Geography and Earth Sciences stipulate that long, indented quotations require quotation mark at the beginning and the end of the quotation).

Depending on the referencing style you are using, give the author, date and page number that the quote is from.

The full details of the source of the quote are then added into the reference list at the end of your assignment.

Example (Harvard Style):

In-text citation

'There are several ways in which you can incorporate citations into your text, depending on your own style and the flow of the work' (Pears and Shields, 2013, p. 8).

Reference list

How to paraphrase.

Paraphrasing involves expressing another author’s ideas or arguments in your own words, without direct quotation but with due acknowledgement.  It entails reformulating key points or information accurately, so that nothing important is lost but the means of communication is new. For instance:

Quotation     ‘It is impossible to step twice into the same river’ (Heraclitus) Paraphrase     Heraclitus argues that, just as a river is always in motion, the world is always changing so that nothing stays the same.

Paraphrasing can help with the flow or continuity of your written work and is a good way of demonstrating your understanding.

Read your source a few times to ensure you understand the meaning

Restate the key point(s) from the source in your own words, but without distorting the original meaning

Ensure you cite and reference the source.

Please note: When paraphrasing, you should NOT copy a passage from your source and then seek to change some of its wording. Use your own words and phrases from beginning to end when paraphrasing.

How to summarise.

This method provides the key points from an article, book or web page as a brief statement.

A few Tips;

Summaries should be your own work. It is NOT permitted to use online summary tools or other software for this purpose.

Ensure you cite and reference the source

Only list the main topics

In text citation

Importantly, one particular book (Pears and Shields, 2013) looks at the different citation methods when including them in an assignment.

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Generate accurate APA citations for free

• Knowledge Base
• APA Style 7th edition
• Creating APA reference entries

How to Create or Generate APA Reference Entries (7th edition)

Published on November 5, 2020 by Raimo Streefkerk . Revised on January 17, 2024.

APA reference entries provide detailed information about a source. They’re listed on the reference page at the end of your paper and correspond to APA in-text citations in the body text.

You can easily generate APA references (and in-text citations) with Scribbr’s APA Citation Generator , but it’s helpful to have a general understanding of the composition of an APA reference. It enables you to review your own work and that of any tool you might be using.

Generate accurate APA citations with Scribbr

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Table of contents

The four components of an apa reference, abbreviations in apa references.

Although the reference format differs depending on the type of source (e.g., a book, webpage, or video), they’re built from the same four components:

• Author : who is responsible for creating the work?
• Date : when was the work published?
• Title : what is the work called?
• Source : where can the work be retrieved?

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The author is responsible for creating the work. This can be an individual, multiple people, an organization (such as a company, government agency, or workgroup), or a combination of them. The author can be the writer of a text, but also the host of a podcast or the director of a movie.

Basic format

In an APA reference, the author’s name is inverted: start with the last name, followed by a comma and the initials, separated by a period and space.

Treat infixes, such as “Van” or “De”, as part of the last name. Don’t include personal titles such as Ph.D. or Dr., but do include suffixes.

• Smith, T . H . J .
• Van der Molen, R.
• Brown, A. T. W. , Jr.

Multiple authors

Separate the names of multiple authors with commas. Before the last author’s name, you should also insert an ampersand (&).

A reference entry may contain up to 20 authors. If there are more than 20, list the first 19 authors, followed by an ellipsis (. . .) and the last author’s name.

• Andreff, W. , & Staudohar, P. D.
• Andreff, W. , Staudohar, P. D. , & LaBrode, M.
• Miller, T. C., Brown, M. J., Wilson, G. L., Evans, B. B., Kelly, R. S., Turner, S. T., Lewis, F., Nelson, T. P., Cox, G., Harris, H. L., Martin, P., Gonzalez, W. L., Hughes, W., Carter, D., Campbell, C., Baker, A. B., Flores, T., Gray, W. E., Green, G. , . . . Lee, L. H.

Organizations or groups as author

When an organization or group is listed as the author of a source (e.g., a report or brochure ), list the name in full—don’t use abbreviations. If multiple organizations or groups are responsible for creating the work, include them all in the reference entry. Do not use a comma to separate two group authors.

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (not CDC)
• Microsoft & Apple

An author’s name can also be a username (for example, a Twitter handle). If you don’t know the author’s real name, you only provide the username. If you do know the author’s real name, include the username in brackets after the author’s real name. Retain the @ symbol.

• Trump, D. J. [@RealDonaldTrump] .

Indication of roles

If contributors have a different role than “author”, a description of their role is sometimes (but not always) included in parentheses. Check the table below to learn when to provide a role description.

* Abbreviate the editor role to “Ed.” (one editor) or “Eds.” (multiple editors).

Unknown author

The author may not always be mentioned explicitly, but you can often infer it from the context. For example, an “About us” page on a website is usually written by the organization behind the website.

When you really cannot determine the author, you may omit the “author” component from the reference. The reference then begins with the source title, as in this Bible citation .

Note that legal citations (e.g. court cases , laws ) generally don’t have an author element.

The “date” component appears after the “author” component. Use the following guidelines to determine the publication date:

• For books, always take the copyright date.
• For journal articles, take the year in which the volume was published.
• For web pages, you may use the “Last updated” date if it applies to the content you’re citing. Don’t take the copyright date from the footer of a website.

The date of publication appears in parentheses and can take the following forms:

• (2020, January)
• (2020, January 15)
• (1997–1999)

In most cases, you only include the year of publication in the reference entry. Sources published more frequently (e.g., newspapers , blogs , YouTube videos ) or events taking place on specific dates (e.g., conferences , speeches ) usually include the full date.

Retrieval date

Only provide the retrieval date (i.e., the date you consulted the information) if a work is designed to change over time. Examples include:

• Online dictionary entries
• Social media profiles (not posts)
• Dashboards with statistics (like this world population counter )

The retrieval date appears after the source title and before the URL. Write the word “Retrieved” followed by the month, day, and year.

You do not need to include a retrieval date for an online newspaper article or blog post (like this one), even though the content might change a little over time. A retrieval date is also not needed if versions are archived, as is the case with Wikipedia articles .

Same author, same date

When citing multiple works from the same author, published in the same year, you need to add a lowercase letter after the year to distinguish between them. These lowercase letters are also included in the APA in-text citation .

• Cole, A. J. (2016 a ). Adoption of contactless payment solutions.
• Cole, A. J. (2016 b ). Trust differences between payment providers.

Assign the letters using the following rules:

• References with only a year precede those with more specific dates.
• References with specific dates are ordered chronologically.
• References with identical dates are ordered by their titles (disregard “A”, “An”, and “The”).

Unknown publication date

If the publication date is unknown, write “n.d.” for “no date” in place of the publication date.

In the “title” component, you write the name of the work that you’re citing. This can be the title of a journal or a book (i.e., a stand-alone work) or a specific article or chapter from that journal or book (i.e., a work that is part of a greater whole). In the latter case, you need to include two titles.

When citing a stand-alone work , its title appears in the “title” component , in italics and sentence case.

When citing a work that is part of a larger whole , the title of the work appears in the “title” component (sentence case, no styling) and the title of the larger whole appears in the “source” component (italicized).

Bracketed source descriptions

Descriptions help identify sources. You include them for pretty much every source type, except for books, journal articles, reports, websites and newspaper articles.

Place the description in square brackets after the source title but before the period. Capitalize the first letter of the description, but don’t italicize it. Try to keep the descriptions short and consistent.

Unknown title

If a work does not have a title, provide a description of it in square brackets in the place of the title.

In the “source” component, you include information about where the work can be retrieved.

When citing a stand-alone work (e.g., a book or webpage), you include the name of the publisher, database, platform, or website (whichever is relevant to your source), and a DOI (Digital Object Identifier) or URL.

When citing a work that is part of a greater whole (e.g., an article in a journal), you include information about this greater whole, like its title, relevant edition, volume or issue information, relevant contributors (like editors), the page range and the publisher, as well as a DOI or URL of the work.

Title of the greater whole

The inclusion of titles is explained in the “title” component section . The title of the greater whole (e.g., a journal, newspaper, or edited book) is usually the first element in the “source” component and is italicized.

Edition information and volume and issue numbers

Books can have different editions, while periodicals (such as journals and magazines) usually have volume and issue numbers. This information appears after the title.

Put edition information in parentheses, but unlike the title, don’t italicize it.

Italicize the volume number and place it after the periodical title. The issue number appears after the volume number in parentheses (not italicized). Do not add a space between the volume and issue number.

Contributors

If there are relevant contributors other than the author of the work you’re citing, you need to credit them as well. The most common examples are editors of collections and translators of books in a foreign language.

Unlike the author component, the names of the contributors are not inverted. You introduce contributors with the word “In” right after the “title” component . Don’t forget to include a role description in parentheses.

Page range of the work

When citing a work that is part of a greater whole, you need to provide the page number or page range of that work. This makes retrieving it easier. Depending on the type of source, the page numbers are preceded by “p.” or “pp.” and placed in parentheses or not.

Publisher, database, platform, or website name

Depending on the type of source, you should include the name of the publisher, database, platform, or website responsible for distributing the work. When the author of a work is the same as the publisher or website name, you may omit this information.

Physical location

Some works are associated with a specific location—for example, an artwork in a museum or a conference presentation. In these cases, you include city and state/country in the reference.

Works that can be accessed online usually have a URL or DOI (digital object identifier) . A DOI is often used for scientific publications and books, while a URL is more common for other online publications.

Use the following guidelines:

• If available, always add a DOI
• A DOI is preferred over a URL (because it never changes)
• Include the protocol (http:// or https://) for both DOIs and URLs
• Do not add a period after the DOI or URL

Unknown source

If the source is unknown or not publicly available, the work that you’re citing cannot be retrieved by readers. In this case, you cannot include it as a reference entry. Instead, you should cite it as if it is personal communication .

To save space in the reference entry, some common parts of works are abbreviated. Pay attention to the differences in capitalization and punctuation.

Cite this Scribbr article

If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the “Cite this Scribbr article” button to automatically add the citation to our free Citation Generator.

Streefkerk, R. (2024, January 17). How to Create or Generate APA Reference Entries (7th edition). Scribbr. Retrieved July 5, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/apa-style/reference-entry/

Is this article helpful?

Raimo Streefkerk

Other students also liked, beginner's guide to apa in-text citation, setting up the apa reference page | formatting & references (examples), ordering works on the apa reference page, scribbr apa citation checker.

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• Referencing and plagiarism

Quick guide to Harvard referencing (Cite Them Right)

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There are different versions of the Harvard referencing style. This guide is a quick introduction to the commonly-used Cite Them Right version. You will find further guidance available through the OU Library on the Cite Them Right Database .

For help and support with referencing and the full Cite Them Right guide, have a look at the Library’s page on referencing and plagiarism . If you need guidance referencing OU module material you can check out which sections of Cite Them Right are recommended when referencing physical and online module material .

This guide does not apply to OU Law undergraduate students . If you are studying a module beginning with W1xx, W2xx or W3xx, you should refer to the Quick guide to Cite Them Right referencing for Law modules .

Table of contents

In-text citations and full references.

• Secondary referencing
• Page numbers
• Citing multiple sources published in the same year by the same author

Full reference examples

Referencing consists of two elements:

• in-text citations, which are inserted in the body of your text and are included in the word count. An in-text citation gives the author(s) and publication date of a source you are referring to. If the publication date is not given, the phrase 'no date' is used instead of a date. If using direct quotations or you refer to a specific section in the source you also need the page number/s if available, or paragraph number for web pages.
• full references, which are given in alphabetical order in reference list at the end of your work and are not included in the word count. Full references give full bibliographical information for all the sources you have referred to in the body of your text.

To see a reference list and intext citations check out this example assignment on Cite Them Right .

Difference between reference list and bibliography

a reference list only includes sources you have referred to in the body of your text

a bibliography includes sources you have referred to in the body of your text AND sources that were part of your background reading that you did not use in your assignment

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Examples of in-text citations

You need to include an in-text citation wherever you quote or paraphrase from a source. An in-text citation consists of the last name of the author(s), the year of publication, and a page number if relevant. There are a number of ways of incorporating in-text citations into your work - some examples are provided below. Alternatively you can see examples of setting out in-text citations in Cite Them Right .

Note: When referencing a chapter of an edited book, your in-text citation should give the author(s) of the chapter.

Online module materials

(Includes written online module activities, audio-visual material such as online tutorials, recordings or videos).

When referencing material from module websites, the date of publication is the year you started studying the module.

Surname, Initial. (Year of publication/presentation) 'Title of item'. Module code: Module title . Available at: URL of VLE (Accessed: date).

OR, if there is no named author:

The Open University (Year of publication/presentation) 'Title of item'. Module code: Module title . Available at: URL of VLE (Accessed: date).

Rietdorf, K. and Bootman, M. (2022) 'Topic 3: Rare diseases'. S290: Investigating human health and disease . Available at: https://learn2.open.ac.uk/mod/oucontent/view.php?id=1967195 (Accessed: 24 January 2023).

The Open University (2022) ‘3.1 The purposes of childhood and youth research’. EK313: Issues in research with children and young people . Available at: https://learn2.open.ac.uk/mod/oucontent/view.php?id=1949633&section=1.3 (Accessed: 24 January 2023).

You can also use this template to reference videos and audio that are hosted on your module website:

The Open University (2022) ‘Video 2.7 An example of a Frith-Happé animation’. SK298: Brain, mind and mental health . Available at: https://learn2.open.ac.uk/mod/oucontent/view.php?id=2013014&section=4.9.6 (Accessed: 22 November 2022).

The Open University (2022) ‘Audio 2 Interview with Richard Sorabji (Part 2)’. A113: Revolutions . Available at: https://learn2.open.ac.uk/mod/oucontent/view.php?id=1960941&section=5.6 (Accessed: 22 November 2022).

Note: if a complete journal article has been uploaded to a module website, or if you have seen an article referred to on the website and then accessed the original version, reference the original journal article, and do not mention the module materials. If only an extract from an article is included in your module materials that you want to reference, you should use secondary referencing, with the module materials as the 'cited in' source, as described above.

Surname, Initial. (Year of publication) 'Title of message', Title of discussion board , in Module code: Module title . Available at: URL of VLE (Accessed: date).

Fitzpatrick, M. (2022) ‘A215 - presentation of TMAs', Tutor group discussion & Workbook activities , in A215: Creative writing . Available at: https://learn2.open.ac.uk/mod/forumng/discuss.php?d=4209566 (Accessed: 24 January 2022).

Note: When an ebook looks like a printed book, with publication details and pagination, reference as a printed book.

Surname, Initial. (Year of publication) Title . Edition if later than first. Place of publication: publisher. Series and volume number if relevant.

For ebooks that do not contain print publication details

Surname, Initial. (Year of publication) Title of book . Available at: DOI or URL (Accessed: date).

Example with one author:

Bell, J. (2014) Doing your research project . Maidenhead: Open University Press.

Adams, D. (1979) The hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy . Available at: http://www.amazon.co.uk/kindle-ebooks (Accessed: 23 June 2021).

Example with two or three authors:

Goddard, J. and Barrett, S. (2015) The health needs of young people leaving care . Norwich: University of East Anglia, School of Social Work and Psychosocial Studies.

Example with four or more authors:

Young, H.D. et al. (2015) Sears and Zemansky's university physics . San Francisco, CA: Addison-Wesley.

Note: You can choose one or other method to reference four or more authors (unless your School requires you to name all authors in your reference list) and your approach should be consistent.

Note: Books that have an editor, or editors, where each chapter is written by a different author or authors.

Surname of chapter author, Initial. (Year of publication) 'Title of chapter or section', in Initial. Surname of book editor (ed.) Title of book . Place of publication: publisher, Page reference.

Franklin, A.W. (2012) 'Management of the problem', in S.M. Smith (ed.) The maltreatment of children . Lancaster: MTP, pp. 83–95.

Surname, Initial. (Year of publication) 'Title of article', Title of Journal , volume number (issue number), page reference.

If accessed online:

Surname, Initial. (Year of publication) 'Title of article', Title of Journal , volume number (issue number), page reference. Available at: DOI or URL (if required) (Accessed: date).

Shirazi, T. (2010) 'Successful teaching placements in secondary schools: achieving QTS practical handbooks', European Journal of Teacher Education , 33(3), pp. 323–326.

Shirazi, T. (2010) 'Successful teaching placements in secondary schools: achieving QTS practical handbooks', European Journal of Teacher Education , 33(3), pp. 323–326. Available at: https://libezproxy.open.ac.uk/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/log... (Accessed: 27 January 2023).

Barke, M. and Mowl, G. (2016) 'Málaga – a failed resort of the early twentieth century?', Journal of Tourism History , 2(3), pp. 187–212. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1080/1755182X.2010.523145

Surname, Initial. (Year of publication) 'Title of article', Title of Newspaper , Day and month, Page reference.

Surname, Initial. (Year of publication) 'Title of article', Title of Newspaper , Day and month, Page reference if available. Available at: URL (Accessed: date).

Mansell, W. and Bloom, A. (2012) ‘£10,000 carrot to tempt physics experts’, The Guardian , 20 June, p. 5.

Roberts, D. and Ackerman, S. (2013) 'US draft resolution allows Obama 90 days for military action against Syria', The Guardian , 4 September. Available at: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/sep/04/syria-strikes-draft-resolut... (Accessed: 9 September 2015).

Surname, Initial. (Year that the site was published/last updated) Title of web page . Available at: URL (Accessed: date).

Organisation (Year that the page was last updated) Title of web page . Available at: URL (Accessed: date).

Robinson, J. (2007) Social variation across the UK . Available at: https://www.bl.uk/british-accents-and-dialects/articles/social-variation... (Accessed: 21 November 2021).

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

Note: Cite Them Right Online offers guidance for referencing webpages that do not include authors' names and dates. However, be extra vigilant about the suitability of such webpages.

Surname, Initial. (Year) Title of photograph . Available at: URL (Accessed: date).

Kitton, J. (2013) Golden sunset . Available at: https://www.jameskittophotography.co.uk/photo_8692150.html (Accessed: 21 November 2021).

stanitsa_dance (2021) Cossack dance ensemble . Available at: https://www.instagram.com/p/COI_slphWJ_/ (Accessed: 13 June 2023).

Note: If no title can be found then replace it with a short description.

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• Knowledge Base
• Referencing

A Quick Guide to Referencing | Cite Your Sources Correctly

Referencing means acknowledging the sources you have used in your writing. Including references helps you support your claims and ensures that you avoid plagiarism .

There are many referencing styles, but they usually consist of two things:

• A citation wherever you refer to a source in your text.
• A reference list or bibliography at the end listing full details of all your sources.

The most common method of referencing in UK universities is Harvard style , which uses author-date citations in the text. Our free Harvard Reference Generator automatically creates accurate references in this style.

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Table of contents

Referencing styles, citing your sources with in-text citations, creating your reference list or bibliography, harvard referencing examples, frequently asked questions about referencing.

Each referencing style has different rules for presenting source information. For in-text citations, some use footnotes or endnotes , while others include the author’s surname and date of publication in brackets in the text.

The reference list or bibliography is presented differently in each style, with different rules for things like capitalisation, italics, and quotation marks in references.

Your university will usually tell you which referencing style to use; they may even have their own unique style. Always follow your university’s guidelines, and ask your tutor if you are unsure. The most common styles are summarised below.

Harvard referencing, the most commonly used style at UK universities, uses author–date in-text citations corresponding to an alphabetical bibliography or reference list at the end.

Harvard Referencing Guide

Vancouver referencing, used in biomedicine and other sciences, uses reference numbers in the text corresponding to a numbered reference list at the end.

Vancouver Referencing Guide

APA referencing, used in the social and behavioural sciences, uses author–date in-text citations corresponding to an alphabetical reference list at the end.

APA Referencing Guide APA Reference Generator

MHRA referencing, used in the humanities, uses footnotes in the text with source information, in addition to an alphabetised bibliography at the end.

MHRA Referencing Guide

OSCOLA referencing, used in law, uses footnotes in the text with source information, and an alphabetical bibliography at the end in longer texts.

OSCOLA Referencing Guide

Prevent plagiarism, run a free check.

In-text citations should be used whenever you quote, paraphrase, or refer to information from a source (e.g. a book, article, image, website, or video).

Quoting and paraphrasing

Quoting is when you directly copy some text from a source and enclose it in quotation marks to indicate that it is not your own writing.

Paraphrasing is when you rephrase the original source into your own words. In this case, you don’t use quotation marks, but you still need to include a citation.

In most referencing styles, page numbers are included when you’re quoting or paraphrasing a particular passage. If you are referring to the text as a whole, no page number is needed.

In-text citations

In-text citations are quick references to your sources. In Harvard referencing, you use the author’s surname and the date of publication in brackets.

Up to three authors are included in a Harvard in-text citation. If the source has more than three authors, include the first author followed by ‘ et al. ‘

The point of these citations is to direct your reader to the alphabetised reference list, where you give full information about each source. For example, to find the source cited above, the reader would look under ‘J’ in your reference list to find the title and publication details of the source.

Placement of in-text citations

In-text citations should be placed directly after the quotation or information they refer to, usually before a comma or full stop. If a sentence is supported by multiple sources, you can combine them in one set of brackets, separated by a semicolon.

If you mention the author’s name in the text already, you don’t include it in the citation, and you can place the citation immediately after the name.

• Another researcher warns that the results of this method are ‘inconsistent’ (Singh, 2018, p. 13) .
• Previous research has frequently illustrated the pitfalls of this method (Singh, 2018; Jones, 2016) .
• Singh (2018, p. 13) warns that the results of this method are ‘inconsistent’.

The terms ‘bibliography’ and ‘reference list’ are sometimes used interchangeably. Both refer to a list that contains full information on all the sources cited in your text. Sometimes ‘bibliography’ is used to mean a more extensive list, also containing sources that you consulted but did not cite in the text.

A reference list or bibliography is usually mandatory, since in-text citations typically don’t provide full source information. For styles that already include full source information in footnotes (e.g. OSCOLA and Chicago Style ), the bibliography is optional, although your university may still require you to include one.

Format of the reference list

Reference lists are usually alphabetised by authors’ last names. Each entry in the list appears on a new line, and a hanging indent is applied if an entry extends onto multiple lines.

Different source information is included for different source types. Each style provides detailed guidelines for exactly what information should be included and how it should be presented.

Below are some examples of reference list entries for common source types in Harvard style.

• Chapter of a book
• Journal article

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Your university should tell you which referencing style to follow. If you’re unsure, check with a supervisor. Commonly used styles include:

• Harvard referencing , the most commonly used style in UK universities.
• MHRA , used in humanities subjects.
• APA , used in the social sciences.
• Vancouver , used in biomedicine.
• OSCOLA , used in law.

Your university may have its own referencing style guide.

If you are allowed to choose which style to follow, we recommend Harvard referencing, as it is a straightforward and widely used style.

References should be included in your text whenever you use words, ideas, or information from a source. A source can be anything from a book or journal article to a website or YouTube video.

If you don’t acknowledge your sources, you can get in trouble for plagiarism .

To avoid plagiarism , always include a reference when you use words, ideas or information from a source. This shows that you are not trying to pass the work of others off as your own.

You must also properly quote or paraphrase the source. If you’re not sure whether you’ve done this correctly, you can use the Scribbr Plagiarism Checker to find and correct any mistakes.

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.

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Scribbr APA Citation Checker

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Reference Examples

More than 100 reference examples and their corresponding in-text citations are presented in the seventh edition Publication Manual . Examples of the most common works that writers cite are provided on this page; additional examples are available in the Publication Manual .

To find the reference example you need, first select a category (e.g., periodicals) and then choose the appropriate type of work (e.g., journal article ) and follow the relevant example.

When selecting a category, use the webpages and websites category only when a work does not fit better within another category. For example, a report from a government website would use the reports category, whereas a page on a government website that is not a report or other work would use the webpages and websites category.

Also note that print and electronic references are largely the same. For example, to cite both print books and ebooks, use the books and reference works category and then choose the appropriate type of work (i.e., book ) and follow the relevant example (e.g., whole authored book ).

Examples on these pages illustrate the details of reference formats. We make every attempt to show examples that are in keeping with APA Style’s guiding principles of inclusivity and bias-free language. These examples are presented out of context only to demonstrate formatting issues (e.g., which elements to italicize, where punctuation is needed, placement of parentheses). References, including these examples, are not inherently endorsements for the ideas or content of the works themselves. An author may cite a work to support a statement or an idea, to critique that work, or for many other reasons. For more examples, see our sample papers .

Reference examples are covered in the seventh edition APA Style manuals in the Publication Manual Chapter 10 and the Concise Guide Chapter 10

Related handouts

• Common Reference Examples Guide (PDF, 147KB)
• Reference Quick Guide (PDF, 225KB)

Textual Works

Textual works are covered in Sections 10.1–10.8 of the Publication Manual . The most common categories and examples are presented here. For the reviews of other works category, see Section 10.7.

• Journal Article References
• Magazine Article References
• Newspaper Article References
• Blog Post and Blog Comment References
• UpToDate Article References
• Book/Ebook References
• Diagnostic Manual References
• Children’s Book or Other Illustrated Book References
• Classroom Course Pack Material References
• Religious Work References
• Chapter in an Edited Book/Ebook References
• Dictionary Entry References
• Wikipedia Entry References
• Report by a Government Agency References
• Report with Individual Authors References
• Brochure References
• Ethics Code References
• Fact Sheet References
• ISO Standard References
• Press Release References
• White Paper References
• Conference Presentation References
• Conference Proceeding References
• Published Dissertation or Thesis References
• Unpublished Dissertation or Thesis References
• ERIC Database References
• Preprint Article References

Data and Assessments

Data sets are covered in Section 10.9 of the Publication Manual . For the software and tests categories, see Sections 10.10 and 10.11.

• Data Set References
• Toolbox References

Audiovisual Media

Audiovisual media are covered in Sections 10.12–10.14 of the Publication Manual . The most common examples are presented together here. In the manual, these examples and more are separated into categories for audiovisual, audio, and visual media.

• Artwork References
• Clip Art or Stock Image References
• Film and Television References
• Musical Score References
• Online Course or MOOC References
• Podcast References
• PowerPoint Slide or Lecture Note References
• Radio Broadcast References
• TED Talk References
• Transcript of an Audiovisual Work References
• YouTube Video References

Online Media

Online media are covered in Sections 10.15 and 10.16 of the Publication Manual . Please note that blog posts are part of the periodicals category.

• Facebook References
• Instagram References
• LinkedIn References
• Online Forum (e.g., Reddit) References
• TikTok References
• X References
• Webpage on a Website References
• Clinical Practice References
• Open Educational Resource References
• Whole Website References

Capstone Form and Style

References: 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

Provide a DOI number if there is one. DOI stands for "digital object identifier," a number specific to the article that can help others locate the source. Use  CrossRef.org  to locate DOI information. This rule applies regardless of how the source was accessed (e.g., online, paper, etc.; see APA 7, Section 9.34).

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 the formatting choice for DOIs and URLs throughout the reference list. (Note that this guidance has changed from APA 6 where all hyperlink formatting was removed and no active links were included. In APA 6, the URLs appeared in plain, black type and did not link out from the document.)

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. (Note that this guidance has changed from APA 6 where all hyperlink formatting was removed and no active links were included. In APA 6, the URLs appeared in plain, black type and did not link out from the document.)

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. (Note: In APA 6, the location of the publisher was included. This is no longer the case in APA 7; only the publisher name is provided.) Regarding publisher name, when a publisher is named after a person (as is the case with Lawrence Erlbaum or John Wiley), list only the surname (Erlbaum or Wiley). In addition, exclude “Publishers,” “Inc.,” and “Co.” from publisher names in reference entries. 

American Nurses Association. (2010).  Nursing: Scope and standards of practice  (2nd ed.).  

In APA 7, if the author and publisher are the same, only include the author in its regular place and omit the publisher. (Note that this is a change from APA 6, where the term “Author” was used for the publisher instead of repeating the name.)

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. The page range should not be italicized.

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 volume number and edition numbers in the parenthetical information after the book title where 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.

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 rather than citing it—for example, “Cases such as  Brown v. Board of Education  and  Parents Involved in Community Schools v. Seattle  illustrate ...”

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

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.

Technical and Research Reports

The general structure for a technical or research report is as follows:

Author, A. A. (Publication Year). Title of work . Publisher Name. DOI or URL

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.

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.

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 from news websites, include the site name after the title and before the URL. If the source is an online newspaper or magazine, follow the models in the previous sections of this page. 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. (Note that this guidance has changed from APA 6 where all hyperlink formatting was removed, and no active links were included. In APA 6, the URLs appeared in plain, black type and did not link out from the document.)

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For information on how to reference this website for non-academic purposes, see the SkillsYouNeed referencing guide .

Citing and referencing information can be daunting for students who do not understand the principles.

There are numerous ways to reference. Different institutions, departments or lecturers may require different styles so check with your teacher, lecturer or instructor if you are unsure.

Bad referencing is a common way for students to lose marks in assignments so it is worth taking the time and effort to learn how to reference correctly.

Why Do We Cite and Reference?

When writing any academic essay, paper, report or assignment, you need to highlight your use of other author's ideas and words so that you:

• Give the original author credit for their own ideas and work
• Validate your arguments
• Enable the reader to follow up on the original work if they wish to
• Enable the reader to see how dated the information might be
• Prove to your tutors/lecturers that you have read around the subject
• Avoid plagiarism

Referencing Styles

There are many different styles of referencing, including Harvard, APA (from the American Psychological Association), Chicago and Vancouver. The Harvard referencing system is of the most popular styles and the remainder of this article deals with this system. However, your university may prefer the use of a different system so check with your lecturer or in your course information as to which referencing style to use.

What is Plagiarism?

• Presenting another's ideas as if they are your own – either directly or indirectly
• Copying or pasting text and images without saying where they came from
• Not showing when a quote is a quote
• Summarising information without showing the original source
• Changing a few words in a section of text without acknowledging the original author

Plagiarism is a serious academic offence.  You are likely to be awarded 0% for an assignment which has evidence of plagiarism. If you continue to plagiarise then you may be excluded from your course.

Most universities will want a signed declaration with submitted work to say that you have not plagiarised. 

Universities use anti-plagiarism software to quickly find plagiarised work. This software usually draws on huge databases of web sources, books, journals and all previously submitted student work to compare your work to so you will be found out.

Therefore, if you plagiarise, you are likely to be caught so don't take the risk and reference properly.

Be Organised

When writing an essay, report, dissertation or other piece of academic work, the key to referencing is organisation. As you go along, keep notes of the books and journal articles you have read and the websites you have visited as part of your research process.

There are various tools to help here. Your university may be able to provide you with some specialist software (Endnote – www.endnote.com ) or you can simply keep a list in a document or try Zotero ( www.zotero.org ) a free plugin for the Firefox browser.

What Needs to be Recorded?

Record as much information as possible in references to make finding the original work simple.

Include the author/s name/s where possible. You should write the surname (last name) first followed by any initials.  If there are more than three authors then you can cite the first author and use the abbreviation 'et al', meaning 'and all'.

For one, two or three authors: Jones A, Davies B, Jenkins C

For more than three authors Jones A et al.

For some sources, especially websites, the name of the author may not be known. In such cases either use the organisation name or the title of the document or webpage.

Example:  SkillsYouNeed or What Are Interpersonal Skills.

Date of Publication

You should include the year of publication or a more specific date if appropriate, for journal or newspaper articles/stories. For webpages look for the when the page was last updated. Include dates in brackets (2020) after author information. If no date can be established, then put (no date).

Title of Piece

Include the title of the piece; this could be the name of the book, the title of a journal article or webpage. Titles are usually written in italics . For books you should also include the edition (if not the first) to make finding information easier. Often when books are republished information remains broadly the same but may be reordered, therefore page numbers may change between editions.

Publisher Information

Usually only relevant for books, but for these you should include the publisher name and place of publication.

Page Numbers

If you are referencing a particular part of a book, then you should include the page number/s you have used in your work. Use p. 123 to indicate page 123 or pp. 123-125 to indicate multiple pages.

URL and Date Accessed

For webpages you need to include the full URL of the page (http://www... etc.) and the date you last accessed the page. The web is not static and webpages can be changed/updated/removed at any time, so it is therefore important to record when you found the information you are referencing.

Once you have recorded the information, you have everything you need in order to reference correctly. Your work should be both referenced in the text and include a reference list or bibliography at the end. The in text reference is an abbreviated version of the full reference in your reference list.

Direct Quotes

If you are directly quoting in your text you should enclose the quote in quotation marks, and include author information:

"Communication is simply the act of transferring information from one place to another." SkillsYouNeed (2019)

For longer direct quotations it may be neater to indent the quotation in its own paragraph.

Your reference list should then include the full version of the reference:

SkillsYouNeed (2022) What is Communication? [online] available at www.skillsyouneed.com/ips/what-is-communication.html (Accessed October 14 2022)

For a book you would use, in your text:

“Long before the twelfth century rhetoricians had collected quotations, particularly from classical authors, into anthologies called florilegia…” (Clanchy, M.T, 1993)

The reference list would then include the full reference:

Clanchy, M.T. (1993) From Memory to Written Record England 1066 – 1307 Oxford, Blackwell, p. 115

The same rules also apply when you are referencing indirectly and you have not included a direct quote. If you have used the ideas of another source, reference both in your text at the relevant point and in your reference list or bibliography at the end of your document.

Further Reading from Skills You Need

The Skills You Need Guide for Students

Develop the skills you need to make the most of your time as a student.

Our eBooks are ideal for students at all stages of education, school, college and university. They are full of easy-to-follow practical information that will help you to learn more effectively and get better grades.

Additional Information

When quoting you may sometimes want to leave out some words , in which case use … (three dots).

"Communication is … transferring information from one place to another"

If you need to add words to a quote for clarity, then square brackets are used:

“Communication is simply the act [in communication skills] of transferring information from one place to another.”

You can use [sic] to note an original error and/or foreign spelling , SkillsYouNeed is a UK site and therefore uses UK spellings:

"The color [sic] of the water..."

Continue to: Common Mistakes in Writing Sources of Information

See Also: Note-Taking for Reading What is Theory? | Writing an Essay | Punctuation

Harvard referencing quick guide: Sample assignment

• Introduction
• General guidelines
• Citing and referencing material

Sample assignment

• Referencing software

Citing and reference list example

The text to the right shows how citations and the reference list are typically written in the Harvard referencing style.

Note: the text itself is not designed to be a proper example of academic writing and does not use information from the sources cited; it is for illustrative purposes only.

The purpose of this assignment is to show common elements of the Harvard style of referencing in Dundalk Institute of Technology. It is not intended to be an example of good quality academic writing, and indeed may not make sense in general, but it should show you how citations and a reference list are formed in the Harvard style of referencing (Cameron 2021). If you include a “direct quotation from a book you have read” (Giddens and Sutton 2021, p.117) you should include the relevant page number.

You don’t always have to write the author and year in brackets. Cameron (2021) explains that if the author’s name occurs naturally in the text then the year follows it in brackets. If there are two authors you should include both of them in the citation (Levine and Munsch 2021). If there are three or more authors you don’t have to list all of the names in the citation but you should include them all in the reference list (Robbins et al. 2020). The reference list should appear at the end of your assignment and be in alphabetical order based on the first author’s surname (Bruen 2022) rather than the order in which they appear in your assignment ( Papagiannis  2022). If you are using a citation for a second time you do not need to include it twice in the reference list (Cameron 2021).

Referencing an academic journal that you find online requires more information in the reference list but uses the same format for citing as other sources (Tesseur 2022). If referencing a source from a library database you say from which database you found it (Mayombe 2021).

Don’t forget that websites need to be cited too (Dundalk Institute of Technology 2022). We recommend you look at the full version of DkIT’s Harvard referencing guidelines, and contact the Library if you have any questions. Good luck.

Reference list

Bruen, M. (2020). River flows. In: Kelly-Quinn, M. and Reynolds, J., eds.  Ireland’s rivers . Dublin: University College Dublin Press, pp.39-59.

Cameron, S. (2021). The business student's handbook: skills for study and employment . 7th ed. Harlow: Pearson.

Dundalk Institute of Technology. (2022).  Research support  [online]. Available from: https://www.dkit.ie/research/research-support.html [accessed 25 March 2022].

Giddens, A. and Sutton, P.W. (2021).  Sociology . 9th ed. Cambridge: Polity Press.

Levine, L.E. and Munsch, J. (2021).  Child development: an active learning approach  [online]. 4th ed. London: SAGE Publications. Available from: https://books.google.ie/books?id=zlrZzQEACAAJ&dq [accessed 25 March 2022].

Mayombe, C. (2021). Partnership with stakeholders as innovative model of work-integrated learning for unemployed youths.  Higher Education, Skills and Work-Based Learning  [online], 12(2), pp.309-327. Available from: Emerald Insight [accessed 25 March 2022].

Papagiannis, N. (2020).  Effective SEO and content marketing: the ultimate guide for maximizing free web traffic  [online]. Indianapolis: Wiley. Available from: EBSCOhost eBook Collection [accessed 25 March 2022].

Robbins, S.P., Coulter, M.A. and De Cenzo, D.A. (2020).  Fundamentals of management . 11th ed. Harlow: Pearson.

Tesseur, W. (2022). Translation as inclusion? An analysis of international NGOs’ translation policy documents.  Language Problems and Language Planning  [online], 45(3), pp. 261-283. Available from: https://doras.dcu.ie/26151 [accessed 25 March 2022].

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• Research Guides

Citing Business Sources in APA Style

• 2. Citing references in-text
• 1. About this guide

2. Citing references in the text of your assignment

Guidelines and examples from apa style.

• 3. Citing sources in your reference list
• 4. Reference List Examples: Brock Library Business Databases
• 5. Reference List Examples: Statistical Sources
• 6. Reference List Examples: Audiovisual Sources
• 7. Citing Sources in Presentations

APA Style uses the author-date citation system  (rather than footnotes or endnotes), which are often called in-text citations ,  parenthetical citations, or narrative citations . These are discussed in the Seventh Edition in Chapter 8, Works Credited in the Text. 

• You must include an in-text citation whenever you directly quote from another work, or when you paraphrase an idea from another work.
• You must include a page number in in-text citations for direct quotations, and you are encouraged to include them when you paraphrase.
• There must be a corresponding Reference List entry for every in-text citation (except for a few exceptions, such as personal communications). 

2.1: Examples of in-text citations with page numbers (print or online)

To cite a source in the text of your written assignment, indicate the last name of the author(s), or if there is no author, the first few words of the document title (in quotation marks), then the page, chapter, figure, or table numbers (if applicable). Narrative citations incorporate the author's name and date of publication within the text. Parenthetical citations place the author and date in parentheses after a quotation or paraphrase. If a publication was written by an organization (such as an association, corporation, or other type of group), then you need to spell out the name of the group in full.

You must provide a specific page number (or specific part) when quoting directly from a source, and you are encouraged to to do so when paraphrasing.

• Example of a narrative citation for a direct quotation:

...according to Ojala (2006), “transformational librarians look at the changes in the information world and take advantage of those changes to enhance their roles”(p. 5).

• Example of a parenthetical citation for a direct quotation with multiple authors:

..."teams at the top are the most difficult" (Katzenbach & Smith, 1999, p. 3).

• Example of a parenthetical citation for a paraphrase (one author):

There are nine ways to build demand through marketing (Kotler, 1999, p. 47).

• Example of a parenthetical citation for a paraphrase (group author):

         Financial literacy is an essential skill for Canadians (Task Force on Financial Literacy, 2010, p. 4).

• Example of a parenthetical citation for a paraphrase (no author):

Facebook addicts are a great target market ("Your piece of Facebook action", 2012, p. 11).

2.2: Examples of in-text citations without page numbers

Indicate the last name of the author(s) or, if there is no author, the first few words of the document title (in quotation marks), then the year of publication, then cite the nearest heading and the number of the paragraphs following, preceded by the abbreviation para.

1. Example of a parenthetical citation, personal author:

Parking meters and vending machines must be reprogrammed to accept the new loonie and toonie (Caton, 2012,  para. 5) .

2. Example of a parenthetical citation, group author:

Vending machines are a key retail channel in captive locations such as hospitals (Euromonitor, 2012, Trends section, para. 4).

2.3: Two or more works, same author, same year.

In order to differentiate between two or more works by the same author that were published in the same year, assign letter suffixes to the publication year, both in the in-text citation and in the corresponding entries in the reference list.

         1. Example (group author):

(Datamonitor, 2011a, p.2)

(Datamonitor, 2011b, p.5)

2. Example (personal author):

(Porter & Rivkin, 2012a, p. 54)

(Porter & Rivkin, 2012b, p.80)

2.4: Examples of In-text Citations for Personal Communications

Personal communications include nonrecoverable resources such as email or text messages, telephone conversations, Teams or Zoom chats, etc. Include the initial and surname of the communicator, and an exact date, if possible. These citations may be formatted as narrative citations, or as parenthetical citations. A corresponding Reference List entry is not required.

Narrative citation:  L. Lowry (personal communication, February 26, 2021)

Parenthetical citation: (L. Lowry, personal communication, February 26, 2021)

• In-Text Citations (APA Style) Provides guidelines on creating in-text citations including specific guidance on how to cite a wide variety of formats including interviews, classroom resources, and personal communications.
• Classroom or Intranet Sources Consult this section for guidance on citing sources such as a recorded lecture posted in Brightspace.
• Quotations from Research Participants Includes guidance on how to disguise participant information in order to preserve the anonymity or confidentiality of research participants. Also valuable when citing information obtained from community partners as part of a service learning project.
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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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Referencing guide: in-text citations.

• Systems and Styles
• Using in-text citations
• Using Turnitin
• Managing references
• AGLC This link opens in a new window
• Health & Medicine examples This link opens in a new window
• Transition from Harvard to APA
• General principles

In-text citations

• Works Cited
• Works Cited - Author
• Works Cited - Title
• Works cited - Title of Container
• Works Cited - Other Contributors
• Works Cited - Version & Number
• Works Cited - Publisher & Publication Date
• Works Cited - Location
• Works Cited - Optional Elements
• Works Cited - More Examples
• Simplified Author-date & Writing guide

Use the first element from the entry in the Works Cited list - usually the author’s surname - and page number/s in parenthesis. There is no punctuation between the name and the page number, e.g. (Smith 173). If the author’s name appears in the body of your essay itself, use just the relevant page number/s in the parenthesis, e.g. Smith claims that...applies (173). 

More complex citations, such as the ones below, are punctuated for clarity:

multiple sources in a single citation are separated by semicolons, e.g. (Smith 178; Brown 65)

different locations in a single work are separated by commas, e.g. (Smith 11, 17-18, 95)

to identify a location by a paragraph number or another similar method, use a comma to separate the author's name and the paragraph number; use an abbreviation to identify the numbering method, e.g. (Smith, par. 41), (Smith, ch. 7).

The following examples apply to any type of source, in any format.

Single author

Direct quotes

The question of how narrative works “can be answered through analysis of the forms of narrative and the pieces that make up an individual narrative” (Utell 7-8).

Block quotes

If a quotation is a long one - usually more than four lines of prose or three lines of verse - place it in a free-standing block of text (hence called block quotation ), and omit quotation marks. Start the quotation on a new line, with the entire quote indented from the left margin. E.g.

Various opinions have been offered about what makes a narrative. In order to answer this question

we have to look at characters and how they act and feel. We have to look at how events unfold over time, and how those events play out as important. …. We have to look at how people (or animals, or things) are thinking. And we have to look at how all of this information is being communicated to us. (Utell 7-8)

Paraphrasing

To answer the question of how narrative works, Utell suggests that one first needs to examine all the elements which make up a given narrative (15).

To answer the question of how narrative works, one first needs to examine all the elements which make up a given narrative (Utell 15).

Multiple works by the same author

Add a short form of the title after a comma, e.g. (Utell, “Engagements” 15).

Works by multiple authors with the same surname

Add the author’s first initial or, if necessary, the full first name, e.g. (J. Utell 15).

Two authors

Use both authors’ last names connected by and , e.g. (Hill and Gibson 35-36).

Three or more authors

Use the first author’s name followed by et al. , e.g. (Royle et al. 7)

Corporate author

If the author is an organisation, list all the administrative units identified in the Works Cited entry for the source. The units are separated by commas. The commonly abbreviated words, such as Department, should be abbreviated. 

The Tasmanian Government recognised the value of enhancing student experience in its recently released Global Education Strategy (State of Tasmania, Dept. of State Growth 14).

When the author of the work is the organisation that also published it , use   the title  (in italics, abbreviated if necessary)  and page number/s  in the parenthesis,  e.g.

Google has made finding obscure facts easy. Dusty old volumes, such as  Who wrote the movie and what else did he write?  have largely been consigned to library storage facilities only to emerge on rare occasions when Google proves no help at all in determining the authorship of this obscure screenplay (78).

Google has made finding obscure facts easy. Dusty old volumes containing such facts as the authorship of this obscure screenplay ( Who  78) have largely been consigned to library storage facilities only to emerge on rare occasions when Google proves no help at all.

Pseudonyms, online usernames, etc

Pseudonyms, e.g. George Eliot would be (Eliot 89-90), online usernames, e.g. (@realDonaldTrump), etc, are treated like standard names. 

If the work is published without the author's name use   the title (in italics, abbreviated if necessary) and page number/s in the parenthesis, e.g. ( Beowulf  17) ; or use just the page number/s if the title appears in the body of your essay. D o not list the author as "anonymous."

​ Indirect sources

Whenever you cite material taken from a secondary source, not the original work, add the abbreviation of the phrase "quoted in" (qtd. in) to the citation, e.g. 

Jim Collins (qtd. in Driscoll 9) places the phenomenon of "high-pop" in reference to "middlebrow" culture.

Original sources should be used whenever possible.

No page numbers; and other location numbering schemes 

When the work has no page numbers or any other location numbering, such as a website might, use just the author's surname (or title if no author) in the parenthesis, e.g.

"Allegory...is thought to clear the reader’s lungs of the transient and fill them with a deep breath of transcendence."  (Gordimer). In her review of Coetzee's novel  The Life and Times of Michael K,  she makes a distinction of allegory...

Paragraph numbers; chapter numbers, etc 

Use the author's surname, followed by a comma, and the paragraph number/s (abbreviated to par. or pars. ) in the parenthesis, e.g.

Australian laws (Halsbury's, par. 160-920) define the function of a university as follows:

The objects or functions of a university are to provide facilities for teaching and research in such branches of learning as the relevant establishing legislation may determine, to confer degrees and generally to promote university education an d the advancement of knowledge.

Use this method only for works with numbered paragraphs; do not count them yourself.

Time-based media (audio/video recordings)

Give the relevant time or range of times in hours, minutes and seconds, separated by colons - as displayed by the media player, e.g. 

Melvyn Bragg calls the eighteenth century "the paradise for the terrible twins - class and snobbery" (Bragg 00:17:07).

Multiple sources in a single citation

List all the sources in the parenthesis, separated by semicolons, e.g. (Smith 178; Brown 65).

Style Manual

If you cannot find an example for what you are looking for here, consult the MLA website , or the MLA Handbook (below)  

Need more help?

Ask a librarian

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How to Reference in Assignment: A Practical Guide

Table of Contents

A journey through different referencing styles

Apa (american psychological association), mla (modern language association), chicago (chicago manual of style), in-text citations vs. bibliographies: let’s understand the difference, in-text citations, bibliographies, how to write references in assignment, apa style examples, mla style examples, chicago style examples, how to cite an assignment with quoting, paraphrasing, and summarizing, how to cite sources in the assignment: special cases, multiple authors, personal communications, secondary sources, referencing tools and software, avoiding plagiarism: the importance of accurate referencing, let’s make conclusions.

Referencing can be a difficult task, but do not worry! Our detailed guide will explain the steps to follow.

In academic writing, referencing is essential. It acknowledges the work of others and strengthens and clarifies your views. You must cite your sources properly to avoid plagiarism and show that you have read the pertinent literature. We will thoroughly explain how to cite sources in the assignment in this post, guaranteeing that you follow the rules of academic integrity.

There are numerous reference formats, each with its own set of rules and instructions for citing sources. The topic of study or the precise criteria of the assignment frequently influence the choice of referencing style. This overview looks at several of the most used citation formats for academic writing, including APA, MLA, Chicago, and Harvard.

The social sciences, such as psychology, sociology, and education, frequently employ the APA style. It provides guidelines for structuring reference lists, in-text citations, and general document design. In-text citations in APA format for assignments include the author’s last name and the publication year (e.g., Smith, 2019).

The humanities, language studies, and other academic fields use MLA style often. It focuses on brief in-text citations and a thorough “Works Cited” page at the end of the paper. In-text citations in MLA format often include the page number and the author’s last name (e.g., Smith 45). Every source cited in the study is fully described on the “Works Cited” page.

Chicago style provides two citation formats: notes and bibliography and author-date. The notes and bibliography method employs a separate bibliography at the end. The author-date system uses in-text citations with the author’s last name and publication year (e.g., Smith 2019).

The social sciences, business, and other disciplines frequently choose the Harvard referencing style. It focuses on author-date citations, which include the author’s last name and the year of publication (e.g., Smith, 2019) within the text. A complete reference list with full publishing details for each mentioned source is provided at the end of the document.

These are only a few examples of referencing styles. There are many more, including IEEE (used in engineering and computer science) and Vancouver (present in the medical and scientific areas). These styles may vary or have requirements depending on the institution or professor. To guarantee accurate reference, it is essential to refer to the relevant style manual or any other instructions provided for your work.

By knowing the difference between in-text citations and bibliographies, you may successfully and correctly cite sources in text and improve the credibility of your writing. So, let’s start comparing!

To begin with, both of them serve the purpose of acknowledging the sources used — it’s their common feature. However, they differ in where they are located in the text and how much information is given.

Within the content of your assignment, in-text citations are brief references. They direct readers to the complete source material in your bibliography or reference list. They are used to credit information, concepts, or quotations to their sources.

Depending on the chosen citation style, in-text citations are frequently placed inside parentheses or as superscript numbers. They give major details, including the author’s name, the year of publication, and the page number. For illustration, an in-text citation in APA style would appear as follows: (Author, year). In MLA style, it would be: (Author page number). In-text citations are placed immediately after the information or quote is referenced.

Writers can show that they participate in intellectual discussions by incorporating in-text citations. Also, It enables readers to check the integrity of the presented data.

On the other hand, reference lists or bibliographies are thorough lists of all the sources used in a project. Usually, authors add them at the end of the assignment. It gives readers all the information necessary to discover and access the sources. Each entry in the bibliography contains comprehensive information, including the author’s name, the book’s title, the year of publication, and some other information.

The bibliography for assignment must be arranged alphabetically by the author’s last name or, if none is given, by title. The bibliography’s format and presentation must adhere to its rules. No matter what citation style is used — APA, MLA, Chicago, or another.

Now, let’s look at clear referencing examples using popular citation styles and various source types.

In-text citation:

One author: (Smith, 2022);

Two authors: (Smith & Johnson, 2022);

Three or more authors: (Smith et al., 2022).

“Et al.” is an abbreviation derived from the Latin phrase “et alia,” which translates to “and others” in English. It is commonly used when citing sources with multiple authors.

Bibliographic reference:

Book: Smith, J. (2022). Title of Book. Publisher.

Journal article: Smith, J., & Johnson, A. (2022). Title of Article. Journal Name, volume(issue), page range.

Website: Smith, J. (2022). Title of Webpage. Retrieved from URL.

One author: (Smith 32); Two authors: (Smith and Johnson 45); Three or more authors: (Smith et al. 56)

Book: Smith, John. Title of Book. Publisher, year. Journal article: Smith, John, and Anne Johnson. “Title of Article.” Journal Name, vol. 10, no. 2, 2022, pp. 45-60. Website: Smith, John. “Title of Webpage.” Website Name, Publisher/Website, URL.

One author: (Smith 2022); Two authors: (Smith and Johnson 2022); Three or more authors: (Smith et al. 2022).

Book: Smith, John. Title of Book. Publisher, year. Journal article: Smith, John, and Anne Johnson. “Title of Article.” Journal Name volume number (year): page range. Website: Smith, John. “Title of Webpage.” Website Name. URL (accessed Month Day, Year).

When you include information from other sources in your assignments, it’s essential to quote, paraphrase, and summarize correctly. These methods allow you to use someone else’s ideas while giving them credit. Let’s explore each way and discover how to cite an assignment properly.

To cite correctly, provide a complete reference for each source in your bibliography or reference list. Follow the rules of the citation style you’re using (like APA, MLA, or Chicago) for books, articles, websites, etc.

Referencing sources is usually straightforward. However, some exceptional cases require additional attention.

When a source has multiple authors, include all the authors’ names in the reference. Use the word “and” before the last author’s name. For in-text citations, use the first author’s last name followed by “et al.”

For example, (Smith et al., 2022) or Smith et al. (2022).

If a source does not have an author, use the work’s title in the in-text citation and bibliography. Enclose the title in quotation marks or use italics if it is a longer work like a book or a journal.

For example, (“Title of the Article,” 2022) or Title of the Book (2022).

If a source does not have a publication date, use “n.d.” (which stands for “no date”) in both the in-text citation and the reference list.

For example, (Smith, n.d.) or Smith (n.d.).

If you want to reference interviews, emails, or conversations, provide the individual’s name and specify the type of communication. In the in-text citation, include the person’s name and the date of the contact.

For example, (J. Smith, personal communication, May 1, 2022).

Sometimes, you may need to cite a source you have not directly accessed but found through another author’s work. It is called citing a secondary source. In the in-text citation, include the original author’s name and the author of the work you have read, followed by “as cited in.” Provide the complete reference for the work you have read in the reference list.

For example, (Smith, as cited in Johnson, 2022) or Johnson (2022) cited Smith.

As you see, creating accurate references can be time-consuming and challenging. Thankfully, there are referencing tools and software available to simplify this task.

One such tool is the APA Citation Generator . It is designed specifically for APA style, allowing users to effortlessly generate citations for various sources. Input the necessary information, and the generator will create the citation in the correct format.

Similarly, the MLA Reference Generator is a valuable tool for generating citations in MLA style. It streamlines the process by providing a user-friendly interface to enter the required details, resulting in accurate and properly formatted citations.

These tools will save you time and reduce the chances of errors.

In academic writing, plagiarism is a severe infraction with adverse effects. Accurate reference is crucial to avoiding this unethical and intellectual disaster. You credit the original authors and demonstrate integrity by properly citing your sources.

Failure to do so may result in academic sanctions, reputational harm, and legal implications. Plagiarism weakens the standards of intellectual integrity and originality and diminishes the value of your work. You may promote academic integrity, honor the scholarly contributions of others, and protect your academic and professional future by adopting appropriate referencing procedures.

To sum up, mastering the art of referencing is a fundamental skill for every student and researcher. Throughout this practical guide, we have explored the critical referencing elements, including in-text citations, bibliographies, and reference lists. We have discussed the importance of accurately citing sources and avoiding plagiarism, ensuring academic integrity, and upholding the ethical standards of scholarship.

Embrace the habit of acknowledging your sources to give credit where it is due and strengthen the credibility and reliability of your assignments. As you continue your academic journey, make accurate referencing an integral part of your writing process. It will elevate the quality of your work and showcase your commitment to academic excellence. Happy referencing!

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