Referencing Advice
Be Organised
- Good organisation whilst referencing is key to making sure that you remember to inlcude all the sources you have used as you did your research.
- This will help you when you are adding information from your research into your assignment.
- When you find a source that you would like to use in your work, note down all the referencing information needed to fully reference the source in your work.
- Another option is to download and sort your research into folders that you can then access when you need them. However, this may not be possible for all sources, such as some eBooks.
- Alternatively, the University gives students access to Endnote. Endnote is a useful tool that allows you to store your research and referencing information into a software. Guidance on how to use and download Endnote can be found in our Endnote guide.
Being organised will ultimately save you time when referencing, adding sources to your work and when writing your assignment. Should you forget to reference the correct information when researching, and can no longer access the primary source, you can often find some of the source's referencing information if you search for it on Library Search.
Plan time into your schedule for referencing
Referencing takes time and often takes longer than you expect. Make sure that you plan the time in to reference patiently and thoroughly. If you fail to plan time, or rush through, it is easy to make mistakes. When referencing, stay calm and ensure that you get your referencing correct.
Referencing is positive
When asked why we reference, the usual response is to avoid plagiarism and to not commit an academic offence. However, it's better to think about the positive reasons for referencing:
- Evidence your wider reading and research carried out
- Evidence to support and strengthen your argument with authority
- Demonstrate your critical thinking and reading
Be thorough
With referencing, the devil is in the detail. Therefore, we recommend:
- Be thorough and check each reference before you submit your assignment.
- Double check spellings, links and any dates that you have included.
- Check that your reference includes everything that it needs to, and that it's in the correct format. This is particularly the case if you have used a reference 'making' software such as one built in to Word. Whilst we don’t advise using these, if you choose to use one, be cautious that the information is included, is in the right order and fits the referencing style that you need it to.
Use Cite Them Right
You should use Cite Them Right to find the referencing information required to cite and reference each source type.
Cite Them Right is a online resource that contains information on how to reference using each different referencing style and has information on how to reference a wide variety of sources from traditional sources, such as books, journals and websites, to less conventional sources including social media sites, video games and video streaming sites.
Look at the page on Cite Them Right for more information.
