What is referencing?
In essence, referencing is basically a way of showing which sources (books, journals, websites etc) you have used in your assignments. Referencing is a key academic skill, and at university is an essential part of the assignments you complete. If you are completing the EPQ, it is a requirement that you cite and reference your sources correctly.
References should be included any time you refer to and use the work of others in your assignments. This is the case regardless of whether you have paraphrased, summarised or directly quoted their work. Examples of things you should reference include but are not limited to:
Concepts
Theories
Statistics
Quotations
Arguments
Images
Graphs
Common knowledge
However, it is not necessary to reference things that would be considered common knowledge. This is generally things that are accepted ideas or knowledge like dates, facts, events etc. Examples of common knowledge include:
World War One ended in 1918.
Dublin is the capital city of Ireland.
Three primary colours are red, blue, and yellow.
Important: if you are unsure whether something is common knowledge, it is always advisable to cite and reference it!