Examples of how to cite and reference
Whichever referencing style you use, the important thing is to be consistent! Make sure you are using the same formatting and punctuation across all your references and citations and that they match the style you are using
Good organisation whilst referencing is key to making sure that you remember to include all the sources you have used as you did your research. When you find a source that you would like to use in your work, it is a good idea to note down note down all the information needed to fully reference the source in your work. It is so much harder to reference when you have to go back and find the source!
The following table gives examples of how to construct the reference entry for three of the most common sources.
|
Book |
Journal |
Website |
|---|---|---|
|
Author(s) (surname, initial) |
Author(s) (surname, initial) |
Author(s) (surname, initial) |
|
(Year of publication) |
(Year of publication) |
(Year of publication) |
|
Title |
'Title of article' |
Title of webpage |
|
Edition (if not the 1st) |
Journal Title |
Available at: URL |
|
Place of publication |
Volume # |
(Accessed: date) |
|
Name of publisher |
(Issue #) |
|
|
|
Page numbers |
|
|
|
If accessed online: |
There are several ways in which you can include citations into your text: by incorporating the author as part of the sentence; by citing an author indirectly in the text; by using a direct quote. The following examples show how each one would look in the body of your assignment:
1. Citing an author's name directly in the text
Kasowitz-Scheer and Pasqualoni (2002) suggest there are three types of information literacy (IL) programmes: online tutorials, one shot sessions and embedding IL within the curriculum.
2. Citing an author's name indirectly in the text
The pathway to HE can no longer be considered the privilege of the elite; far from being narrow and restricted by traditional entrance qualifications, the doorway to academia is wider than it has ever been and individuals are offered myriad options for progression into post-16 education (Aldous, Sparkes and Brown, 2016).
3. In-text citation for a direct quote
Academics bring understanding of the subject and skills required of students on the course, whereas librarians have a thorough understanding of information literacy and a "treasure chest of ideas for teaching these skills" (Sonntag and Meulemans, 2003, p. 10).
Top tip!
If you are quoting directly you must also include the page number(s) in your in-text citation and put speech marks round the quoted words.