(M-6) Research Communication Marks: (10) ------ (U-6): REFERENCING

What is referencing?
Referencing, also known as citation, is how you acknowledge the source of the information you have
used (referred to) in your work. It helps to make clear to the reader how you have used the work of
others to develop your own ideas and arguments.
You should always acknowledge any ideas and work that were not originally your own by providing a
reference to the source of that information.
NEED:
Doing so is essential to avoid plagiarism by making it clear which ideas are your own and which are
someone else's.
In academic work, referencing is the appropriate acknowledgement of: Ideas and work that originate
from another person.
It gives supporting evidence for your ideas, arguments, and opinions.
Allows others to identify the sources you have used.

Why is referencing important?

• Credit: Referencing gives credit to the original creators of the work you used.
• Support: Referencing provides evidence to support your ideas and arguments.
• Clarity: Referencing helps readers understand how you developed your ideas.
• Evaluation: Referencing helps readers evaluate the extent of your reading.
• Plagiarism: Referencing helps avoid plagiarism, which is presenting someone else's ideas as
your own.
Examples of a reference: Include: Chapters of a book, academic journal articles, newspapers, graphs,
charts, and images. Videos, websites, and social media content are also examples of references.
Referencing involves citing sources of information in your text and listing them in a reference list at
the end of your work.
Referencing is a two-step process involving in-text citations and a reference list. In-text citations
appear within the text to acknowledge sources, while a reference list or bibliography at the end
provides full details of those sources. The specific format of both citations and references depends on
the chosen referencing style.
1. In-text Citation: This appears in the text when you refer to another source. It usually includes the
author's name (or a shortened version), the year of publication, and potentially a page number if
quoting directly.
2. Reference List/Bibliography: This is a comprehensive list at the end of your work that provides
full details about each source you've cited. It includes the author's name, the year of publication, the
title of the work, and other relevant information like journal title, volume, issue, page numbers, or
URL.
Example (Harvard Style):
• In-text citation: (Smith, 2020) or Smith (2020).
• Reference list entry: Smith, J. (2020). The book title. Publisher.

Key Considerations:
• Referencing Style: Choose a style (MLA, Harvard, etc.) and follow its specific guidelines.
• Consistency: Maintain consistency in your chosen style throughout your work.
• Accuracy: Ensure your citations and references are accurate and include all necessary
information.
• Tools: Many software programs and online tools can assist with referencing and citation
management.
For books: author, title, place of publication, publisher, and publication year.
For articles: author, title of article, title of journal, volume, issue, date, page numbers, and doi or
permalink. (DOIs (Digital Object Identifiers) and permalinks are persistent links to online content)
For web page resources: author, title of page, Web address or URL, and date of access.

How to reference?
• Use a referencing style to ensure you include all the necessary information.
• Cite the original author, even if you paraphrased or summarized their work.
• Include all authors in the references section.
• Use accurate references so readers can easily find the sources you used.

A citation is a way of giving individuals credit for their creative and intellectual work that you used to
support your research. The citation can be used to identify a particular source and to combat plagiarism.
By citing and referring consulted material to a piece of educational work, you will not only be able to
more easily verify others’ views of facts in your work, but you will work in an ethical and honest way.
Acknowledgments can be in the form of text citations, footnotes, endnotes, and/or bibliographies.
Different citing and reference styles cater to the specific needs of different disciplines.

Harvard: A parenthetical referencing style that's often used in economics. It originated in the Zoology
department of Harvard University in the 1880s. It's also known as the "author-date" style.
In-text citations:
Use the author's last name and the year of publication. Place the citation in parentheses.
(Author Surname, Publication Year) - (Lomolino et al., 2020)
Author Surname, Initials. (Publication Year) ‘Article title’, Journal Name, Volume(Issue), Page(s).
Available at: URL or DOI (Accessed: date).
Lomolino, M. et al. (2013) ‘Of mice and mammoths: generality and antiquity of the island rule’,
Journal of Biogeography, 40(8), pp. 1427-1439. Available at: https://www.jstor/org/stable/23463664
(Accessed: 10 September 2020).

MLA: An author-date style that's often used in humanities research papers. It was developed by the
Modern Language Association.
Vancouver: A numeric citation style that's often used in medical and scientific disciplines. It was
developed by the Internal Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE).

Chicago: A flexible style that's often used in history, literature, and the arts. It has two variations: notes
and bibliography, and author-date.

OSCOLA: A notes and bibliography style that's often used in law. It uses superscript numbers in the
text that link to footnotes at the bottom of each page.

Oxford: A style that uses footnotes to cite sources. It's also known as documentary note style.

A citation style is a set of rules citing sources in academic writing. Whenever you mention someone
else’s work, a citation is needed to avoid plagiarism. Different citation styles have different rules for
in-text citations, bibliographic entries, and paper drafting. The differences can be very subtle, so it is
important to carefully examine the style rules you use. In-text citations refer to a source (for example,
by citations or paraphrasing), you must add a citation in the text.
There are three main types of citation:
(1) Parental citations, you put the source reference in parentheses directly in your text. It usually
includes the author’s last name along with the publication date and/or page number.
(2) Note citation, you put a reference to the source in a footnote or endnote.
(3) Numeric citations, you give the number of each of your sources. When you want to cite a source,
use the bibliography and the correct number. Reference list entries, include at the end of your paper
and list all the sources you cite. Each entry in the list corresponds to an in-text citation, and gives the
reader complete publication information to easily find the source.
Citing its sources is an extremely important component of its research project. It shows that you are a
responsible researcher and that you have located appropriate and reputable sources that support your
thesis or claim. Also, if your work is being posted online or in print, there is a chance that others will
use your research project in their work.
Reference management tools are software applications that help users organize, store, and cite
references in their writing and research. Popular options include EndNote, Zotero, and Mendeley, each
offering features for managing libraries, generating citations, and collaborating with others.
Key Features and Benefits:
Organizing and Storing References, Generating Citations and Bibliographies, Collaborating with
Others, Integrating with Word Processors, Saving and Annotating Web Pages, etc.
Popular Reference Management Tools:
EndNote: A widely used software solution with advanced features for organizing and managing
references, including collaboration and integration with various word processors.
Zotero: A free, open-source reference manager known for its ease of use and ability to collect citations,
organize them, and create bibliographies.
Mendeley: A popular choice among researchers, offering features like collaboration, online access,
and integration with various word processors.
Difference between Reference & Bibliography:
A reference list includes only the sources that are directly cited within the text of a paper or
document. A bibliography, on the other hand, lists all sources consulted, whether they were directly
cited or not, providing a comprehensive overview of the research process.