General Referencing Tips
As a student, it’s important to know how to reference properly when writing academic papers. Proper referencing not only gives credit to the original authors of the sources you have used but also strengthens the credibility of your paper. In this guide, we’ll take a look at the basics of referencing and some common referencing styles.
What is referencing?
Referencing is the process of acknowledging the sources of information that you have used in your writing. It involves citing the author, year of publication, title, and other relevant details of the source. Referencing enables readers to locate and verify the sources you have used in your paper.
Why is referencing important?
Referencing is essential for academic writing for several reasons:
- Acknowledging the work of others: Proper referencing acknowledges the work of others and gives them the credit they deserve. It shows that you have read and understood the existing literature on the topic you are writing about.
- Avoiding plagiarism: Plagiarism is the act of using someone else’s work as your own. Proper referencing helps you avoid plagiarism by acknowledging the source of your information.
- Strengthening the validity of your work: Proper referencing strengthens the credibility of your work by showing that you have researched the topic thoroughly and used reliable sources.
Common referencing styles
There are several referencing styles used in academic writing. The most common styles include:
- APA (American Psychological Association): This style is commonly used in social sciences, such as psychology and sociology. The APA style requires in-text citations in the author-date format and a reference list at the end of the paper.
- MLA (Modern Language Association): This style is commonly used in humanities, such as literature and language studies. The MLA style requires in-text citations in the author-page format and a works cited list at the end of the paper.
- Chicago: This style is commonly used in history, religion, and social sciences. The Chicago style requires either footnotes or endnotes in the text and a bibliography at the end of the paper.
- Harvard: This style is commonly used in business, law, and social sciences. The Harvard style requires in-text citations in the author-date format and a reference list at the end of the paper.
Let’s Compare!
| Referencing Style | Description | In-Text Citation Example | Reference List Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| APA | The American Psychological Association style is commonly used in the social sciences. It emphasizes the author and publication date in in-text citations. | (Smith & Johnson, 2019) | Smith, J., & Johnson, L. (2019). The Art of Writing. Random House. |
| MLA | The Modern Language Association style is primarily used in the humanities and emphasizes the author and page number in in-text citations. | (Smith 23) | Smith, John. The Art of Writing. Random House, 2020. |
| Harvard | The Harvard style is similar to APA but places emphasis on the author and publication year in in-text citations. | (Smith and Johnson, 2019) | Smith, J. and Johnson, L., 2019. The Art of Writing. Random House. |
| Chicago | The Chicago Manual of Style is commonly used in the publishing industry and emphasizes footnotes or endnotes for in-text citations. | 1. John Smith and Jane Johnson, The Art of Writing (New York: Random House, 2020), 45. | Smith, John, and Jane Johnson. The Art of Writing. New York: Random House, 2020. |
| Oxford | The Oxford style is similar to Chicago and also uses footnotes or endnotes for in-text citations, but with a numerical citation system. | 1 John Smith and Jane Johnson, The Art of Writing (New York: Random House, 2020), 45. | Smith, John, and Jane Johnson. The Art of Writing. New York: Random House, 2020. |
Checklist to reference properly
To reference properly, you need to follow the guidelines of the referencing style you are using. However, there are some general principles that apply to all referencing styles:
Citing sources in the text
Whenever you use information from a source in your paper, you need to cite it in the text. In-text citations should include the author’s name and the year of publication. For example: (Smith, 2019).
Including a reference list
At the end of your paper, you need to include a reference list that provides full details of all the sources you have cited in your paper. The reference list should be arranged in alphabetical order by the author’s surname.
Including all relevant details
In your reference list, you should include all relevant details about the source, such as the author’s name, title of the work, year of publication, publisher, and place of publication. The specific details required will depend on the referencing style you are using.
Being consistent
It’s important to be consistent in your referencing style throughout your paper. Use the same style for in-text citations and your reference list.
Tips for effective referencing
By following these tips, you can ensure that your referencing is effective and helps support your arguments and ideas with reliable sources.