Top Tips on Referencing

Compiled by Tracy Kent, Social Science Librarian, University of Birmingham
t.k.kent@bham.ac.uk

Good referencing is an essential part of scholarship and information management and generally has three main functions: to acknowledge an intellectual debt, to support specific facts or claims and to enable the reader to find sources easily.

There are two main styles of referencing: author/date system (often referred to as Harvard) where the author's surname and year of publication is placed in the text with a list of references arranged alphabetically at the end of the work; the numbering (often called Vancouver) system whereby references are numbered in the text and the list of references is compiled at the end of the work with specific sequences for presentation of the elements in this style.

Both systems allow some flexibility in how the in-text citation may appear and publishers will clearly specify the style references should appear in. Check the guidelines for contributors before any submission is made (usually on the inside page).

Never assume that you will not need an item again once you have read it. You may need to verify a reference! So take care to note all the information about a particular reference for ease of re-tracing.

If you maintain a set of photocopied articles make a note about their location in your file. This saves time and effort in looking for references again.

Never cite what you have not seen. If you come across an abstract of interest then obtain the original before adding it to your bibliography.

Avoid citing unpublished works as this makes tracing references difficult. Failure to locate references may lead to serious academic offences and possible breach of Copyright.

Check your list of references for accuracy, currency and consistency before you submit and ensure that your list fulfils the functions of referencing outlined above.

Consider investing in appropriate reference management software which will help with this process. The UKeiG web site provides details of different packages together with training and information on what additional support is available.

PDF of Top Tips on Referencing Factsheet (19 KB)