What are references?

References are lists of the papers, books and other published and unpublished materials which the author has read in order to support the present piece of work. You may hear them called a "reference list", a "list of cited references" or a "bibliography".

You should always list articles, books and other materials you have read as preparation for your written assignments.

A reference list must include every source (book, chapter or article) that you have cited in your writing.

A bibliography contains all the above plus your background reading, where some sources have not been cited.

Find out why referencing is so important

Checklist for citing references

• follow the guidance you have been given by your School - check your course handbook for details of the style you should be using 
• be accurate and complete 
• be consistent 
• if you haven't been given guidance by your school, use a named style such as Harvard, or use the preferred style for your subject eg according to the rules of a particular journal

Hot tip!

If you cannot find guidance on citing a specific type of publication, the general principle is to give sufficient information for the person reading your work to be able to find your reference: 

• who is the author/creator (individual or corporate)?
• what is the title/description?
• where can it be found?

Do this according to the conventions of your chosen style.

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