essay referenced in

How to Reference in an Essay (9 Strategies of Top Students)

Are you feeling overwhelmed by referencing?

When you’re first asked to do referencing in an essay it can be hard to get your head around it. If it’s been a while since you were first taught how to reference, it can be intimidating to ask again how to do it!

I have so many students who consistently lose marks just because they didn’t get referencing right! They’re either embarrassed to ask for extra help or too lazy to learn how to solve the issues.

So, here’s a post that will help you solve the issues on your own.

Already think you’re good at referencing? No worries. This post goes through some surprising and advanced strategies for anyone to improve no matter what level you are at!

In this post I’m going to show you exactly how to reference in an essay. I’ll explain why we do it and I’ll show you 9 actionable tips on getting referencing right that I’m sure you will not have heard anywhere else!

The post is split into three parts:

What is a Reference and What is a Citation?
Why Reference? (4 Things you Should Know)
How to Reference (9 Strategies of Top Students)

If you think you’ve already got a good understanding of the basics, you can jump to our 9 Advanced Strategies section.

Part 1: What is a Reference and What is a Citation?

What is a citation.

An in-text mention of your source. A citation is a short mention of the source you got the information from, usually in the middle or end of a sentence in the body of your paragraph. It is usually abbreviated so as not to distract the reader too much from your own writing. Here’s two examples of citations. The first is in APA format. The second is in MLA format:

APA: Archaeological records trace the original human being to equatorial Africa about 250,000–350,000 years ago (Schlebusch & Jakobsson, 2018) .
MLA: Archaeological records trace the original human being to equatorial Africa about 250,000–350,000 years ago (Schlebusch and Jakobsson 1) .

In APA format, you’ve got the authors and year of publication listed. In MLA format, you’ve got the authors and page number listed. If you keep reading, I’ll give some more tips on formatting further down in this article.

And a Reference is:

What is a Reference?

A reference is the full details of a source that you list at the end of the article. For every citation (see above) there needs to be a corresponding reference at the end of the essay showing more details about that source. The idea is that the reader can see the source in-text (i.e. they can look at the citation) and if they want more information they can jump to the end of the page and find out exactly how to go about finding the source.

Here’s how you would go about referencing the Schlebusch and Jakobsson source in a list at the end of the essay. Again, I will show you how to do it in APA and MLA formats:

APA: Schlebusch, C. & Jakobsson, M. (2018). Tales of Human Migration, Admixture, and Selection in Africa. Annual Review of Genomics and Human Genetics , 11 (33), 1–24.
MLA: Schlebusch, Carina and Mattias Jakobsson. “Tales of Human Migration, Admixture, and Selection in Africa.” Annual Review of Genomics and Human Genetics , vol. 11, no. 33, 2018, pp. 1–24.

In strategy 1 below I’ll show you the easiest and fool proof way to write these references perfectly every time.

One last quick note: sometimes we say ‘reference’ when we mean ‘citation’. That’s pretty normal. Just roll with the punches. It’s usually pretty easy to pick up on what our teacher means regardless of whether they use the word ‘reference’ or ‘citation’.

Part 2: Why Reference in an Essay? (4 Things you Should Know)

Referencing in an essay is important. By the time you start doing 200-level courses, you probably won’t pass the course unless you reference appropriately. So, the biggest answer to ‘why reference?’ is simple: Because you Have To!

Okay let’s be serious though … here’s the four top ‘real’ reasons to reference:

1. Referencing shows you Got an Expert’s Opinion

You can’t just write an essay on what you think you know. This is a huge mistake of beginning students. Instead this is what you need to do:

Top Tip: Essays at university are supposed to show off that you’ve learned new information by reading the opinions of experts.

Every time you place a citation in your paragraph, you’re showing that the information you’re presenting in that paragraph was provided to you by an expert. In other words, it means you consulted an expert’s opinion to build your knowledge.

If you have citations throughout the essay with links to a variety of different expert opinions, you’ll show your marker that you did actually genuinely look at what the experts said with an open mind and considered their ideas.

This will help you to grow your grades.

2. Referencing shows you read your Assigned Readings

Your teacher will most likely give you scholarly journal articles or book chapters to read for homework between classes. You might have even talked about those assigned readings in your seminars and tutorials.

Great! The assigned readings are very important to you.

You should definitely cite the assigned readings relevant to your essay topic in your evaluative essay (unless your teacher tells you not to). Why? I’ll explain below.

Firstly, the assigned readings were selected by your teacher because your teacher (you know, the person who’s going to mark your essay) believes they’re the best quality articles on the topic. Translation: your teacher gave you the best source you’re going to find. Make sure you use it!
Secondly, by citing the assigned readings you are showing your teacher that you have been paying attention throughout the course. You are showing your teacher that you have done your homework, read those assigned readings and paid attention to them. When my students submit an essay that has references to websites, blogs, wikis and magazines I get very frustrated. Why would you cite low quality non-expert sources like websites when I gave you the expert’s article!? Really, it frustrates me so, so much.

So, cite the assigned readings to show your teacher you read the scholarly articles your teacher gave to you. It’ll help you grow your marks.

3. Referencing deepens your Knowledge

Okay, so you understand that you need to use referencing to show you got experts’ opinions on the topic.

But there’s more to it than that. There’s actually a real benefit for your learning.

If you force yourself to cite two expert sources per paragraph, you’re actually forcing yourself to get two separate pieces of expert knowledge. This will deepen your knowledge!

So, don’t treat referencing like a vanity exercise to help you gain more marks. Actually view it as an opportunity to develop deeper understandings of the topic!

When you read expert sources, aim to pick up on some new gems of knowledge that you can discuss in your essays. Some things you should look out for when finding sources to reference:

Examples that link ideas to real life. Do the experts provide real-life examples that you can mention in your essay?
Facts and figures. Usually experts have conducted research on a topic and provide you with facts and figures from their research. Use those facts and figures to deepen your essay!
Short Quotes. Did your source say something in a really interesting, concise or surprising way? Great! You can quote that source in your essay .
New Perspectives. Your source might give you another perspective, angle or piece of information that you can add to your paragraph so that it’s a deep, detailed and interesting paragraph.

So, the reason we ask you to reference is at the end of the day because it’s good for you: it helps you learn!

4. Referencing backs up your Claims

You might think you already know a ton of information about the topic and be ready to share your mountains of knowledge with your teacher. Great!

So, should you still reference?

Yes. Definitely.

You need to show that you’re not the only person with your opinion. You need to ‘stand on the shoulders of giants.’ Show what other sources have said about your points to prove that experts agree with you.

You should be saying: this is my opinion and it’s based on facts, expert opinions and deep, close scrutiny of all the arguments that exist out there .

If you make a claim that no one else has made, your teacher is going to be like “Have you even been reading the evidence on this topic?” The answer, if there are no citations is likely: No. You haven’t.

Even if you totally disagree with the experts, you still need to say what their opinions are! You’ll need to say: “This is the experts’ opinions. And this is why I disagree.”

So, yes, you need to reference to back up every claim. Try to reference twice in every paragraph to achieve this.

Part 3: Strategies for How to Reference in an Essay (9 Strategies of Top Students)

Let’s get going with our top strategies for how to reference in an essay! These are strategies that you probably haven’t heard elsewhere. They work for everyone – from beginner to advanced! Let’s get started:

1. Print out your Reference Style Cheat Sheet

Referencing is hard and very specific. You need to know where to place your italics, where the commas go and whether to use an initial for full name for an author.

There are so many details to get right.

And here’s the bad news: The automated referencing apps and websites nearly always get it wrong! They tell you they can generate the citation for you. The fact of the matter is: they can’t!

Here’s the best way to get referencing right: Download a referencing cheat sheet and have it by your side while writing your essay.

Your assignment outline should tell you what type of referencing you should use. Different styles include: APA Style, MLA Style, Chicago Style, Harvard Style, Vancouver Style … and many more!

You need to find out which style you need to use and download your cheat sheet. You can jump onto google to find a cheat sheet by typing in the google bar:

Download a pdf version of the referencing style cheat sheet, print it out, and place it on your pinboard or by your side when writing your essay.

2. Only cite Experts

There are good and bad sources to cite in an essay.

You should only cite sources written, critiqued and edited by experts. This shows that you have got the skill of finding information that is authoritative. You haven’t just used information that any old person popped up on their blog. You haven’t just gotten information from your local newspaper. Instead, you got information from the person who is an absolute expert on the topic.

Here’s an infographic listing sources that you should and shouldn’t cite. Feel free to share this infographic on social media, with your teachers and your friends:

3. Always use Google Scholar

Always. Use. Google. Scholar.

Ten years ago students only had their online university search database to find articles. Those university databases suck. They rarely find the best quality sources and there’s always a big mix of completely irrelevant sources mixed in there.

Google Scholar is better at finding the sources you want. That’s because it looks through the whole article abstract and analyses it to see if it’s relevant to your search keywords. By contrast, most university search databases rely only on the titles of articles.

Use the power of the best quality search engine in the world to find scholarly sources .

Note: Google and Google Scholar are different search engines.

To use Google Scholar, go to: https://scholar.google.com

Then, search on google scholar using keywords. I’m going to search keywords for an essay on the topic: “What are the traits of a good nurse?”

If you really like the idea of that first source, I recommend copying the title and trying your University online search database. Your university may give you free access.

4. Cite at least 50% sources you found on your Own Research

Okay, so I’ve told you that you should cite both assigned readings and readings you find from Google Scholar.

Here’s the ideal mix of assigned sources and sources that you found yourself: 50/50.

Your teacher will want to see that you can use both assigned readings and do your own additional research to write a top essay . This shows you’ve got great research skills but also pay attention to what is provided in class.

I recommend that you start with the assigned readings and try to get as much information out of them, then find your own additional sources beyond that using Google Scholar.

So, if your essay has 10 citations, a good mix is 5 assigned readings and 5 readings you found by yourself.

5. Cite Newer Sources

As a general rule, the newer the source the better .

The best rule of thumb that most teachers follow is that you should aim to mostly cite sources from the past 10 years . I usually accept sources from the past 15 years when marking essays.

However, sometimes you have a really great source that’s 20, 30 or 40 years old. You should only cite these sources if they’re what we call ‘seminal texts’. A seminal text is one that was written by an absolute giant in your field and revolutionized the subject.

Here’s some examples of seminal authors whose old articles you would be able to cite despite the fact that they’re old:

Education: Vygotsky, Friere, Piaget
Sociology: Weber, Marx, C. Wright Mills
Psychology: Freud, Rogers, Jung

Even if I cite seminal authors, I always aim for at least 80% of my sources to have been written in the past 10 years.

6. Reference twice per Paragraph

How much should you reference?

Here’s a good strategy: Provide two citations in every paragraph in the body of the essay.

It’s not compulsory to reference in the introduction and conclusion . However, in all the other paragraphs, aim for two citations.

Let’s go over the key strategies for achieving this:

These two citations should be to different sources, not the same sources twice;
Two citations per paragraph shows your points are backed up by not one, but two expert sources;
Place one citation in the first half of the paragraph and one in the second half. This will indicate to your marker that all the points in the whole paragraph are backed up by your citations.

This is a good rule of thumb for you when you’re not sure when and how often to reference. When you get more confident with your referencing, you can mix this up a little.

7. The sum total of your sources should be minimum 1 per 150 words

You can, of course, cite one source more than once throughout the essay. You might cite the same source in the second, fourth and fifth paragraphs. That’s okay.

Essay Writing Tip: Provide one unique citation in the reference list for every 150 words in the essay.

But, you don’t want your whole essay to be based on a narrow range of sources. You want your marker to see that you have consulted multiple sources to get a wide range of information on the topic. Your marker wants to know that you’ve seen a range of different opinions when coming to your conclusions.

When you get to the end of your essay, check to see how many sources are listed in the end-text reference list. A good rule of thumb is 1 source listed in the reference list per 150 words. Here’s how that breaks down by essay size:

1500 word essay: 10 sources (or more) listed in the reference list
2000 word essay: 13 sources (or more) listed in the reference list
3000 word essay: 20 sources (or more) listed in the reference list
5000 word essay: 33 sources (or more) listed in the reference list

8. Instantly improve your Reference List with these Three Tips

Here’s two things you can do to instantly improve your reference list. It takes less than 20 seconds and gives your reference list a strong professional finish:

a) Ensure the font size and style are the same

You will usually find that your whole reference list ends up being in different font sizes and styles. This is because you tend to copy and paste the titles and names in the citations from other sources. If you submit the reference list with font sizes and styles that are not the same as the rest of the essay, the piece looks really unprofessional.

So, quickly highlight the whole reference list and change its font to the same font size and style as the rest of your essay. The screencast at the end of Step 8 walks you through this if you need a hand!

b) List your sources in alphabetical order.

Nearly every referencing style insists that references be listed in alphabetical order. It’s a simple thing to do before submitting and makes the piece look far more professional.

If you’re using Microsoft Word, simply highlight your whole reference list and click the A>Z button in the toolbar. If you can’t see it, you need to be under the ‘home’ tab (circled below):

You’ve probably never heard of a hanging indent. It’s a style where the second line of the reference list is indented further from the left-hand side of the page than the first line. It’s a strategy that’s usually used in reference lists provided in professional publications.

If you use the hanging indent, your reference list will look far more professional.

Here’s a quick video of me doing it for you:

9. Do one special edit especially for Referencing Style

The top students edit their essays three to five times spaced out over a week or more before submitting. One of those edits should be specifically for ensuring your reference list adheres to the referencing style that your teacher requires.

To do this, I recommend you get that cheat sheet printout that I mentioned in Step 1 and have it by your side while you read through the piece. Pay special attention to the use of commas, capital letters, brackets and page numbers for all citations. Also pay attention to the reference list: correct formatting of the reference list can be the difference between getting the top mark in the class and the fifth mark in the class. At the higher end of the marking range, things get competitive and formatting of the reference list counts.

A Quick Summary of the 9 Top Strategies…

Follow the rules of your referencing style guide (and that cheat sheet I recommended!) and use the top 9 tips above to improve your referencing and get top marks. Not only will your referencing look more professional, you’ll probably increase the quality of the content of your piece as well when you follow these tips!

Here’s a final summary of the 9 top tips:

Strategies for How to Reference in an Essay (9 Strategies of Top Students)

Print out your Reference Style Cheat Sheet
Only cite Experts
Always use Google Scholar
Cite at least 50% sources you found on your Own Research
Cite Newer Sources
Reference twice per Paragraph
The sum total of your sources should be minimum 1 per 150 words
Instantly improve your Reference List with these Three Tips
Do one special edit especially for Referencing Style

Chris Drew (PhD)

Dr. Chris Drew is the founder of the Helpful Professor. He holds a PhD in education and has published over 20 articles in scholarly journals. He is the former editor of the Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education. [Image Descriptor: Photo of Chris]

Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ 15 Animism Examples
Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ 10 Magical Thinking Examples
Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ Social-Emotional Learning (Definition, Examples, Pros & Cons)
Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ What is Educational Psychology?

How to Reference Essays

Last Updated: January 8, 2024 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Alexander Peterman, MA . Alexander Peterman is a Private Tutor in Florida. He received his MA in Education from the University of Florida in 2017. There are 14 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 370,338 times.

When you begin writing a research essay, you must take into account the format of your writing and reference pages. There are several reference styles that may be assigned to you, including MLA (Modern Language Association), APA (American Psychological Association), and Chicago. Each one has its own set of rules. There's no need to familiarize yourself with all 3 unless you have to, but you do need to learn at least one if you’re in any field involving academic writing. Here are summaries of each style to help you start your essay on the right track.

Referencing Essays Templates

You will need a citation directly after every sentence (or group of sentences if you're citing the same source in multiple consecutive sentences) containing information you didn't think of yourself. These include: paraphrases, facts, statistics, quotes, and examples.
An in-text citation using MLA will simply have the author last name (or title if no author) followed by the page number. No comma between author and page number. For example: (Richards 456) Richards is the author last name, and 456 is the page number.
If you have an author name (or title, if no author) but no page number, simply use author last name (or title).

The easiest way to keep track of MLA citations while doing research is to copy and paste copyright information into a word processing document as you go, or to write it down in a notebook.
Things to include for any source are author(s), date published, publisher, page number, volume and issue number, website, date accessed, anything that appears on the copyright page or indicates how to find it again. [2] X Trustworthy Source Purdue Online Writing Lab Trusted resource for writing and citation guidelines Go to source

As an example, the format for a standard book citation using MLA style is as follows: Last name of author, First name. Title of Book. City published: Publisher Name, Year published. Source Medium.
An MLA website citation looks like the following. If there's no author listed, begin citation with the name of the page: Last name, first name. "Page Title." Website Title. Publisher. Date published. Source Medium. Date accessed.
An MLA scholarly article citation looks like the following: Last name, First name. "Title of Article." Title of Journal . Volume.Issue (Year): page numbers. Source Medium.
Write the title of the main work (book, magazine, journal, website, etc.) in italics, or underline if you’re writing references by hand.
Chapter or article titles should be in quotation marks.

If there is no author listed, as is common on websites, simply skip the author’s name and begin the entry with the title of the work.
Alphabetize by the first letter that appears in the entry, whether it has an author name or not.

The formatting should be in Times New Roman font, size 12, with “Works Cited” centered at the top of a new page.
Each entry should have hanging indent, meaning all lines below the first line are indented by half an inch.
Make sure there is a period after each section of the citations. A period should always end the citation.

Place a parenthetical citation at the end of every sentence (or group of sentences if you're using the same source for multiple consecutive sentences) containing information you didn't know before doing research.
An in-text citation using APA will simply have the author last name (or title if no author) followed by the year it was published. No comma between name and year. For example: (Richards 2005) Richards is the author last name, and 2005 is the year.
If you have an author name (or title if no author) but no page number, simply use author last name (or title). This is common when citing websites.
APA document formatting is very important. APA papers are divided up into 4 sections: the title page, the abstract, the main body, and the references page. The citations of a research paper using APA appear in the References section, the last portion of an APA document. [7] X Research source

To form APA reference page citations, you will need such information as author name(s), date published, website URL, date you accessed the website, title of work, and so on. [8] X Trustworthy Source Purdue Online Writing Lab Trusted resource for writing and citation guidelines Go to source

For example, the format for an APA reference of a scholarly journal article is as follows: Author last name, First initial. (Year published). Article or chapter title. Journal or book title, Issue number , page number range. [10] X Trustworthy Source Purdue Online Writing Lab Trusted resource for writing and citation guidelines Go to source
The format for an APA book reference looks like: Last name, First name. (Year.) Title of Book: Capital letter also for subtitle . Location: Publisher.
The format for an APA website reference looks like: Author, A.A. First name, & Author, B.B. (Date published.) Title of article. In Title of webpage or larger document or book (chapter or section number). Retrieved from URL address

Capitalize the author's last name and first initial, followed by a period.
Only capitalize the first word of a journal article title, unless the title contains a proper noun (called sentence case). Titles of books should preserve the published capitalization.
Capitalize the city of publication, and use correct state abbreviations for states. Also capitalize the name of the publisher and end the reference with a period.
The title of larger works, whether a book, journal, website, or magazine, is in italics (or underlined if handwriting), as is the issue number that appears right after the title. Titles for shorter works like articles and chapters should not have any indicative punctuation in an APA entry. [12] X Trustworthy Source Purdue Online Writing Lab Trusted resource for writing and citation guidelines Go to source
A period should end all citations.

Using Chicago Manual of Style

For Notes and Bibliography, you will use a superscript at the instance of each quote in the text with a corresponding footnote at the end of the page. All footnotes are compiled into endnotes at the end of the work, on the bibliography page. [14] X Trustworthy Source Purdue Online Writing Lab Trusted resource for writing and citation guidelines Go to source
For Author Date, you will use parenthetical in-text citations that include author last name and year published, using no punctuation between name and year. The full version of each parenthetical citation is listed alphabetically on the references page. For example: (Simon 2011) Simon is the author last name, and 2011 is the year.
You will need a citation directly after every sentence (or group of sentences if you're using the same source for multiple consecutive sentences) containing information you didn't think of yourself. These include: paraphrases, facts, statistics, quotes, and examples.

If using a book, write down all pertinent information found on the copyright page, including the name of the publisher and the city and year of publication.
For other sources, look for this information near the title of the piece you’re looking at. Publication date is often at the bottom of webpages.

Step 3 Use Notes and Bibliography if instructed.

Title your references page “Bibliography” centered at the top of the page. Leave 2 blank lines between this title and the first entry, and one blank line between entries.
Notes and Bibliography style uses footnotes for page endings and endnotes for chapter endings. The bibliography page will be an alphabetized list of all sources in hanging indent.
An example format for a book is as follows: Last name, First name. Book Title . City: Publisher, Year.
An example format for a chapter in a print scholarly journal is as follows: Author last name, first name. "Title of Chapter or Article." Book or journal Title Issue Number (Year): Page number range. (For an online scholarly journal article, tack on the following at the end: Date accessed. URL address.)
When there is no known author, the entry should begin with the title of the document, whether it's a webpage, chapter, article, and so on.
When there are multiple authors, the first listed author appears last name, first name, so that the citation is alphabetized by this author's last name. Subsequent authors are listed by first name, like this: Alcott, Louisa May, Charles Dickens, and Elizabeth Gaskell.
Always end a citation with a period.

When using Author Date style, title your references page “References” centered at the top of the page. Leave 2 blank lines between this title and the first entry, and 1 blank line between entries.
Author Date style bibliographies should be organized alphabetically by last name (or by title if no author) in hanging indent.
An example format for a book is as follows: Last name, first name. Year. Book Title . City Published: Publisher.
An example format for a chapter in a print scholarly journal is as follows: Author last name, first name. Year. "Title of Chapter or Article." Book or journal title issue number: page numbers. (for an online scholarly journal article tack this onto the end: Date accessed. URL address.)
An example format for a website is as follows: Name of Website. Year. "Page Title." Date last modified. Date accessed. URL address.

Expert Q&A

You don't have to write each bibliography or reference entry on your own. You can download citation management software like Endnote [17] X Research source (purchase required on this one), Zotero [18] X Research source (it's free), or use websites like http://www.bibme.org/ and http://www.easybib.com/ . Select the name of your style manual before you begin creating citations. Copy and paste the citation into your bibliography or references list. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
If you are assigned to write a paper or other written document in one of these styles, you need to purchase the style manual. It will contain nearly every instance not only of source citation, but paper formatting as well as grammar and punctuation that is unique to that style. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

This article only lists how to cite research for each style manual. Each style has its own instructions for setting up the format of the essay, including heading, spacing, margins, font, and so on. Thanks Helpful 1 Not Helpful 0

↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/mla_style/mla_formatting_and_style_guide/mla_in_text_citations_the_basics.html
↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/mla_style/mla_formatting_and_style_guide/mla_formatting_and_style_guide.html
↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/mla_style/mla_formatting_and_style_guide/mla_works_cited_page_books.html
↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/apa_style/apa_formatting_and_style_guide/in_text_citations_author_authors.html
↑ https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/
↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/apa_style/apa_formatting_and_style_guide/reference_list_electronic_sources.html
↑ https://libguides.jcu.edu.au/apa/reference-list
↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/apa_style/apa_formatting_and_style_guide/reference_list_author_authors.html
↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/apa_style/apa_formatting_and_style_guide/reference_list_basic_rules.html
↑ https://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/tools_citationguide.html
↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/chicago_manual_17th_edition/cmos_formatting_and_style_guide/chicago_manual_of_style_17th_edition.html
↑ http://guides.nyu.edu/c.php?g=276562&p=1844734
↑ http://endnote.com
↑ https://www.zotero.org

About This Article

To reference an essay using MLA style, add a citation after any information you found through a source, like facts or quotes. When citing the reference, include the author’s name and the page number you pulled the information from in parenthesis, like “(Richards 456).” Once you’ve finished your essay, add a Words Cited page with all of the information you used to research your essay, like books or articles. To create a Works Cited page, list the sources in alphabetical order using the author’s last name, and include additional information, like year published and the medium. For more tips from our Writing reviewer, like how to reference an essay using APA style, read on! Did this summary help you? Yes No

Send fan mail to authors

Reader Success Stories

Alicia Hammond

Sep 20, 2021

Did this article help you?

Oct 30, 2019

Brenda Nats

Jun 14, 2021

Featured Articles

What Does it Mean When You See or Dream About a Blackbird?

Watch Articles

Terms of Use
Privacy Policy
Do Not Sell or Share My Info
Not Selling Info

Get all the best how-tos!

How to Write an Academic Essay with References and Citations

#scribendiinc

Written by Scribendi

If you're wondering how to write an academic essay with references, look no further. In this article, we'll discuss how to use in-text citations and references, including how to cite a website, how to cite a book, and how to cite a Tweet, according to various style guides.

You might need to cite sources when writing a paper that references other sources. For example, when writing an essay, you may use information from other works, such as books, articles, or websites. You must then inform readers where this information came from. Failure to do so, even accidentally, is plagiarism—passing off another person's work as your own.

You can avoid plagiarism and show readers where to find information by using citations and references.

Citations tell readers where a piece of information came from. They take the form of footnotes, endnotes, or parenthetical elements, depending on your style guide. In-text citations are usually placed at the end of a sentence containing the relevant information.

A reference list , bibliography, or works cited list at the end of a text provides additional details about these cited sources. This list includes enough publication information allowing readers to look up these sources themselves.

Referencing is important for more than simply avoiding plagiarism. Referring to a trustworthy source shows that the information is reliable. Referring to reliable information can also support your major points and back up your argument.

Learning how to write an academic essay with references and how to use in-text citations will allow you to cite authors who have made similar arguments. This helps show that your argument is objective and not entirely based on personal biases.

How Do You Determine Which Style Guide to Use?

Often, a professor will assign a style guide. The purpose of a style guide is to provide writers with formatting instructions. If your professor has not assigned a style guide, they should still be able to recommend one.

If you are entirely free to choose, pick one that aligns with your field (for example, APA is frequently used for scientific writing).

Some of the most common style guides are as follows:

AP style for journalism

Chicago style for publishing

APA style for scholarly writing (commonly used in scientific fields)

MLA style for scholarly citations (commonly used in English literature fields)

Some journals have their own style guides, so if you plan to publish, check which guide your target journal uses. You can do this by locating your target journal's website and searching for author guidelines.

How Do You Pick Your Sources?

When learning how to write an academic essay with references, you must identify reliable sources that support your argument.

As you read, think critically and evaluate sources for:

Objectivity

Keep detailed notes on the sources so that you can easily find them again, if needed.

Tip: Record these notes in the format of your style guide—your reference list will then be ready to go.

How to Use In-Text Citations in MLA

An in-text citation in MLA includes the author's last name and the relevant page number:

(Author 123)

How to Cite a Website in MLA

Here's how to cite a website in MLA:

Author's last name, First name. "Title of page."

Website. Website Publisher, date. Web. Date

retrieved. <URL>

With information from a real website, this looks like:

Morris, Nancy. "How to Cite a Tweet in APA,

Chicago, and MLA." Scribendi. Scribendi

Inc., n.d. Web. 22 Dec. 2021.

<https://www.scribendi.com/academy/articles/how_to_cite_a_website.en.html>

How Do You Cite a Tweet in MLA ?

MLA uses the full text of a short Tweet (under 140 characters) as its title. Longer Tweets can be shortened using ellipses.

MLA Tweet references should be formatted as follows:

@twitterhandle (Author Name). "Text of Tweet." Twitter, Date Month, Year, time of

publication, URL.

With information from an actual Tweet, this looks like:

@neiltyson (Neil deGrasse Tyson). "You can't use reason to convince anyone out of an

argument that they didn't use reason to get into." Twitter, 29 Sept. 2020, 10:15 p.m.,

https://twitter.com/neiltyson/status/1311127369785192449 .

How to Cite a Book in MLA

Here's how to cite a book in MLA:

Author's last name, First name. Book Title. Publisher, Year.

With publication information from a real book, this looks like:

Montgomery, L.M. Rainbow Valley. Frederick A. Stokes Company, 1919.

How to Cite a Chapter in a Book in MLA

Author's last name, First name. "Title of Chapter." Book Title , edited by Editor Name,

Publisher, Year, pp. page range.

With publication information from an actual book, this looks like:

Ezell, Margaret J.M. "The Social Author: Manuscript Culture, Writers, and Readers." The

Broadview Reader in Book History , edited by Michelle Levy and Tom Mole, Broadview

Press, 2015,pp. 375–394.

How to Cite a Paraphrase in MLA

You can cite a paraphrase in MLA exactly the same way as you would cite a direct quotation.

Make sure to include the author's name (either in the text or in the parenthetical citation) and the relevant page number.

How to Use In-Text Citations in APA

In APA, in-text citations include the author's last name and the year of publication; a page number is included only if a direct quotation is used:

(Author, 2021, p. 123)

How to Cite a Website in APA

Here's how to cite a website in APA:

Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Year, Month. date of publication). Title of page. https://URL

Morris, N. (n.d.). How to cite a Tweet in APA, Chicago, and MLA.

https://www.scribendi.com/academy/articles/how_to_cite_a_website.en.html

Tip: Learn more about how to write an academic essay with references to websites .

How Do You Cite a Tweet in APA ?

APA refers to Tweets using their first 20 words.

Tweet references should be formatted as follows:

Author, A. A. [@twitterhandle). (Year, Month. date of publication). First 20 words of the

Tweet. [Tweet] Twitter. URL

When we input information from a real Tweet, this looks like:

deGrasse Tyson, N. [@neiltyson]. (2020, Sept. 29). You can't use reason to convince anyone

out of an argument that they didn't use reason to get into. [Tweet] Twitter.

https://twitter.com/neiltyson/status/1311127369785192449

How to Cite a Book in APA

Here's how to cite a book in APA:

Author, A. A. (Year). Book title. Publisher.

For a real book, this looks like:

Montgomery, L. M. (1919). Rainbow valley.

Frederick A. Stokes Company.

How to Cite a Chapter in a Book in APA

Author, A. A. (Year). Chapter title. In Editor Name (Ed.), Book Title (pp. page range).

With information from a real book, this looks like:

Ezell, M. J. M. (2014). The social author: Manuscript culture, writers, and readers. In

Michelle Levy and Tom Mole (Eds.), The Broadview Reader in Book History (pp. 375–

394). Broadview Press.

Knowing how to cite a book and how to cite a chapter in a book correctly will take you a long way in creating an effective reference list.

How to Cite a Paraphrase in APA

You can cite a paraphrase in APA the same way as you would cite a direct quotation, including the author's name and year of publication.

In APA, you may also choose to pinpoint the page from which the information is taken.

Referencing is an essential part of academic integrity. Learning how to write an academic essay with references and how to use in-text citations shows readers that you did your research and helps them locate your sources.

Learning how to cite a website, how to cite a book, and how to cite a paraphrase can also help you avoid plagiarism —an academic offense with serious consequences for your education or professional reputation.

Scribendi can help format your citations or review your whole paper with our Academic Editing services .

Take Your Essay from Good to Great

Hire an expert academic editor , or get a free sample, about the author.

Scribendi's in-house editors work with writers from all over the globe to perfect their writing. They know that no piece of writing is complete without a professional edit, and they love to see a good piece of writing transformed into a great one. Scribendi's in-house editors are unrivaled in both experience and education, having collectively edited millions of words and obtained numerous degrees. They love consuming caffeinated beverages, reading books of various genres, and relaxing in quiet, dimly lit spaces.

Have You Read?

"The Complete Beginner's Guide to Academic Writing"

APA Style and APA Formatting

How to Research a Term Paper

MLA Formatting and MLA Style: An Introduction

Upload your file(s) so we can calculate your word count, or enter your word count manually.

We will also recommend a service based on the file(s) you upload.

English is not my first language. I need English editing and proofreading so that I sound like a native speaker.

I need to have my journal article, dissertation, or term paper edited and proofread, or I need help with an admissions essay or proposal.

I have a novel, manuscript, play, or ebook. I need editing, copy editing, proofreading, a critique of my work, or a query package.

I need editing and proofreading for my white papers, reports, manuals, press releases, marketing materials, and other business documents.

I need to have my essay, project, assignment, or term paper edited and proofread.

I want to sound professional and to get hired. I have a resume, letter, email, or personal document that I need to have edited and proofread.

Prices include your personal % discount.

Prices include % sales tax ( ).

Write it Right - A guide to Harvard referencing style

Referencing

The Harvard Referencing Style

What is citing, citing page numbers in text - some rules, using direct quotations, how to cite in the body of your text, secondary referencing, using charts, images, figures in the body of your text.

Paraphrasing
Reference List & Bibliography
Elements in References
Journal articles
Online journals
Newspaper articles
Online newspapers
Internet sources
Government and legal publications
Patents and standards
Miscellaneous

The Harvard referencing style (also known as ‘author-date’) is commonly used at TUS Midwest. There are two elements to the Harvard referencing style. This means when you reference using the Harvard system, you have to do two things:

Include an author-date citation each time you refer to a source in the body of your essay. Note: also, include the page number if it is a direct quotation.
Compile a complete reference list of all the sources that you cited throughout your essay on a separate page at the end of your essay. Note: this list must be in alphabetical order according to the first author's surname.

In summary, when you are writing up your college projects, you must remember to acknowledge the other authors you are using in two places:

in the text of your assignment (in-text citations), and,
at the end of your assignment (reference list).

If you have used the author’s exact words (direct quotation) or the author’s ideas (paraphrasing) from a book, journal article, etc. you must acknowledge this in your text. This is referred to as in-text citing:

In-text citations give the brief (abbreviated) details of the work that you are quoting from, or to which you are referring in your text. These citations will then link to the full reference in the reference list at the end of your work, which is arranged in alphabetical order by author (Pears and Shields, 2019, p.7).

Author prominent citing This citation method gives prominence to the author’s surname (family name) as part of your sentence with the date and page number in parentheses (round brackets). Note : The page number is necessary if you are quoting directly.

Information prominent citing This citation method gives prominence to the information with the required referencing details in parentheses at the end of the citation.

Author(s) name

For one author, use surname of author only. There is no need to include initials. Example - (Barr, 2016, p. 22)
For two authors, use both authors’ surnames linked by ‘and’. Example - (Tabrizi and Rahmani, 2021, p. 13).
For three or more authors, use the first author’s surname and et al. Example - (O'Neill et al ., 2019, p. 120).
Give full four digits for the year.

Quotations should be used sparingly, selected carefully, used in context, integrated into your text, and reproduced exactly (including the words, spelling, punctuation, capitalisation and paraphrasing of the original writer). Short quotations Short quotations (fewer than 30 words) should:

be incorporated into your sentence without disrupting the flow of your paragraph,
have single quotation marks,
have the full stop after the citation, and,
keep the same font size.

Long quotations Long quotations (more than 30 words) should:

be introduced in your own words,
begin on a new line,
be fully indented by default (i.e. 1.27 cm) from the left margin,
be in single line spacing.

Separate the quotation from the lead-in statement with one blank line. The lead-in statement ends with a colon(:). Separate the quotation from the text that follows it with one blank line.

Quotation marks

Quotation marks are not used for longer quotations.
When using an information prominent long quotation, the full stop is included after the last sentence of the quotation after the citation.

Words omitted from quotations

To omit unnecessary words from quotations, use an ellipsis … (3 dots). Note: Make sure the quotation still has the same meaning.
If the quotation does not begin at the start of a sentence, an ellipsis should be used to convey this.

When you cite someone else’s work, you must state the author/editor and the date of publication. If the work has two authors/editors, you must cite both names. Don't forget to include page numbers for direct quotations. There is no need to include the title, place of publication etc. These details are listed in the reference list at the end of your essay .

For a work that has three or more authors/editors, the abbreviation, et al . is used after the first author’s name.

For a work that has the same author/editor, and was written in the same year as an earlier citation, you must use a lower case letter after the date to differentiate between the two.

Citing from books with chapters written by different authors Some books may contain chapters written by several different authors. In this case the author who wrote the chapter should be cited not the editor of the book.

If you are reading a source by one author, for example, Garvey (2019) and he cites or quotes the work of another author, for example, Taylor (1996) you may cite or quote the original work, Taylor (1996) as a secondary reference. Note: It is always best practice to try and locate the original reference and secondary references should only be used if it is difficult to access the original work

Example In-text citation: Taylor’s observations (1996, cited in Garvey, 2019) are based on a genuine respect for nature. OR ‘Every living thing has a good of its own’ (Taylor, 1996, quoted in Garvey, 2019, p. 53).

Reference List: Garvey, J. (2019) The ethics of climate change: right and wrong in a warming world . London: Continuum.

Charts, images, figures etc. should be treated as direct quotations in that the author/editor, year and page number should be acknowledged in-text, and the full reference to the item should be listed in the reference list.

<< Previous: Plagiarism
Next: Paraphrasing >>
Last Updated: Apr 11, 2024 10:19 AM
URL: https://lit.libguides.com/Write-it-Right

The Library, Technological University of the Shannon: Midwest

Have a language expert improve your writing

Run a free plagiarism check in 10 minutes, automatically generate references for free.

Knowledge Base
Referencing

A Quick Guide to Referencing | Cite Your Sources Correctly

Referencing means acknowledging the sources you have used in your writing. Including references helps you support your claims and ensures that you avoid plagiarism .

There are many referencing styles, but they usually consist of two things:

A citation wherever you refer to a source in your text.
A reference list or bibliography at the end listing full details of all your sources.

The most common method of referencing in UK universities is Harvard style , which uses author-date citations in the text. Our free Harvard Reference Generator automatically creates accurate references in this style.

Instantly correct all language mistakes in your text

Be assured that you'll submit flawless writing. Upload your document to correct all your mistakes.

Referencing styles, citing your sources with in-text citations, creating your reference list or bibliography, harvard referencing examples, frequently asked questions about referencing.

Each referencing style has different rules for presenting source information. For in-text citations, some use footnotes or endnotes , while others include the author’s surname and date of publication in brackets in the text.

The reference list or bibliography is presented differently in each style, with different rules for things like capitalisation, italics, and quotation marks in references.

Your university will usually tell you which referencing style to use; they may even have their own unique style. Always follow your university’s guidelines, and ask your tutor if you are unsure. The most common styles are summarised below.

Harvard referencing, the most commonly used style at UK universities, uses author–date in-text citations corresponding to an alphabetical bibliography or reference list at the end.

Harvard Referencing Guide

Vancouver referencing, used in biomedicine and other sciences, uses reference numbers in the text corresponding to a numbered reference list at the end.

Vancouver Referencing Guide

APA referencing, used in the social and behavioural sciences, uses author–date in-text citations corresponding to an alphabetical reference list at the end.

APA Referencing Guide APA Reference Generator

MHRA referencing, used in the humanities, uses footnotes in the text with source information, in addition to an alphabetised bibliography at the end.

MHRA Referencing Guide

OSCOLA referencing, used in law, uses footnotes in the text with source information, and an alphabetical bibliography at the end in longer texts.

OSCOLA Referencing Guide

Prevent plagiarism, run a free check.

In-text citations should be used whenever you quote, paraphrase, or refer to information from a source (e.g. a book, article, image, website, or video).

Quoting and paraphrasing

Quoting is when you directly copy some text from a source and enclose it in quotation marks to indicate that it is not your own writing.

Paraphrasing is when you rephrase the original source into your own words. In this case, you don’t use quotation marks, but you still need to include a citation.

In most referencing styles, page numbers are included when you’re quoting or paraphrasing a particular passage. If you are referring to the text as a whole, no page number is needed.

In-text citations

In-text citations are quick references to your sources. In Harvard referencing, you use the author’s surname and the date of publication in brackets.

Up to three authors are included in a Harvard in-text citation. If the source has more than three authors, include the first author followed by ‘ et al. ‘

The point of these citations is to direct your reader to the alphabetised reference list, where you give full information about each source. For example, to find the source cited above, the reader would look under ‘J’ in your reference list to find the title and publication details of the source.

Placement of in-text citations

In-text citations should be placed directly after the quotation or information they refer to, usually before a comma or full stop. If a sentence is supported by multiple sources, you can combine them in one set of brackets, separated by a semicolon.

If you mention the author’s name in the text already, you don’t include it in the citation, and you can place the citation immediately after the name.

Another researcher warns that the results of this method are ‘inconsistent’ (Singh, 2018, p. 13) .
Previous research has frequently illustrated the pitfalls of this method (Singh, 2018; Jones, 2016) .
Singh (2018, p. 13) warns that the results of this method are ‘inconsistent’.

The terms ‘bibliography’ and ‘reference list’ are sometimes used interchangeably. Both refer to a list that contains full information on all the sources cited in your text. Sometimes ‘bibliography’ is used to mean a more extensive list, also containing sources that you consulted but did not cite in the text.

A reference list or bibliography is usually mandatory, since in-text citations typically don’t provide full source information. For styles that already include full source information in footnotes (e.g. OSCOLA and Chicago Style ), the bibliography is optional, although your university may still require you to include one.

Format of the reference list

Reference lists are usually alphabetised by authors’ last names. Each entry in the list appears on a new line, and a hanging indent is applied if an entry extends onto multiple lines.

Different source information is included for different source types. Each style provides detailed guidelines for exactly what information should be included and how it should be presented.

Below are some examples of reference list entries for common source types in Harvard style.

Chapter of a book
Journal article

Your university should tell you which referencing style to follow. If you’re unsure, check with a supervisor. Commonly used styles include:

Harvard referencing , the most commonly used style in UK universities.
MHRA , used in humanities subjects.
APA , used in the social sciences.
Vancouver , used in biomedicine.
OSCOLA , used in law.

Your university may have its own referencing style guide.

If you are allowed to choose which style to follow, we recommend Harvard referencing, as it is a straightforward and widely used style.

References should be included in your text whenever you use words, ideas, or information from a source. A source can be anything from a book or journal article to a website or YouTube video.

If you don’t acknowledge your sources, you can get in trouble for plagiarism .

To avoid plagiarism , always include a reference when you use words, ideas or information from a source. This shows that you are not trying to pass the work of others off as your own.

You must also properly quote or paraphrase the source. If you’re not sure whether you’ve done this correctly, you can use the Scribbr Plagiarism Checker to find and correct any mistakes.

Harvard referencing uses an author–date system. Sources are cited by the author’s last name and the publication year in brackets. Each Harvard in-text citation corresponds to an entry in the alphabetised reference list at the end of the paper.

Vancouver referencing uses a numerical system. Sources are cited by a number in parentheses or superscript. Each number corresponds to a full reference at the end of the paper.

Is this article helpful?

Other students also liked.

A Quick Guide to Harvard Referencing | Citation Examples
APA Referencing (7th Ed.) Quick Guide | In-text Citations & References

How to Avoid Plagiarism | Tips on Citing Sources

Scribbr APA Citation Checker

An innovative new tool that checks your APA citations with AI software. Say goodbye to inaccurate citations!

Purdue Online Writing Lab Purdue OWL® College of Liberal Arts

In-Text Citations: The Basics

Welcome to the Purdue OWL

This page is brought to you by the OWL at Purdue University. When printing this page, you must include the entire legal notice.

Copyright ©1995-2018 by The Writing Lab & The OWL at Purdue and Purdue University. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, reproduced, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our terms and conditions of fair use.

Note: This page reflects the latest version of the APA Publication Manual (i.e., APA 7), which released in October 2019. The equivalent resource for the older APA 6 style can be found here .

Reference citations in text are covered on pages 261-268 of the Publication Manual. What follows are some general guidelines for referring to the works of others in your essay.

Note: On pages 117-118, the Publication Manual suggests that authors of research papers should use the past tense or present perfect tense for signal phrases that occur in the literature review and procedure descriptions (for example, Jones (1998) found or Jones (1998) has found ...). Contexts other than traditionally-structured research writing may permit the simple present tense (for example, Jones (1998) finds ).

APA Citation Basics

When using APA format, follow the author-date method of in-text citation. This means that the author's last name and the year of publication for the source should appear in the text, like, for example, (Jones, 1998). One complete reference for each source should appear in the reference list at the end of the paper.

If you are referring to an idea from another work but NOT directly quoting the material, or making reference to an entire book, article or other work, you only have to make reference to the author and year of publication and not the page number in your in-text reference.

On the other hand, if you are directly quoting or borrowing from another work, you should include the page number at the end of the parenthetical citation. Use the abbreviation “p.” (for one page) or “pp.” (for multiple pages) before listing the page number(s). Use an en dash for page ranges. For example, you might write (Jones, 1998, p. 199) or (Jones, 1998, pp. 199–201). This information is reiterated below.

Regardless of how they are referenced, all sources that are cited in the text must appear in the reference list at the end of the paper.

In-text citation capitalization, quotes, and italics/underlining

Always capitalize proper nouns, including author names and initials: D. Jones.
If you refer to the title of a source within your paper, capitalize all words that are four letters long or greater within the title of a source: Permanence and Change . Exceptions apply to short words that are verbs, nouns, pronouns, adjectives, and adverbs: Writing New Media , There Is Nothing Left to Lose .

( Note: in your References list, only the first word of a title will be capitalized: Writing new media .)

When capitalizing titles, capitalize both words in a hyphenated compound word: Natural-Born Cyborgs .
Capitalize the first word after a dash or colon: "Defining Film Rhetoric: The Case of Hitchcock's Vertigo ."
If the title of the work is italicized in your reference list, italicize it and use title case capitalization in the text: The Closing of the American Mind ; The Wizard of Oz ; Friends .
If the title of the work is not italicized in your reference list, use double quotation marks and title case capitalization (even though the reference list uses sentence case): "Multimedia Narration: Constructing Possible Worlds;" "The One Where Chandler Can't Cry."

Short quotations

If you are directly quoting from a work, you will need to include the author, year of publication, and page number for the reference (preceded by "p." for a single page and “pp.” for a span of multiple pages, with the page numbers separated by an en dash).

You can introduce the quotation with a signal phrase that includes the author's last name followed by the date of publication in parentheses.

If you do not include the author’s name in the text of the sentence, place the author's last name, the year of publication, and the page number in parentheses after the quotation.

Long quotations

Place direct quotations that are 40 words or longer in a free-standing block of typewritten lines and omit quotation marks. Start the quotation on a new line, indented 1/2 inch from the left margin, i.e., in the same place you would begin a new paragraph. Type the entire quotation on the new margin, and indent the first line of any subsequent paragraph within the quotation 1/2 inch from the new margin. Maintain double-spacing throughout, but do not add an extra blank line before or after it. The parenthetical citation should come after the closing punctuation mark.

Because block quotation formatting is difficult for us to replicate in the OWL's content management system, we have simply provided a screenshot of a generic example below.

This image shows how to format a long quotation in an APA seventh edition paper.

Formatting example for block quotations in APA 7 style.

Quotations from sources without pages

Direct quotations from sources that do not contain pages should not reference a page number. Instead, you may reference another logical identifying element: a paragraph, a chapter number, a section number, a table number, or something else. Older works (like religious texts) can also incorporate special location identifiers like verse numbers. In short: pick a substitute for page numbers that makes sense for your source.

Summary or paraphrase

If you are paraphrasing an idea from another work, you only have to make reference to the author and year of publication in your in-text reference and may omit the page numbers. APA guidelines, however, do encourage including a page range for a summary or paraphrase when it will help the reader find the information in a longer work.

Understanding How, When and Why to Reference

Learn how to acknowledge your sources of information

It is important that you acknowledge your sources of information in your academic writing. This allows you to clearly show how the ideas of others have influenced your own work. You should provide a citation (and matching reference) in your essay every time you use words, ideas or information from other sources. If you would like to learn how, when and why to reference by watching a video, you can do so on Capstone Editing's YouTube channel .

Why reference?

Not referencing correctly can be perceived as plagiarism. It is expected and required at the university level that all your assignments will contain references. Otherwise, you are saying that the essay is made up entirely of your own original ideas, and that you have not engaged critically in any way with the literature. A passing grade requires that you use a minimum number of references (check your assignment marking criteria or ask your lecturer), and a good grade requires many more references than this. The purpose of referencing is to demonstrate the depth and breadth of your research, to show that you have read and engaged with the ideas of experts in your field. It also allows you to give credit to the writers from whom you have borrowed words or ideas. For your reader, referencing allows them to trace the sources of information you have used and to verify the validity of your work. For this reason, your referencing must be accurate and provide all necessary details to allow your reader to locate the source. It is therefore a good idea to keep careful records of all the sources you accessed when researching your assignment. This way, you do not have to hunt for these details after you have finished writing.

How to incorporate the ideas of others into your essay

It can be difficult for new academic writers to know how to incorporate others’ work into their own writing. By learning how to use quotations effectively, and how to summarise and paraphrase the words and ideas of others, you can better avoid unintentional plagiarism.

A quotation is a word-for-word reproduction of someone else’s words, either spoken or written. When quoting from another source, you must:

Exception: For long quotations (e.g. over 40 words in APA or over 30 words in Harvard), indent the quotation instead of using quotation marks. The quotation should be introduced by a colon and followed by a citation.
Use quotation marks even if only borrowing a single phrase or word from another source.
Exception: If the source does not have numbered pages (e.g. a website, an interview), no page number is needed. However, if there is some other way of pointing to the specific location from which the quotation was taken (e.g. paragraph number, clause number, line in transcript), include that in the citation.

Quotations should be logically integrated into your text. One way to do this is to lead into the quotation or paraphrase by using the author’s name (e.g. ‘According to Lines,’) followed by the quotation from Lines or a summary of Lines’s ideas.

Quotations must fit grammatically into your text. It is allowable to modify quotations slightly to ensure a good fit. However, it is essential that these changes are clearly marked using square brackets ([ ]). It is also possible to omit words from a quotation, shown using an ellipsis (…). Note that if you omit words, you must be sure that the original meaning of the quotation is retained. You should never omit words to change the meaning of a quotation.

The below examples show ways to integrate the original quotation ‘Most of the time, they don’t, and I mean really don’t, behave well’, showing changes to 1) the verb and 2) a pronoun. Notice the use of the square brackets to show your modifications to the quotation, and the ellipsis to show omitted words.

The teacher reported that the children were not ‘behav[ing] well’.
According to the teacher, ‘Most of the time, [the children] don’t … behave well’.

Finally, you should avoid using quotations that have not been adequately introduced. If a quotation is inserted without appropriate integration into your text, this can negatively affect the logical and grammatical flow of your work, and lower the quality of your writing. Not introducing quotations or incorporating them into your own sentences usually also means you are relying too heavily on the words of others, and your grades can suffer as a result.

Summarising and paraphrasing

Another option for integrating others’ ideas into your own assignments is by summarising and paraphrasing. Summarising means giving an overview of the main ideas in condensed form. Paraphrasing means putting an idea (usually in detail) into your own words.

To summarise or paraphrase well, you need to read carefully and understand the ideas in the source. Then, you can think about what those ideas mean in the context of your assignment and write them in your own words, integrating them well into your own writing. If you take sentences completely from the original source and just change a few words, this is not paraphrasing, and may be considered plagiarism.

For some students, the temptation to use a source’s original wording is high. To avoid this, after reading and understanding the author’s ideas, write just the keywords on a separate piece of paper. See if you can change some of the keywords to other words, while keeping the original meaning. Then, think about whether you can reorganise the order of the keywords, to write sentences that keep the original meaning, but that are quite different to the original. Using your keywords, and without referring to the original source, write your new sentences. It takes a while at first, but the process becomes automatic with practice.

The importance of writing in your own words

Putting others’ work into your own words will not only ensure the material is effectively integrated into your writing, it also demonstrates to your reader (e.g. your lecturer) that you have understood, absorbed and interpreted the information. This is a key purpose of essay writing at university and will help you to get a better grade. In addition, the better you get at putting complex ideas into your own words, the more developed your writing style will become.

Acknowledge every source

Remember that the need to reference is not limited to academic sources like books and journal articles. You need to reference ALL words, ideas or information taken from ANY source.

These sources might include:

books and journal articles
newspapers and magazines
pamphlets or brochures
films, documentaries, television programs or advertisements
computer programs
diagrams, illustrations, charts or pictures
letters or emails
personal interviews
lecturers or tutors. (This is not always necessary, but check with your lecturer or tutor about his or her preferences before you draw on his or her ideas.)

Note that if the source you are citing is retrievable (i.e. can be located by another person using the information you provide in the reference list), you must provide a reference for the source. However, if the source is only available to you (e.g. a personal interview or email, or a private Facebook post), you should cite all necessary details in the text, but should not provide a reference in the reference list. ONLY irretrievable sources are not included in the reference list, and even these are still cited in the text.

The only times you would not reference are:

when referring to your own observations (e.g. a report on a field trip) or experiment results
when writing about your own experiences (e.g. a reflective journal)
when writing your own thoughts, comments or conclusions in an assignment
when evaluating or offering your own analysis (e.g. parts of a critical review)
when using ‘common knowledge’ (facts that can be found in numerous places and are likely to be known by a lot of people) or folklore
when using generally accepted facts or information (this will vary in different disciplines of study. If in doubt, ask your tutor).

If you are concerned that you may not have referenced correctly, you should ask your tutor, lecturer or Academic Learning Advisor for their advice before submitting your assignment. Capstone Editing can also edit your work to correct your referencing and provide advice about how to reference correctly in the future.

Other guides you may be interested in

Essay writing: everything you need to know and nothing you don’t—part 1: how to begin.

This guide will explain everything you need to know about how to organise, research and write an argumentative essay.

Essay Writing Part 2: How to Organise Your Research

Organising your research effectively is a crucial and often overlooked step to successful essay writing.

Located in northeastern New South Wales 200 kilometres south of Brisbane, Lismore offers students a good studyâ€“play balance, in a gorgeous sub-tropical climate.

Rockhampton

The administrative hub for Central Queensland, Rockhampton is a popular tourist attraction due to its many national parks and proximity to Great Keppel Island.

Harvard referencing quick guide: Sample assignment

Introduction
General guidelines
Citing and referencing material

Sample assignment

Referencing software

Citing and reference list example

The text to the right shows how citations and the reference list are typically written in the Harvard referencing style.

Note: the text itself is not designed to be a proper example of academic writing and does not use information from the sources cited; it is for illustrative purposes only.

The purpose of this assignment is to show common elements of the Harvard style of referencing in Dundalk Institute of Technology. It is not intended to be an example of good quality academic writing, and indeed may not make sense in general, but it should show you how citations and a reference list are formed in the Harvard style of referencing (Cameron 2021). If you include a “direct quotation from a book you have read” (Giddens and Sutton 2021, p.117) you should include the relevant page number.

You don’t always have to write the author and year in brackets. Cameron (2021) explains that if the author’s name occurs naturally in the text then the year follows it in brackets. If there are two authors you should include both of them in the citation (Levine and Munsch 2021). If there are three or more authors you don’t have to list all of the names in the citation but you should include them all in the reference list (Robbins et al. 2020). The reference list should appear at the end of your assignment and be in alphabetical order based on the first author’s surname (Bruen 2022) rather than the order in which they appear in your assignment ( Papagiannis 2022). If you are using a citation for a second time you do not need to include it twice in the reference list (Cameron 2021).

Referencing an academic journal that you find online requires more information in the reference list but uses the same format for citing as other sources (Tesseur 2022). If referencing a source from a library database you say from which database you found it (Mayombe 2021).

Don’t forget that websites need to be cited too (Dundalk Institute of Technology 2022). We recommend you look at the full version of DkIT’s Harvard referencing guidelines, and contact the Library if you have any questions. Good luck.

Reference list

Bruen, M. (2020). River flows. In: Kelly-Quinn, M. and Reynolds, J., eds. Ireland’s rivers . Dublin: University College Dublin Press, pp.39-59.

Cameron, S. (2021). The business student's handbook: skills for study and employment . 7th ed. Harlow: Pearson.

Dundalk Institute of Technology. (2022). Research support [online]. Available from: https://www.dkit.ie/research/research-support.html [accessed 25 March 2022].

Giddens, A. and Sutton, P.W. (2021). Sociology . 9th ed. Cambridge: Polity Press.

Levine, L.E. and Munsch, J. (2021). Child development: an active learning approach [online]. 4th ed. London: SAGE Publications. Available from: https://books.google.ie/books?id=zlrZzQEACAAJ&dq [accessed 25 March 2022].

Mayombe, C. (2021). Partnership with stakeholders as innovative model of work-integrated learning for unemployed youths. Higher Education, Skills and Work-Based Learning [online], 12(2), pp.309-327. Available from: Emerald Insight [accessed 25 March 2022].

Papagiannis, N. (2020). Effective SEO and content marketing: the ultimate guide for maximizing free web traffic [online]. Indianapolis: Wiley. Available from: EBSCOhost eBook Collection [accessed 25 March 2022].

Robbins, S.P., Coulter, M.A. and De Cenzo, D.A. (2020). Fundamentals of management . 11th ed. Harlow: Pearson.

Tesseur, W. (2022). Translation as inclusion? An analysis of international NGOs’ translation policy documents. Language Problems and Language Planning [online], 45(3), pp. 261-283. Available from: https://doras.dcu.ie/26151 [accessed 25 March 2022].

<< Previous: Citing and referencing material
Next: Need help? >>
Last Updated: Apr 30, 2024 10:22 AM
URL: https://dkit.ie.libguides.com/harvard

Study and research support
Referencing

Referencing explained

Why and when to reference.

Referencing is an important part of academic work. It puts your work in context, demonstrates the breadth and depth of your research, and acknowledges other people’s work. You should reference whenever you use someone else’s idea.

View video using Microsoft Stream (link opens in a new window, available for University members only)

These webpages explain what referencing is, why it is important and give an overview of the main elements of how to reference. Our Referencing made simple tutorial opens in a new window and covers how to identify your source and create a reference with interactive examples.

Why reference?

Referencing correctly:

helps you to avoid plagiarism by making it clear which ideas are your own and which are someone else’s
shows your understanding of the topic
gives supporting evidence for your ideas, arguments and opinions
allows others to identify the sources you have used.

When to reference

Whenever you use an idea from someone else's work, for example from a journal article, textbook or website, you should cite the original author to make it clear where that idea came from. This is the case regardless of whether you have paraphrased, summarised or directly quoted their work. This is a key part of good practice in academic writing.

University and school policies

The University referencing policy (PDF) sets out the referencing requirements that all taught students and tutors are expected to follow.

Each school in the University requires students to use a specific style of referencing. Check the referencing style used in your school before you begin.

All your citations and references should match the style you are using exactly, including any punctuation, capitalisation, italics and bold, and you should use the same referencing style throughout your assignment.

Reference Essay

In our research, technical, or science papers, it is common that we have a lot of sources from different books and publications. We need them in order to gather some facts, ideas, images, and many other important information. You may also see essay writing examples .

Using words or ideas from other authors without acknowledging them and citing them is a form of plagiarism, the act of stealing someone’s ideas and using it as its own. This is something that every writer must avoid not only to have a good credibility but also to come up with fresh and novel ideas and notions. You may also like short essay examples & samples .

Citing the authors or the publications in your essay is one thing that you must not forget to do. There are a lot of citation styles that you can use depending on the subject area that you are working on and on the paper that you are writing, and this will be fully discussed in the succeeding sections. You may also check out what are the parts of an essay ?

For now, below are some examples of reference essays that you might find useful for your write-up. Additionally, there are other examples of essays that might interest you.

What is Reference Essay? A Reference Essay is an academic writing piece that extensively cites sources and research to support arguments, analysis, or interpretations on a specific topic. It aims to engage with existing literature, theories, or findings within a field, offering a comprehensive overview of the subject matter based on scholarly evidence.

Reference Essay Format

Title of the Essay: Clear and concise, reflecting the essay’s content. Author’s Name Institutional Affiliation Course Instructor’s Name Date

Introduction

Hook: An engaging opening sentence or question to capture the reader’s interest. Background Information: Brief context or background to the topic being discussed. Thesis Statement: A clear, concise statement of the essay’s main argument or purpose. Overview of the Essay Structure: Briefly outline what the reader can expect in the essay.

Body Paragraphs

Each body paragraph should focus on a single main idea that supports the thesis, structured as follows:

Topic Sentence: Introduces the main idea of the paragraph. Explanation/Analysis: Detailed explanation or analysis of the topic, supported by evidence from scholarly sources. Evidence: Direct quotes, paraphrases, or summaries of relevant research, properly cited. Link to the Thesis: Explain how this evidence supports your thesis. Transition: Smooth transition to the next paragraph or idea.

Summary of Main Points: Concisely restate the main arguments or findings presented in the body paragraphs. Restatement of Thesis: Restate the thesis in light of the evidence discussed. Implications: Discuss the implications of your findings or analysis. Suggestions for Further Research: Identify potential areas for future research.

Example of Reference Essay

The Impact of Social Media on Modern Communication In the digital age, social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram have revolutionized the way we communicate, both personally and professionally. This essay examines the profound impact social media has had on the dynamics of communication, arguing that while social media facilitates global connectivity, it also presents challenges such as the erosion of privacy and face-to-face interactions. Social media has removed geographical barriers, enabling real-time communication across the globe (Smith, 2020). Platforms like LinkedIn have also transformed professional networking, making it easier to connect with industry peers and potential employers (Johnson, 2019). Despite its advantages, social media has been criticized for diminishing the quality of face-to-face interactions (Doe, 2018). The convenience of digital communication often replaces more meaningful, personal exchanges (Brown, 2017). The proliferation of social media has raised significant privacy concerns, with personal information often being shared or sold without consent (Kumar, 2021). Furthermore, the rapid spread of misinformation on social media platforms has become a global issue, affecting public opinion and even election outcomes (White, 2020). Social media has undeniably transformed communication, making it more accessible and efficient but not without drawbacks. As we navigate this digital era, it is crucial to balance the benefits of social media with mindfulness of its potential to disrupt traditional communication and privacy norms. References Brown, A. (2017). The impact of social media on face-to-face interactions. Journal of Social Psychology , 58(2), 201-208. Doe, J. (2018). Social media’s effect on daily communication. Media Studies Journal , 45(4), 34-47. Johnson, L. (2019). Networking in the digital age: Opportunities and challenges. Professional Communication Quarterly , 63(1), 55-67. Kumar, R. (2021). Privacy in the age of social media: A critical review. Technology and Society , 39(3), 300-310. Smith, H. (2020). Global connectivity and social media: A new communicative era. Global Communication Review , 12(2), 89-105. White, G. (2020). Misinformation and social media: The effects on democracy. Political Science Today , 7(1), 112-119.

APA 6th Edition Reference Essay Example

digitalcommons.liberty.edu

APA Documentation Style Reference Essay Example

hunter.cuny.edu

APA Reference Style Essay Example

info.csp.edu

Brief Reference Essay Example

new.learnhigher.ac.uk

Chicago Style Reference Essay Example

Corrected Reference Essay Paper Example

supp.apa.org

Harvard Writing Style Reference Essay Example

MLA Citation Reference Essay Example

MLA-Formatted Reference Essay Example

depts.washington.edu

Original Reference Essay Example

lib.uts.edu.au

Basics about Citation

A citation is a way to show within the body of your text a published work such as a book, an article, a chapter of a book, or website, informing the readers that they are your source or sources from which you took your words, ideas, figures, images, and many other important information. The details of these citations can be found in bibliographies and reference lists and are also collected in article and book databases. You may also see essay writing examples & samples .

A citation consists of standard elements, the information necessary to identify and track down a certain publication. The elements in a citation are as follows:

author name/s
titles of books, articles, or journals
date of publication
page numbers
volume and issue numbers (for articles)

There are a lot of different presentation on this elements depending on the reference style that the author is using, and this will be discussed in the later part of this article. You may also like concept essay examples .

Importance of Citations

Citations are important in many ways because they are used:

1. To let your readers know that you’ve done proper research in order to get the information that you present in your paper

2. To be a responsible scholar by acknowledging and giving credit to other authors

3. To let your readers be informed for them to be able to track down the sources you used by citing them accurately in your paper through footnotes, a bibliography, or reference list. You may also check out sample essay outlines .

Two Key Elements of Referencing

There are two elements of referencing that you must know and apply in your papers. They are as follows:

1. An in-text marker

This indicates to the reader that certain ideas, concepts, phrases, or words are attributable to other authors.

2. A complete reference list

This provides the full citation details for all sources referred to in the document such as those basic elements of a citation mentioned in the previous section. You might be interested in tips for writing an effective essay .

Referencing Systems

There are two systems that are commonly used for referencing, and they are the following:

1. Note systems

This involves the use of sequential numbers as in-text markers such as footnotes, the notes included at the end of each page, and endnotes, the notes that can be found at the end of a paper. This is typically used in Chicago 16th Edition and Vancouver Reference Styles. You may also see descriptive essay examples .

2. Parenthetical systems

This is also known as the author-date referencing and involves the use of a partial reference, only the author and the date, contained within a parenthesis with the complete details on the last page of the whole document. This is commonly used in APA, Harvard, and MLA reference styles. You may also like persuasive essay examples & samples .

Reference Style Guide

There are different referencing or citation styles that an author can use in his or her write-up depending on the requirement or author’s preference. The common reference styles are APA, MLA, Oxford, Harvard, and Chicago Reference Styles. Here is a brief discussion with regard to the different reference styles that you can use in your paper. You may also check out self-introduction essay examples & samples .

1. APA Reference Style

In-text citation basic format.

The in-text citation must contain basic information of the source which are as follows:

the author/s
the year of publication
the page number (if applicable)

For example:

When testing the usability of a website, it is necessary to gather demographic information about the users (Lazar, 2006).

This is needed when the information or idea you are using is from another source. Similarly, when you paraphrased, summarized, or quoted another author, you must also provide a citation in the text, hence, and in-text citation. You might be interested in descriptive essay examples & samples .

There are some cases when there are two different sources but the same author and year of publication are the same. To distinguish them, a lower-case letter must be attached to the year.

The quotations must be enclosed in quotation marks with the reference citation following the quotations.

When gathering data it is important to remember that “only relevant types of demographic information should be requested” (Lazar, 2006, p. 52).

Quotations must be identical to the original source, but some small changes are acceptable. You may also see informative essay examples & samples .

Reference List Format

Usually, the reference list is presented at the end of the paper. Each reference must have the following parts:

the name of the author
other publication information

Bowker, N., & Tuffin, K. (2002). Users with disabilities’ social and economic development through online access. In M. Boumedine (Ed.), Proceedings of the IASTED International Conference on Information and Knowledge Sharing (pp. 122–127). Anaheim, CA: ACTA Press. You may also like samples of formal essays .

2. MLA Reference Style

the page number

Billy has the ability to relate to others with his voice (Vonnegut 36).

Similarly, this is needed when the information or idea you are using is from another source. Similarly, when you paraphrased, summarized, or quoted another author, you must also provide a citation in the text, hence, an in-text citation. You may also check out high school essay examples & samples .

Quotations must be identical to the original source, but some small changes are acceptable.

the title of the work
other publication information including the publishing medium

New Zealand Writers Guild. “Writing for television: A beginners guide.” New Zealand Writers Guild. 2005. Web. 28 June 2011. You might be interested in personal essay examples & samples .

3. Oxford Reference Style

The in-text citation must contain only a footnote.

In-text example:

Every living creature in the sea contains iron.

Footnote example:

Stella Cottrell, The Study Skills Handbook (Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 2013). You may also see photo essay examples & samples .

Cottrell, Stella, The Study Skills Handbook (Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 2013)

4. Harvard Reference Style

When testing the usability of a website, it is necessary to gather demographic information about the users (Lazar 2006).

This is similar to APA Reference Style but without comma between the name of the author and the date. You may also see evaluation essay examples .

Quotations must be identical to the original source, but some small changes are acceptable. You may also like analytical essay examples & samples .

Book – the order of the elements are author, year, book title, publisher, and place of publication (for example, “Wallace, A, Schirato, T, & Bright, P 1999, Beginning university: Thinking, researching and writing for success, Allen & Unwin, St Leonards, NSW.”) You may also see academic essay examples .
Chapter in a book – the order of elements are author, year, chapter title, editors, book title, publisher, and place of publication (for example, “Amin, A 2000, ‘The economic base of contemporary cities’, in G Bridge & S Watson (eds), A companion to the city, Blackwell, Oxford.”)
Journal article – the order of elements are author, year, article title, journal title, volume and/or issue number, and page range (for example, “Castles, FG, Curtin, JC, & Vowles, J 2006, ‘Public policy in Australia and New Zealand: The new global context’, Australian Journal of Political Science, Vol. 41, no. 2, pp. 131–143.”) You may also like scholarship essay examples .
Web page – the order of elements are author, year, document title, site controller/sponsor, location of controller/sponsor, date of viewing, and URL address (for example, “Benson, A 2006, Potamopyrgus antipodarum, United States Geological Survey, USA, viewed 5 August 2006, <“

5. Chicago Reference Style

Closely similar to Oxford Reference Style, in this style, the authors are identified by a number in the text, and the details are indexed in the form of a footnote or an endnote.

When a source is first used, the complete information must be presented such as the author, title, publisher, year, and page number. If it is cited again, a shortened version can be used. You may also check out argumentative essay examples .

Cottrell¹ emphasises the use of outside source materials in academic writing. When writing an assignment, this will form the crucial second step.²

The footnote or endnote will appear as follows:

1. Stella Cottrell, The Study Skills Handbook , 3rd ed. (New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2008), 181. 2. Cottrell, The Study Skills Handbook , 176.

Book – the order of elements are author, book title, city of publication, publisher name, year, page number (for example, “Mason Durie, Ng? k?hui pou: Launching M?ori Futures (Wellington: Huia Publishers, 2003), 22.”)
Chapter in a book – the order of elements are author, chapter title, book title, editors, page range, city of publication, publisher name, year, page number (for example, “Ash Amin, “The Economic Base of Contemporary Cities,” in A Companion to the City, ed. Gary Bridge and Sophie Watson, 115–129 (Oxford: Blackwell, 2000), 120.”) You might be interested in literary essay examples & samples .
Journal article – the order of elements are author, article title, journal title, volume number, issue number, year, page range (for example, “Francis G. Castles, Jennifer Curtin, and Jack Vowles, “Public Policy in Australia and New Zealand: The New Global Context,” Australian Journal of Political Science 41, no. 2 (2006): 135.”) You may also see synthesis essay examples & samples .
Web page – the order of elements are author, page title, site owner, and URL address (for example, “A. Benson, “Potamopyrgus antipodarum,” United States Geological Survey, “

These are the common reference styles that you can use in your paper, and hopefully the discussion and examples presented above enlightened you and helped you a lot.

How to Write Reference Essay

Writing a reference essay involves a detailed process of research, analysis, and synthesis of information from various sources to support your arguments or insights on a specific topic. Here’s a structured approach to crafting a comprehensive reference essay:

1. Choose Your Topic

Select a topic that interests you and is relevant to your study or assignment. Ensure it’s broad enough to research but narrow enough to manage within your essay’s scope.

2. Conduct Preliminary Research

Begin with general sources to gain a broad understanding of your topic. Use academic databases, books, and reputable online sources to gather background information and identify key themes, debates, and researchers in the field.

3. Develop a Thesis Statement

Formulate a clear thesis statement that presents your main argument or perspective on the topic. This statement will guide the direction of your essay and help focus your research.

4. Conduct Detailed Research

Dive deeper into your topic by seeking out specific studies, articles, and scholarly discussions related to your thesis. Look for sources that both support and contradict your perspective to ensure a balanced argument.

5. Create an Outline

Organize your main points and supporting evidence into an outline. This will serve as a roadmap for your essay, helping to ensure a logical flow of ideas.

6. Write the Introduction

Introduce your topic, providing necessary background information to contextualize your essay. Clearly state your thesis statement and briefly outline the main points you will cover.

7. Write the Body Paragraphs

Each body paragraph should focus on a single main idea that supports your thesis. Begin with a topic sentence, followed by evidence from your research, analysis of this evidence, and a concluding sentence that ties the evidence back to your main argument. Properly cite all sources using the required citation style.

8. Write the Conclusion

Summarize the main points of your essay and restate your thesis in light of the evidence you’ve presented. Discuss the implications of your findings and suggest areas for further research.

9. Include References

Provide a comprehensive list of all the sources cited in your essay. Follow the specific formatting guidelines (APA, MLA, Chicago, etc.) for listing references.

How do you reference a source in an essay?

To reference a source in an essay, include an in-text citation within the body that corresponds to a full citation in your bibliography or reference list at the essay’s end.

How do I cite a reference?

To cite a reference, use the prescribed citation style (APA, MLA, Chicago, etc.), providing author name(s), publication year, title, and source details (e.g., volume, issue, pages for journals).

Reference Essay Generator

Text prompt

Instructive
Professional

Write a Reference Essay on the influence of Greek mythology on modern literature.

Discuss the role of references in establishing credibility in academic writing in your Reference Essay.

How to Write a Reference List (or Bibliography) For an Essay

An essay without a reference list is like a house without foundations – weak and unsupported!

After all, the reference list is ‘proof’ that the books and journals you referred to in your essay do exist. In turn, this makes your essay seem more credible.

But a reference list will only enhance your essay if it is accurate . That said, let’s explore how to write a clear and accurate reference list for an essay.

How to label your list of references

Firstly, make sure you know what to call the list of references at the end of your essay. The most common name for this list is a ‘reference list’. But some referencing styles call it a ‘bibliography’ or even a ‘works cited’ list. Also, it’s possible to have a ‘reference list’ and a ‘bibliography’ in the same essay.

What’s the difference between a reference list and a bibliography?

Generally speaking, a ‘reference list’ includes a list of all the sources that were cited in the essay – nothing more and nothing less. A bibliography, on the other hand, includes works that were consulted but not specifically cited in the essay. This is the traditional meaning of the term bibliography, at least.

But, in OSCOLA style, the ‘bibliography’ functions more like a ‘reference list’.

Confused? Don’t worry! This table will show you how to label the list of references according to your chosen referencing style.

Referencing styleHow to label the refs at the end of the essayDescriptionAPA

General rules to follow

Once you know how to label your list of references, you can start putting the list together. Here are some general rules that apply to all referencing styles:

Start your list of references on a new page – it looks a lot neater!
Get the placement right – references usually come at the end of the essay but before the appendix (if applicable).
Alphabetical order – the references should be arranged in alphabetical order (by surname).
Remove hyperlinks – that way, your reference list will look neat and tidy when it’s viewed on-screen.
Don’t change Americanisms – References should be written in their original form. So, if you’re citing the ‘Journal of Behavior Studies’ , don’t be tempted to change this to the ‘Journal of Behaviour Studies’ .
Word count – Remember that the reference list does not contribute to the total word count, so remember to deduct these words when you calculate the final word count.

When looking for sources, you might have noticed that some publications offer ‘suggested citations’. It can be helpful to copy and paste these suggested citations, but you will probably need to make some changes to ensure the citation is compliant with your referencing style. That said, let’s take a look at each referencing style in a bit more depth.

How to write a reference list in APA style

Key points to remember:

As a minimum, the reference should contain the author’s name , the date of the publication, the title , and the source (I.e. where it came from).
Additional information is also required for journals, such as the page number(s), the volume number and the issue number (see example).
The doi should be provided at the end of the reference (if applicable).
All lines except the first line should be indented – this is called a hanging indent. (Word: Paragraph>Special>Hanging).
Remember to put a full stop at the end of each reference.

For further guidance, check out APA Seventh Edition ! This resource is great as it provides plenty of examples.

How to write a bibliography in OSCOLA

At the end of your essay, you should report a ‘Table of Cases’ a ‘Table of Legislation’, and finally, a ‘Bibliography’. In OSCOLA, the bibliography should include all secondary sources that were cited in the essay.

The secondary sources are listed in a very similar way to the footnotes except that the author’s name is inverted (surname, first initial).

If there are any unattributed works, these should begin with ——.

You’ll notice that OSCOLA is a pretty minimalist referencing style. This means it’s quite easy to get the hang of. You can find full and detailed guidance in this OSCOLA referencing handbook .

How to write a reference list in Harvard style

There is no official manual for Harvard style like there is for APA and Chicago. Rather, universities adopt their own versions of Harvard style. So, if your faculty uses Harvard style, get a hold of your university’s referencing guide to check the requirements.

Generally speaking, though, a Harvard-style reference list is similar to an APA-style reference list, in that you must provide the author’s name, date of publication, title, and source. Similarly, book titles and journal titles should be italicised.
Unlike APA, there is no need to add a hanging indent.
Finally, when citing books, you should provide both the publisher’s name and location (Publisher Location: Publisher Name).

This Harvard referencing guide from The University of East Anglia is comprehensive yet easy to understand – definitely one of the best guides out there!

ASA reference list guidance

ASA is fairly similar to APA but notice the differences in punctuation (see examples).
The reference list must be double-spaced.
You should include the author’s first name and surname (unless the first name was not included in the original publication).
Also, the first author’s name should be inverted (surname, first name) but any subsequent names should not be inverted (first name, surname).

Note how a colon is used to introduce the page numbers. This is one of the key differences between APA and ASA style. For more information, check out the ASA quick style guide .

MLA ‘works cited’ guidance

As mentioned, the works cited list is equivalent to a reference list, so it must list all the publications that were cited in the essay.

The references should be formatted with a hanging indent (like APA).
Uniquely, the date comes towards the end of the reference.
First and last names are required (inverted)
The publisher’s name is required but the location is not.

Want to know more? This MLA resource is highly recommended!

How to write a reference list in Chicago style (in-text references)

Like APA and MLA, the references should be indented (hanging)
The author’s first name and surname should be provided
For books, the publisher’s location and name are required.
Notice that commas are rarely used (except to separate the volume and issue number of a journal).
A doi should be provided after an electronic resource. If there is no doi, a URL is acceptable.

The Chicago Manual of Style is updated regularly so always use the latest guidance. Finally, if you are using the Chicago footnote style of referencing, check out the bibliography guidance here .

Is the reference list really that important?

In a word, yes!

Imagine, for a moment, that you’ve just finished reading an essay…

Overall, it made some interesting points, but there were no references to back up the claims that were made. Would you think this was a good essay? Would you trust what the author had written? Or would you think it was lacking?

Once you see things from the reader’s perspective, the importance of the reference list suddenly becomes clear.

In essence, this special list boosts the credibility of your essay. So, don’t make it an after-thought.

Need help with your referencing list or bibliography? Our essay writing service can help!

Example essay extract with citations and references list: Home

Example essay extract with citations and references list.

Below is an example essay, complete with citations and references.

Please remember this is a fictional essay purely designed to demonstrate how and when to reference.

Embedding experiences and voices in research can “challenge [the] studied ignorance” around race (Arday and Mirza, 2018, p.v) and the academy’s role as gatekeeper of what is considered “relevant knowledge” (Lillis, 2003). Academic conventions around skills such as writing can be excluding, forming “constructions of difference […] that deepen misrecognitions and inequalities” (Burke, 2018, p.366). Lillis (2003) and Arday et al. (2021) both use narrative to listen to the ways in which black students’ experiences are ignored and the marginalising effect of a refusal to validate multiple ways of knowing.

References:

Arday, J., Belluigi, D. Z. and Thomas, D. (2021) Attempting to break the chain: reimaging inclusive pedagogy and decolonising the curriculum within the academy. Educational Philosophy and Theory . 53 (3), pp.298-313.

Arday, J. and Mirza, H. S. (eds.) (2018) Dismantling race in higher education: racism, whiteness and decolonising the academy . London: Palgrave Macmillan.

Burke, P. J. (2018) Trans/forming pedagogical spaces: race, belonging and recognition in higher education. In: Arday, J. and Mirza, H. S. (eds.) Dismantling race in higher education: racism, whiteness and decolonising the academy . London: Palgrave Macmillan, pp.365-382.

Lillis, T. (2003) Student writing as ‘academic literacies’: drawing on Bakhtin to move from critique to design. Language and Education. 17 (5), pp.192-207.

Last Updated: Sep 22, 2023 12:51 PM
URL: https://libguides.northampton.ac.uk/harvard/exampleessay

University of St Andrews

Referencing styles.

Author Rules
Referencing a Book
Referencing a Chapter in an Edited Book
Referencing a Journal Article
Referencing a Webpage
APA - for module ID4001
Sample Reference list - APA style
Referencing translated works
Referencing a Lecture / Presentation
Sample Bibliography - Chicago Notes and Bibliography Style
Referencing a chapter in an edited book
Translated works
Referencing a journal article
Referencing a webpage
Sample Reference List - Chicago (Author Date) style
Sample Reference List - Harvard
Harvard Endnote style
Referencing a book
JRAI Style on Endnote
Sample Reference List in JRAI Style
Sample Reference List in MHRA Author Date Style
Sample Works Cited list in MLA style
Sample Reference list for RSC Style
Referencing an image
Sample Reference List in Vancouver Style
Vancouver endnote style
Referencing something mentioned in another source (Secondary Referencing)

Secondary Referencing

What is Secondary Referencing
APA Example
Chicago Example
Harvard Example
MHRA Example
MLA Example
Royal Society of Chemistry Example
Vancouver Example

In your reading you may come across the ideas of someone referred to or quoted within the source you are using, and if you want to cite this, its knows as a secondary reference. You aren't citing the person directly, you are citing someone else's reporting of what they have said.

You need to make it clear if you want to cite this information, that you read it somewhere else, giving credit to the person's ideas, and the source you found the information in.

Remember that your reference list or bibliography should only contain details of sources you have read .

Emma Gordon quotes the Philosopher of Science, Alexander Rosenberg, in her chapter of a book, edited by Mark Harris and Duncan Pritchard. I want to include the quotation which Emma Gordon has cited in her chapter, within my essay.

Author- Emma Gordon
Chapter: Is fundamentalism just a problem for religious people
Book: Philosphy, Science and Religion for Everyone. Edited bt Mark Harris and Duncan Pritchard

Emma Gordon's quoted Source

Author: Alexander Rosenberg
Book: The Atheist's Guide to Reality

If you can, it's best to track down the quoted source if you want to cite it. This way you can avoid secondary referencing. You can also verify that the information is correct, that the person quoted or referred to did say what has been claimed. If you can't find or get access to the original source then follow the advice in the tabs above for your referencing style.

Emma Gordon's chapter quotes Alexander Rosenberg, who says "being scientific just means treating science as our exclusive guide to reality". To cite Rosenberg without finding the original source:

In text citation:

Rosenberg states that "being scientific just means treating science as our exclusive guide to reality" (as cited in Gordon, 2018)

Reference List entry:

Gordon, E. (2018). Is fundamentalism just a problem for religious people. In M.Harris & D. Pritchard (Eds.), Philosophy, Science and Religion for Everyone (pp. 93-104). Routledge

The Chicago Manual of Style advises that secondary referencing should only be used where the original source cannot be found.

Notes & Bibliography Footnote citation:

"being scientific just means treating science as our exclusive reality" 1 .

1. Alexander Rosenberg, "The Atheist's Guide to Reality", quoted in Emma Gordon, "Is fundamentalism just a problem for religious people?". In Philosophy, Science and Religion for Everyone , ed. Mark Harris and Duncan Pritchard (Abingdon: Routledge. 2018), 95.

Bibliography:

Gordon, Emma, "Is fundamentalism just a problems for religious people? " In Philosophy, Science and Religion for Everyone, edited by Mark Harris and Duncan Pritchard, 93-104. Abindgon: Routledge, 2018.

Author-Date in text citation and reference list entry:

In-text citation

"being scientific just means treating science as our exclusive reality" (Rosenberg in Gordon, 2018, 95)

Gordon, Emma. 2018. "Is fundamentalism just a problems for religious people?" In Philosophy, Science and Religion for Everyone, edited by Mark Harris and Duncan Pritchard, 93-104. Abindgon : Routledge.

Rosenberg states that "being scientific just means treating science as our exclusive guide to reality" (2012, quoted in Gordon, 2018, p.95)

Gordon, E. (2018). 'Is fundamentalism just a problem for religious people', in Harris M. and Pritchard D. (eds.), Philosophy, Science and Religion for Everyone . Abingdon: Routledge, pp. 93-104.

The MHRA style guide gives no advice on how to cite secondary sources, you are strongly advised to find the original source. Where you can't you would include the details of the original source within your text

Emma Gordon quotes Alexander Rosenberg, who says "being scientific just means treating science as our exclusive guide to reality". To cite Rosenberg without finding the original source:

Footnote version of MHRA :

Gordon cites Alexander Rosenberg as saying"being scientific just means treating science as our exclusive reality" 1 .

First Footnote citation:

1. Emma Gordon, 'Is fundamentalism just a problem for religious people?', in Philosophy, Science and Religion for Everyone , ed. by Mark Harris and Duncan Pritchard (Abingdon: Routledge. 2018),pp. 93-104 (p. 95).

Subsequent shortened footnote citation:

4. Gordon, p. 97.

Emma Gordon, 'Is fundamentalism just a problems for religious people?', in Philosophy, Science and Religion for Everyone, edited by Mark Harris and Duncan Pritchard, ( Abindgon : Routledge , 2018 ) , pp. 93-104.

Rosenberg is quoted as saying "being scientific just means treating science as our exclusive reality" (Gordon 2018: 95)

Gordon, Emma. 2018. 'Is fundamentalism just a problem for religious people?', in Philosophy, Science and Religion for Everyone, ed. by Mark Harris and Duncan Pritchard (Abingdon: Routledge), pp. 93-104.

The MLA Handbook does not mention secondary referencing, you are strongly advised therefore to find original source to cite. Where you can't find the original source you should make it clear within your text that you are not citing the original source

Alexander Rosenberg is quoted as saying "being scientific just means treating science as our exclusive guide to reality" (E. Gordon 95).

List of works cited:

Gordon, Emma. "Is fundamentalism just a problem for religious people?" Philosophy, Science and Religion for Everyone, edited by Mark Harris and Duncan Pritchard, Routledge, 2018, pp. 93-104.

The Royal Society of Chemistry style does not specify how you should cite someone's work cited in another source, you are strongly advised to try to find the original source to cite. If you can't find the original source you should make it clear within your text that you are not using the original source.

Within your text:

Alexander Rosenberg is quoted as stating that "being scientific just means treating science as our exclusive guide to reality" 1

References:

1. E. Gordon, in Philosophy, Science and Religion for Everyone, ed. M. Harris and D. Pritchard, Routledge, Abingdon, 2018, ch, 9, pp, 93-04.

The Vancouver style does not specify how you should cite someone's work cited in another source, you are strongly advised to try to find the original source to cite. If you can't find the original source you should make it clear within your text that you are not using the original source.

Gordon E. Is fundamentalism just a problem for religious people? in Harris M, Pritchard D editors. Philosophy, science and religion for everyone. Abingdon: Routledge; 2018.

<< Previous: Vancouver endnote style
Last Updated: Apr 22, 2024 5:06 PM
URL: https://libguides.st-andrews.ac.uk/Referencing_styles
Library regulations
Library policies
Library representatives
Public task statement
Library committees (requires login)
LibAnswers Accessibility statement
Library spaces
Subject guides
Services and support
Special Collections
Accessibility

University of St Andrews Library North Street St Andrews KY16 9TR

Service Desk: +44 (0)1334 46 2331

IMAGES

Harvard Referencing Sample Paper
A Quick Guide to Referencing
Avail Deakin Reference Generator: Harvard Referencing
How To Reference An Essay
How to Do a Reference Page for a Research Paper: 11 Steps
Reference Essay

VIDEO

The Pandora Ring Proposal
Ranking Every Version of The Little Mermaid
How to Find Articles from a Reference List
Gloss Over 0.14: Niche aesthetics. The only way we seem to exist
Simple ≠ Bad.
THEORY VIDEOS RUIN EVERYTHING

COMMENTS

How to Reference in an Essay (9 Strategies of Top Students)
9. Do one special edit especially for Referencing Style. The top students edit their essays three to five times spaced out over a week or more before submitting. One of those edits should be specifically for ensuring your reference list adheres to the referencing style that your teacher requires.
4 Ways to Reference Essays
4. Format the page. Double-space your document, and title the references page "References" at the top-center of the page. Put the page number all the way to the right, and a shortened version of the title of your paper all the way to the left in all capital letters.
How to Write an Academic Essay with References and Citations
When learning how to write an academic essay with references, you must identify reliable sources that support your argument. As you read, think critically and evaluate sources for: Accuracy. Objectivity. Currency. Authority. Keep detailed notes on the sources so that you can easily find them again, if needed.
A Quick Guide to Harvard Referencing
When you cite a source with up to three authors, cite all authors' names. For four or more authors, list only the first name, followed by ' et al. ': Number of authors. In-text citation example. 1 author. (Davis, 2019) 2 authors. (Davis and Barrett, 2019) 3 authors.
How to Cite Sources
Container (e.g., the book an essay was published in, the journal an article appeared in) Publisher; Location (e.g., a URL or DOI, or sometimes a physical location) The exact information included varies depending on the source type and the citation style. The order in which the information appears, and how you format it (e.g., capitalization ...
Write it Right
These details are listed in the reference list at the end of your essay. Example - One author cited in the body of your text As Juniper (2016, p. 16) explains, 'more people create a greater demand for food, energy, water and other resources, driving pressures on the natural environment'.
A Quick Guide to Referencing
APA referencing, used in the social and behavioural sciences, uses author-date in-text citations corresponding to an alphabetical reference list at the end. In-text citation. Sources should always be cited properly (Pears & Shields, 2019). Reference list. Pears, R., & Shields, G. (2019). Cite them right: The essential referencing guide (11th ...
How to Reference in an Essay
Put a superscript (small) number after the closing punctuation of the sentence. Then, in the footnote at the bottom of the page, provide: Author's first name and surname, source title, (publisher, date), page number. If you are paraphrasing an author's idea (as opposed to quoting it) the page number is optional.
In-Text Citations: The Basics
APA Citation Basics. When using APA format, follow the author-date method of in-text citation. This means that the author's last name and the year of publication for the source should appear in the text, like, for example, (Jones, 1998). One complete reference for each source should appear in the reference list at the end of the paper.
How to Reference Your Essays & Reports Correctly Every Time
This allows you to clearly show how the ideas of others have influenced your own work. You should provide a citation (and matching reference) in your essay every time you use words, ideas or information from other sources. If you would like to learn how, when and why to reference by watching a video, you can do so on Capstone Editing's YouTube ...
Setting Up the APA Reference Page
On the APA reference page, you list all the sources that you've cited in your paper. The list starts on a new page right after the body text. Follow these instructions to set up your APA reference page: Place the section label "References" in bold at the top of the page (centered). Order the references alphabetically. Double-space all text.
LibGuides: Harvard referencing quick guide: Sample assignment
Sample assignment. The purpose of this assignment is to show common elements of the Harvard style of referencing in Dundalk Institute of Technology. It is not intended to be an example of good quality academic writing, and indeed may not make sense in general, but it should show you how citations and a reference list are formed in the Harvard ...
Example of a Great Essay
Example of a Great Essay | Explanations, Tips & Tricks. Published on February 9, 2015 by Shane Bryson . Revised on July 23, 2023 by Shona McCombes. This example guides you through the structure of an essay. It shows how to build an effective introduction, focused paragraphs, clear transitions between ideas, and a strong conclusion.
Why and when to reference
Referencing correctly: helps you to avoid plagiarism by making it clear which ideas are your own and which are someone else's. shows your understanding of the topic. gives supporting evidence for your ideas, arguments and opinions. allows others to identify the sources you have used.
Reference Essay
How to Write Reference Essay. Writing a reference essay involves a detailed process of research, analysis, and synthesis of information from various sources to support your arguments or insights on a specific topic. Here's a structured approach to crafting a comprehensive reference essay: 1. Choose Your Topic.
Example Essay with Harvard Referencing
An example of how to appropriately cite a Harvard referenced direct quote is as follows; "The concept of human resource management (HRM) basically contains three elements that refer to successful people management. The first element - human - refers to the research object" (Bach & Edwards, 2012, p.19).
How to Write a Reference List (or Bibliography) For an Essay
An essay without a reference list is like a house without foundations - weak and unsupported! After all, the reference list is 'proof' that the books and journals you referred to in your essay do exist. In turn, this makes your essay seem more credible. But a reference list will only enhance your essay if it is accurate. That said, let ...
PDF Strategies for Essay Writing
When you write an essay for a course you are taking, you are being asked not only to create a product (the essay) but, more importantly, to go through a process of thinking more deeply about a question or problem related to the course. By writing about a source or collection of sources, you will have the chance to wrestle with some of the
Example essay extract with citations and references list: Home
Below is an example essay, complete with citations and references. Please remember this is a fictional essay purely designed to demonstrate how and when to reference. Embedding experiences and voices in research can "challenge [the] studied ignorance" around race (Arday and Mirza, 2018, p.v) and the academy's role as gatekeeper of what is ...
Referencing Styles
Emma Gordon quotes the Philosopher of Science, Alexander Rosenberg, in her chapter of a book, edited by Mark Harris and Duncan Pritchard. I want to include the quotation which Emma Gordon has cited in her chapter, within my essay. My Source. Author- Emma Gordon; Chapter: Is fundamentalism just a problem for religious people
How often should you reference?
Conclusion. Your conclusion should account for around 15% of your essay. You may wish to use 1-3 references to lend authority to your concluding statements. Of course, it is really hard to suggest exactly how many references your essay should include. This depends totally on the subject matter and word count.
PDF Essay Example Using Oscola From University Of Porthsmouth
This essay is an assessment of the new retirement unfair dismissal regime, introduced by the Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006 in October 2006,1 to implement the UK's obligations under the age strand of the EU Framework Equal Treatment Directive.2 Already, variations of the contractual retiring age following a transfer of ...
PDF Referenced essay basics worksheet
This referenced essay basics worksheet helps students to understand key referenced essay terms as well as become familiar with the features and basic formatting requirements of referenced essays. Procedure. Give each student a copy of the three-page worksheet. Students begin by matching referenced essay terms to their definitions.

How to Reference in an Essay (9 Strategies of Top Students)

Part 1: What is a Reference and What is a Citation?

What is a Reference?

Part 2: Why Reference in an Essay? (4 Things you Should Know)

1. Referencing shows you Got an Expert’s Opinion

2. Referencing shows you read your Assigned Readings

3. Referencing deepens your Knowledge

4. Referencing backs up your Claims

Part 3: Strategies for How to Reference in an Essay (9 Strategies of Top Students)

1. Print out your Reference Style Cheat Sheet

2. Only cite Experts

3. Always use Google Scholar

4. Cite at least 50% sources you found on your Own Research

5. Cite Newer Sources

6. Reference twice per Paragraph

7. The sum total of your sources should be minimum 1 per 150 words

8. Instantly improve your Reference List with these Three Tips

9. Do one special edit especially for Referencing Style

A Quick Summary of the 9 Top Strategies…

Leave a Comment Cancel Reply

How to Reference Essays

Referencing Essays Templates

Using Chicago Manual of Style

Expert Q&A

You Might Also Like

About This Article

Reader Success Stories

Did this article help you?

Featured Articles

Trending Articles

Watch Articles

How to Write an Academic Essay with References and Citations

How Do You Determine Which Style Guide to Use?

How Do You Pick Your Sources?

How to Use In-Text Citations in MLA

How to Cite a Website in MLA

How Do You Cite a Tweet in MLA ?

How to Cite a Book in MLA

How to Cite a Chapter in a Book in MLA

How to Cite a Paraphrase in MLA

How to Use In-Text Citations in APA

How to Cite a Website in APA

How Do You Cite a Tweet in APA ?

How to Cite a Book in APA

How to Cite a Chapter in a Book in APA

How to Cite a Paraphrase in APA

Take Your Essay from Good to Great

Related Posts

APA Style and APA Formatting

How to Research a Term Paper

MLA Formatting and MLA Style: An Introduction

Write it Right - A guide to Harvard referencing style

The Harvard Referencing Style

Have a language expert improve your writing

A Quick Guide to Referencing | Cite Your Sources Correctly

Instantly correct all language mistakes in your text

Table of contents

Prevent plagiarism, run a free check.

Quoting and paraphrasing

In-text citations

Placement of in-text citations

Format of the reference list

Is this article helpful?

How to Avoid Plagiarism | Tips on Citing Sources

Scribbr APA Citation Checker

In-Text Citations: The Basics

Welcome to the Purdue OWL

APA Citation Basics

Short quotations

Long quotations

Quotations from sources without pages

Summary or paraphrase

Learn how to acknowledge your sources of information

Why reference?

How to incorporate the ideas of others into your essay

Summarising and paraphrasing

The importance of writing in your own words

Acknowledge every source

Other guides you may be interested in

Essay Writing Part 2: How to Organise Your Research