Referencing Demystified

Why is it important to reference information and what should you reference?

How do you use the Harvard/APA, footnote and Vancouver referencing systems?

How do you reference direct quotes, edited books and websites?

Referencing can initially seem the most confusing aspect of essay writing. However, it is simply a method of showing the reader where you got the information you used in your essay. In this guide you will be introduced to four different systems of referencing. Due to tradition or professional rivalry, different disciplines use different methods. To avoid confusion, pick the referencing system preferred by the discipline for which you are writing the essay and stick to it throughout. If you are doing subjects in various disciplines, always check which referencing system you should use. Each discipline you study should provide you with specific information about how you should reference, but this guide will address the basics.

The key features of referencing

All referencing systems share the following key features:

• the reasons for referencing
• what should be referenced
• penalties for plagiarism
• a bibliography or reference list.

Reasons for referencing

The reasons for referencing remain the same no matter which discipline you study or method you use. You reference:

• to honestly acknowledge where you got your information from
• to give your essay credibility by being able to prove the source of your information
• to allow people to follow up on your sources.

What should you reference?

You must reference direct quotes—that is, passages taken word for word from another author. You should also reference information that you have paraphrased—that is, information obtained from another author and summarised in your own words. Therefore, even when you use your own words, you need to provide a reference for information such as:

• statistics
• research findings
• the ideas, concepts and theories of other authors.

A reference in every paragraph?

Since you must acknowledge where you get your information from, this may mean that virtually every paragraph in your essay will have a reference in it. It is meant to. Earlier we saw that academic essays are meant to critically analyse the academic literature on a certain topic, which involves the use of supporting evidence that is referenced. Your ‘opinion’ or argument comes from your ability to explain and analyse the information that is relevant to answering your essay question. If you don't reference your information, you will be penalised severely by essay markers for plagiarism.

The bibliography or reference list

At the end of your essay you must include a list of all the sources of information you referenced in your essay. This list is called either a reference list or a bibliography (the terminology varies, depending on the discipline). Aside from the Vancouver referencing system, most referencing systems have a bibliography/reference list organised in alphabetical order by the surname of the first author. It is here that you provide the full details of the books, journal articles, reports and websites that you used. In general, the list should only include the information sources that were actually referenced in your essay. Don't include other material that wasn't referenced just to make your list of references look better, unless you have been specifically requested to do so.