1. About referencing

Why reference?

When writing essays, you will need to supply references to indicate the source of your information and ideas. These references:

  • provide an opportunity for you to acknowledge the debt you owe to the work of others;
  • enable the reader to check what you have read,
  • help the reader to travel the same road that you have traveled in formulating your argument; and,
  • help to keep us honest.

In serious scholarship, therefore, references are a plain necessity, not an optional extra; they are an integral part of any essay. Unless otherwise stated in a unit’s assessment details you should not submit a written assignment devoid of references.

When to reference?

When writing an essay, a report, or other kinds of written academic work you should provide a reference when you:

  • quote directly from another work;
  • paraphrase or summarise points made in another work; and,
  • use material of any kind (a theory, an idea, a statistic or other data, an argument, an interpretation, a diagram, a table, etc.) from another work.

The basic rule is this: if you use any information that is directly attributable to someone else, you should provide a reference to the source. Commonly accepted knowledge in the discipline in which you are studying, however, does not need to be referenced.

Using the work of others, properly acknowledged, is an accepted practice in university study and research. It is important that you provide references when required not only to give appropriate credit to the work of others, but also so that the person assessing your work can see from where your arguments and evidence are coming.

Ensure that all references cited in your assignment are listed in a reference section or bibliography, where they should be listed alphabetically in order of authors' surnames.