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How To Cite References

Murdoch University Library Publications

2004

Why Should I Cite References?

To acknowledge the work of other writers

To demonstrate the body of knowledge on which you have based your work

To enable other researchers to trace your sources

Referencing Terms

Bibliography

is a list of documents consulted but not necessarily referred to in a specific essay or assignment. A bibliography can also be a comprehensive list of works on a specific subject, for example, The Bibliography of Bioethics. When researching a topic it is a good idea to prepare a bibliography for your own use, even though in the final version of your essay you need to cite only some of these items.

Citation

is another word for a reference. It provides an accurate description of a document. A document may be a book, a journal article, a videorecording, an email, or an internet site, to name a few. The citation should include sufficient descriptive elements to identify and locate the document.

Citation or referencing style

is the method used to format your citations. Commonly used formats are Chicago, MLA, APA, Footnote-Endnote.

Descriptive elements

are the necessary parts of a citation. A few examples of these elements are: author, title, edition, date of publication, internet address, etc.

Electronic

This is a generic term used to describe documents available online, from databases or from cdroms.

Endnotes

When a large number of references are to be cited, endnotes (at the end of each chapter or at the end of the whole work) are often used.

Footnotes

are listed at the bottom of the page on which a reference or citation occurs in the text. A number is placed in the text to indicate the cited work and again at the bottom of the page in front of the footnote. Footnotes are used when only a small number of references need to be made.

Works cited list

is a list of all the documents you have referred to in your assignment or project. It is usually included at the end of your work. It is arranged alphabetically and formatted according to one of the citation styles.

In-text references

are a method of signalling to the reader of your work that the words or ideas quoted or referred to at that point are not your own. The method for acknowledging the source document will vary according to the citation style you are using. Enough information is given to locate the full citation in the reference list.