A guide to citation
- Importance of referencing
- Notes, reference lists and bibliographies
- Citation styles
- Style manuals and guides to writing citations, footnotes, etc.
- Citing electronic sources
- Citing media resources
- How to avoid plagiarism
Importance of referencing
If you draw upon another persons work, in your writing and research and do not acknowledge those sources, you can be accused of plagiarism.
What is plagiarism? To get an answer to this common question, please visit the Academic Honesty and Plagiarism page of the University of Melbourne.
Whether you paraphrase, directly quote from a source or just use it as background reading, you need to cite that source in your bibliography or reference list.
Correct citations allow your readers to follow up sources that you have referred to, so citing is in the interests of scholarly investigation and the sharing of ideas.
Notes, reference lists and bibliographies
Notes must be used whenever you refer to, paraphrase or quote from another work in your writing. A note can appear in the text or at the end of the page as a footnote
A reference list includes only the works you have cited in the body of your writing. A bibliography lists everything you have consulted during your research or assignment preparation.
Reference lists and bibliographies should be listed in alphabetical order by author.
You will not necessarily be required to include both a reference list and a bibliography.
When you cite references, it is important to include all the citation and publication details, (including page numbers if it is not a whole work).
Citation styles
There are numerous citation styles, systems or protocols. Styles differ between disciplines. Common citing styles include :
- Harvard
- Cambridge
- APA (American Psychological Association)
- AGPS (Australian Government Publication Service)
- MLA (Modern Languages Association)
Citation Styles within the University (of Melbourne) is a handy guide to all your Citation Style questions:
You will need to check with your department or faculty as to what is the preferred style.
However, one thing is important with whatever style you use, you must be accurate and consistent when citing references.
Style manuals and guides to writing citations, footnotes etc
There are numerous useful web based and printed guides to writing citations.
Printed resources
There are many books on citation available from the University of Melbourne Library at 808.02. The following are just a few examples :
- Style manual for authors, editors and printers Milton, Qld. : John Wiley & Sons, 2002.
- Publication manual of the American Psychological Association Washington, DC : American Psychological Association, 2001.
- Style manual : notes on presentation of essays, class papers, bibliographies 11th ed. [Carlton, Vic.] : Division of Library and Information Studies, University of Melbourne, 1993.
- APA Style guide to electronic references. Washington, DC : American Psychological Association, c2007
Web resources
- The Language & Learning Skills Unit Of the University of Melbourne has excellent guides to referencing in the Harvard and Cambridge styles. These guides to referencing can be accessed from www.services.unimelb.edu.au/llsu/resources/referencing
- A new APA Style guide to electronic references (American Psychological Association) is now available to students and staff of the University of Melbourne
- The publisher Bedford/St. Martin's has on-line guides to referencing in the MLA and APA styles. The MLA style from MLA
- Chicago and Harvard citation styles from The University of Wisconsin-Madison's Writing Center How to Prepare an Annotated Bibliography by Cornell University Library
Citing electronic sources
Printed resources
- Janice R. Walker and Todd Taylor. The Columbia guide to online style New York : Columbia University Press, c1998.
- Li, Xia and Nancy B. Crane. Electronic style : a guide to citing electronic information 2nd ed. Medford, N.J. : Information Today, 1996.
- Joseph, Nancy L. Research writing using traditional and electronic sources Upper Saddle River, N.J. : Prentice Hall, c1999.
Web resources
- The Language & Learning Skills Unit Of the University of Melbourne has excellent guides to referencing in the Harvard and Cambridge styles. These guides to referencing can be accessed from www.services.unimelb.edu.au/llsu/resources/referencing
- A new APA Style guide to electronic references (American Psychological Association) is now available to students and staff of the University of Melbourne
- The publisher Bedford/St. Martin's has on-line guides to electronic referencing in the MLA and APA styles.
Citing media resources
The following guides will help you to cite films, TV programs, video, and online media :
- Media Resources Center, University of California, Berkeley
- Style manual : notes on presentation of essays, class papers, bibliographies 11th ed. [Carlton, Vic.] : Division of Library and Information Studies, University of Melbourne, 1993.
How to avoid plagiarism
The following are some useful guides to avoiding plagiarism.
- How not to Plagiarize by Margaret Procter, Coordinator of Writing Support, University of Toronto.
- Educational Tips on Plagiarism Prevention
- Academic Honesty and Plagiarism at the University of Melbourne