Introduction to referencing
- What is referencing?
- Why reference?
- Referencing principles
- Managing your references
- Further resources
- Turnitin
What is referencing?
Referencing, or citing, is the practice of acknowledging sources of information and ideas that you have used in an assignment (e.g. an essay or report). This means that whenever you write an assignment that requires you to find and use information from other sources, you are expected to refer to these sources in your writing. This is a university expectation linked to Academic Integrity. Referencing is also part of the process of being ‘information literate’, an important quality expected of graduates at UniSA. This means that you will be able to ‘locate, evaluate, manage and use information in a range of contexts’ – in other words, be ‘information literate’.
Why reference?
Using numerous references in an assignment demonstrates wide reading and your breadth of knowledge of a topic and strengthens your academic argument by providing evidence to support your point of view. These references are necessary so anyone reading your work knows the source of your information and can consult these sources if they choose to do so.
Referencing information from a variety of resources clearly identifies and distinguishes between information which comes from another source and information which is your own. By using references appropriately, you will avoid plagiarism, which is wrongfully claiming someone else’s words or ideas as your own
Referencing principles
Three key principles of referencing are:
- A source of information must be referred to every time you use information from another source in your assignment. Use a reference if you paraphrase, summarise, quote or copy.
- Each reference must be
- indicated in the text of your assignment (in brackets)
AND
- listed in the reference list at the end of the assignment. This listing has full details so that the reader can locate and consult the reference if required.
The in-text reference needs enough information so that the reader can find the source in the reference list at the end of the assignment. - Use a recommended referencing style and use it consistently. Many styles of referencing are in use, according to specific discipline needs. These styles differ in the way sources are referred to in the text and listed in the reference list at the end of the assignment. Basically the styles either refer to the source in the text by writing the author’s name and date of publication in parentheses or by writing a number. Author-date styles include: Harvard; APA; CIBA; and, MLA. Numerical systems include: Chicago or Turabian; Vancouver; Endnote; and, Footnote.
Each style requires you to provide similar essential referencing elements about the source you are citing, i.e. author’s name, date, title, and the location of the source. Each style, however, differs in the ordering of that information and required formatting (e.g. punctuation, capital letters). In addition, referencing varies according to the type of source i.e. books, journals or electronic materials.
Managing your references
Whenever you find a source of information which might be useful in an assignment, record all of the details of the source required for referencing. If in doubt, record more information rather than less. For example if the book is the 3rd edition, record that information and then check with the appropriate referencing guide.
When recording the referencing elements always include: name(s) of author(s) (i.e. surname, and initial); year of publication; title; page number(s); and, location of source. Note that the information that you record for the location of the source will vary according to the type of source. You might also record the catalogue or call number so that you can easily locate the item again if you need to.
Consult the referencing guide and format the source for the reference list. Insert this reference into the reference list of your assignment immediately. You may choose to manage your references electronically by using a reference management database, such as Endnote, Reference Manager, or Procite. For more information about these databases contact the Library.
Further resources
For more detailed information about referencing including the requirements of different styles, see the Referencing Resources website.
Turnitin
Turnitin is an electronic tool used to promote academic integrity at the University of South Australia. The tool enables a student or lecturer to submit work to check for originality.