Introduction to referencing | Which method should you use? | Why is referencing important? | Managing your references

Introduction to Referencing

When you are writing an essay, dissertation, thesis or other piece of academic work you must make clear when you are quoting from or referring to someone else's work. This is called citing or referencing. Full details of all the works you have cited should be listed at the end of your text. Citing references in your text and listing all the references at the end is usually called bibliographic referencing.

There are three main methods of referencing:

Which method should you use?

Always check with your tutor or supervisor first! There may be a specific style or varation you are required to follow.

Guidance for specific departments

If you are given a free choice, or if you are told to use a particular method without specific instructions about layout or punctuation, then you can follow the advice given in these pages. There are books in the library which will show you how to reference. You can also ask your subject librarian for advice.

Why is referencing important?

The main reasons are:

• References show that you have acknowledged your use of other people's ideas. Failing to do this may be interpreted as plagiarism.
• References help anyone reading your work to find and verify the original sources easily.
• References show the breadth of your research and your understanding of the subject.
• References make your work look more professional and easier to read (and can help to impress examiners).
• References can even help you - by reminding you where some of your ideas came from.

Managing your references

If you are doing a longer piece of research and need to handle a lot of references it may be worth while keeping your references in a database on your PC. Although you could use general database software like Microsoft Access for this, it is usually easier to use specialised bibliographic management software. There are several programs available. The best known are ProCite, EndNote and Reference Manager. Your department or research group may have a preference - check if you're not sure. Swansea University has a site licence for EndNote and you can find out more about using it on our EndNote pages.

Get into the habit of keeping full details of all your references as you come across them. You will save time and avoid last minute panics when you are about to write up or submit your work.