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Libraries and Learning Skills

UN Professional Doctorates

Why should I reference?

Referencing is important in academic writing and an essential part of any of your assignments. It:

  • allows you to acknowledge your sources,
  • gives academic credibility to your work,
  • demonstrates your knowledge of a subject area,
  • prevents accusations of plagiarism.

You should always reference a source when:

  • using a direct quote
  • summarising a theory
  • discussing someone else's opinion
  • using case studies
  • quoting statistics or visual data
  • but not when stating your own opinion, observation or experience.

If you are unsure use this flowchart to check whether you need to reference (click on the image to enlarge).

 image of "should I cite?" flowchart which runs through when you need to cite a source

 

Referencing guides

The Library has produced five referencing handbooks; Harvard, APA, OSCOLA, IEE and MHRA. Visit the library website for more information.

Covers of different Referencing Handbooks

 

What is RefWorks and how do I use it?

Ref Works logo

RefWorks is referencing software which allows you to:

  • store references
  • organise references
  • generate citations
  • generate reference lists
  • share references

It's available to all staff and students, click here to log in.

To find out more about RefWorks view the comprehensive online help or email your Subject Librarian.