Referencing and citation is the process of acknowledging the sources you have used when writing your work. Correct referencing and citation also allows the reader of your work to easily identify those sources used in your work and to follow up on them if necessary. It is good academic practice to acknowledge the contributions that others have made to your work.
In summary, referencing and citation demonstrates;
Information for your assignment may come from a wide range of sources; including; books, articles, websites, and newspapers.
Using a variety of sources demonstrates that you have spent time researching your topic. These sources will also help you to reinforce your own thoughts and arguments.
Anything that is not common knowledge must be cited.
You should consult lists of recommended reading from your tutors and make full use of resources available via the Library catalogue. Do NOT rely principally on internet search engines to find sources.
Pears, R. and Shields, G. (2013). Cite them right: the essential referencing guide. London: Palgrave.
Identifying the sources you have used in the text of your assignment.
This may be done either by direct quotation, paraphrasing or summarising.
In-text citations give brief details about the source that you refer to. Full details of the source used will then be made in the reference list at the end of the assignment.
There are different ways that you can use a citation in the text whether you use direct quotations, paraphrasing or summarizing. Further help and examples can be found here:
Search Primo to find useful books and journal articles.
Check out your subject libguide, or ask for help from your librarian.
Don't forget to keep a list of all the sources you find and use - it will make it much easier when writing up your assignment and creating your reference list.
