Learn How to Use Academic Referencing Systems Today!
By Bing Chat and John Monyjok Maluth
Introduction
Academic referencing is an important part of academic writing. It allows writers to acknowledge the sources of information, ideas, and arguments that they have used in their work. It also enables readers to locate and verify the original sources and evaluate their credibility and relevance. Referencing can also help writers avoid plagiarism, which is a serious academic offence that can result in penalties or even expulsion from an institution.
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There are many academic referencing systems used in different disciplines and publications. Each system has its own rules and conventions for formatting citations and references. Some of the most common referencing systems are:
- Harvard – a parenthetical system that uses the author’s surname and year of publication in the text, and a reference list at the end of the document.
- APA – a parenthetical system developed by the American Psychological Association, mainly used in social and behavioral sciences.
- MLA – a parenthetical system developed by the Modern Languages Association, mainly used in humanities and languages.
- Chicago – a system that uses footnotes or endnotes for citations, and a bibliography at the end of the document.
- Vancouver – a numeric system that uses numbers in the text to refer to sources, and a numbered reference list at the end of the document.
- Oxford – a system that uses footnotes or endnotes for citations, and a reference list at the end of the document.
- IEEE – a numeric system used in engineering and technical writing, developed by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.
- MHRA – a system that uses footnotes or endnotes for citations, and a bibliography at the end of the document, developed by the Modern Humanities Research Association.
- OSCOLA – a system that uses footnotes for citations, and a table of cases, table of legislation, and bibliography at the end of the document, developed by the Oxford University Standard for the Citation of Legal Authorities.
In this article, we will provide examples of how to cite and reference different types of sources using these systems. We will also explain some of the advantages and disadvantages of each system, and provide some tips on how to choose the most appropriate system for your work.
How to Cite and Reference Different Types of Sources
The following sections will show you how to cite and reference some of the most common types of sources that you may encounter in your academic writing. This is how to use different academic referencing systems for your writing projects. These include:
- Books
- Journal articles
- Webpages
- Reports
- Data sets
- Audiovisual media
For each type of source, we will provide examples of how to format citations and references using different referencing systems. We will also provide links to more detailed guides and resources where you can find more examples and explanations.
Books
Books are one of the most widely used sources in academic writing. They can provide comprehensive information, analysis, and perspectives on various topics. Books can be either print or electronic (e-books), and they can be either authored or edited.
To cite a book in your text, you need to provide the author’s surname (or editor’s surname if there is no author) and the year of publication. Depending on the referencing system you are using, you may also need to provide additional information such as page numbers or chapter numbers.
To reference a book at the end of your document, you need to provide full details of the source, such as:
- Author’s or editor’s name
- Year of publication
- Title of book
- Edition (if applicable)
- Place of publication
- Publisher
- DOI (digital object identifier) or URL (if applicable)
The following table shows some examples of how to cite and reference books using different referencing systems.
| Referencing System | In-text Citation | Reference |
| Harvard | (Smith 2020) | Smith, J. (2020). The history of science. 3rd ed. London: Routledge. |
| APA | (Smith, 2020) | Smith, J. (2020). The history of science (3rd ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315167898 |
| MLA | (Smith 202) | Smith, John. The History of Science. 3rd ed., Routledge, 2020. |
| Chicago | (Smith 2020, 45) | Smith, John. 2020. The History of Science. 3rd ed. London: Routledge. |
| Vancouver | (1) | 1. Smith J. The history of science. 3rd ed. London: Routledge; 2020. |
| Oxford | (Smith 2020: 45) | Smith, John (2020). The History of Science, 3rd edn., London: Routledge. |
| IEEE | 1 | 1 J. Smith, The History of Science, 3rd ed. London: Routledge, 2020. |
| MHRA | (Smith 2020: 45) | Smith, John, The History of Science, 3rd edn (London: Routledge, 2020). |
| OSCOLA | (Smith 2020) | John Smith, The History of Science (3rd edn, Routledge 2020). |
For more examples and explanations of how to cite and reference books using different referencing systems, you can consult the following resources:
- Harvard Referencing Guide
- APA Style Guide
- MLA Style Guide
- Chicago Style Guide
- Vancouver Style Guide
- Oxford Style Guide
- IEEE Style Guide
- MHRA Style Guide
- OSCOLA Style Guide
Journal Articles
Journal articles are another common type of source in academic writing. They are published in academic journals and report original research, reviews, or opinions on various topics. Journal articles can be either print or electronic, and they usually have a DOI or a URL.
To cite a journal article in your text, you need to provide the author’s surname and the year of publication. Depending on the referencing system you are using, you may also need to provide additional information such as page numbers or volume and issue numbers.
To reference a journal article at the end of your document, you need to provide full details of the source, such as:
- Author’s name
- Year of publication
- Title of article
- Title of journal
- Volume and issue numbers
- Page range
- DOI or URL
The following table shows some examples of how to cite and reference journal articles using different referencing systems.
| Referencing System | In-text Citation | Reference |
| Harvard | (Jones 2019) | Jones, A. (2019). ‘The impact of climate change on agriculture’, Environmental Studies, 25(4), pp. 345-367. |
| APA | (Jones, 2019) | Jones, A. (2019). The impact of climate change on agriculture. Environmental Studies, 25(4), 345-367. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envst.2019.07.003 |
| MLA | (Jones 346) | Jones, Alice. “The Impact of Climate Change on Agriculture.” Environmental Studies, vol. 25, no. 4, 2019, pp. 345-367. |
| Chicago | (Jones 2019, 346) | Jones, Alice. “The Impact of Climate Change on Agriculture.” Environmental Studies 25, no. 4 (2019): 345-367. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envst.2019.07.003 |
| Vancouver | (2) | 2. Jones A. The impact of climate change on agriculture. Environ Stud. 2019;25(4):345–67. |
| Oxford | (Jones 2019: 346) | Jones, Alice (2019). ‘The Impact of Climate Change on Agriculture’, Environmental Studies, 25(4), pp. 345–67 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envst.2019.07.003 [accessed 10 October 2020]. |
| IEEE | 2 | 2 A. Jones, “The impact of climate change on agriculture,” Environ. Stud., vol. 25, no. 4, pp. 345–367, Jul./Aug., 2019, doi:10.1016/j.envst.2019.07.003 |
| MHRA | (Jones 2019: 346) | Jones, Alice, ‘The Impact of Climate Change on Agriculture’, Environmental Studies, 25 (2019), 345–67 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envst.2019.07.003 [accessed 10 October 2020]. |
| OSCOLA | (Jones ‘Impact’ (n2) p346) | Alice Jones, ‘The Impact of Climate Change on Agriculture’ (2019) 25 Environmental Studies 345 |
For more examples and explanations of how to cite and reference journal articles using different referencing systems, you can consult the listed resources above. We hope you found the academic referencing systems useful. Please let us know. You can reach out to Bing at bing.com or chat with John right on this website.