Citing and Referencing

Citing and referencing is used to show that you have used sources in your work, and to direct your reader to further information. It has two parts:

• the citation, i.e. the marker in your writing that tells your reader you have used information from other people or from sources like books, websites and journal articles. This citation is in your writing - an "in-text citation".
• the reference, i.e. the complete details of the item you have used, which your reader could use to find this item. References are either in footnotes or in a list at the end of your work, depending on which style of referencing you are using.

Citations and references are written using a set of rules called a "style". Styles include APA, Harvard, IEEE, MHRA, OSCOLA, and Vancouver. You should always check you assignment guidelines for any instructions on citing and referencing and carefully check which style you should be using, as this may be different from other assignments.

Most university assignments will require citing and referencing: if you are unsure whether you need to cite and reference, or what style you should be using, you should check your assignment guidelines or ask your lecturer.

You need to cite and reference even if you are writing in your own words - citing and referencing shows that you have evidence for the claims you are making, even if you have paraphrased or combined ideas from multiple sources. The "basics of referencing" section in Cite Them Right Online has lots of information on why and how to cite and reference, including advice on plagiarism, critical reading, note-making, etc.

[Some assignments also need a bibliography. A bibliography is a list of everything you used to prepare the assignment, even if it is not cited in your work.  It can be helpful to think of a bibliography as being a bit like a reading list, giving background information on your topic.]

• Use citing and referencing to show that you have evidence to support your arguments.
• Make sure you are using correct style - check the instructions for every assignment.
• If you have been given instructions on how to cite and reference from your lecturer or in your assignment instructions, follow those instructions even if they are different to the information on this guide.  
• References generated by online tools like MyBib can be a helpful starting point but often need edited to fully match the required style.
• Reference Management Software can help with citing and referencing, but you will still need to check the references they produce.  We recommend EndNote reference management software.
• You can find more help with academic writing on the Academic Skills Centre LibGuides and more advice on citing and referencing on Cite Them Right Online.
• There is a University of Dundee Referencing Code of Practice for Students and also a Referencing Code of Practice for Staff.