6.2 Referencing Well
Note: All example references on this page use Harvard Style. See section 6.3 Referencing Styles for details of APA and OSCOLA.
Referencing well
As well as understanding the principles of referencing, you also need to think about how you choose material to reference and the language you use to integrate references into your work.
The process of referencing well
To reference well, make sure that you fully understand the idea you are referring to. Ensure the reference is relevant to the point you are making and decide the best way to integrate the ideas of the author into your writing.
Example student referencing
Judge the quality of the student examples below.
Student reference 1
Read the reference and select the best option from the pairs of statements below the example.
Student reference 2
Read the reference and select the best option from the pairs of statements below the example.
Student reference 3
Read the reference and select the best option from the pairs of statements below the example.
Student reference 4
Read the reference and select the best option from the pairs of statements below the example.
Infographic
Click on the image to open a full-screen version of this infographic on referencing. Summary of referencing well
- Only reference information and ideas which you understand well. To understand a topic well, you should investigate it widely, looking at a variety of information sources.
- Choose references which are relevant to the point you are making, and explain why they are relevant.
- Paraphrasing is usually better than quoting, as it allows you to show more clearly how the source relates to the points you are making. (Check this is the case for your course by looking at examples from your course.) Typically, save quotes for significant or complex language.
- Be balanced when introducing sources. Show how important you find a source while also maintaining an objective, or critical distance from it.
- If a source (e.g. news source) is repeating data produced elsewhere, try to find the original source of the data.
- As a student, you are not yet an expert in your field. You will rely on sources rather than experience for a lot of information. Make notes on the information you find and always reference your sources in your work.
- Only reference information and ideas which you understand well. To understand a topic well, you should investigate it widely, looking at a variety of information sources.