Introduction to referencing
There are several referencing systems used within the university. The reason for this, is that some referencing systems are more suited to the types of sources used in different disciplines, for example, law students use OSCOLA (The Oxford University Standard for Citation of Legal Authorities), as it provides clear guidance for citing legal cases and legislation, whereas historians use Chicago as they need to cite archival material and manuscripts. You can find out which referencing system is used by your academic department by checking your module handbook.
Note: If you are studying a combined honours degree you may need to work with two referencing systems.
Use the buttons below for guides to different referencing styles
Where can I find more help?
Referencing can be challenging as there are so many different media that you can cite such as books, journals, DVDs, films, streaming platforms, social media, even circuses and body art. To be sure that you are citing correctly, you may wish to use Cite them Right, an online support tool available from your Blackboard.
Your Learning Skills Team offer one to one tutorials for students needing additional support with referencing.