• 3-minute read
• 10th December 2015

5 Things You Never Knew About Referencing

One common request we get at Proofed is for help with referencing. This is because citing sources is a vital academic practice, even if the number of referencing systems can make it pretty confusing.

Don’t fret, though! Referencing becomes easier with experience. And most universities publish a style guide specifying the system you should use.

In this post, moreover, we list a few things you might not know about referencing to set you on your way…

1. Bibliographies and Reference Lists

Sometimes the terms ‘bibliography’ and ‘reference list’ are used interchangeably. Technically, though there’s a difference:

• A reference list only includes sources cited in your work.
• A bibliography encompasses everything you’ve read as part of your research (even texts not cited in your essay).

This terminology can very by university and system, but it is a good guideline in general. As such, you should always check which of these your university favours before collating your sources.

2. Different Disciplines, Different Places, Different Systems

Different fields of inquiry and geographical regions tend to favour different referencing systems. APA, for example, is most common in the social sciences, especially in the USA. And in Australia, most universities use Harvard or Oxford style referencing for academic work.

Specialised fields, meanwhile, sometimes have distinct referencing systems. Scientific publications, for instance, use species citation when referring to botanical or zoological names, while legal citations are used for referring to case law (with AGLC the most common system in Australia).

3. Citing Unpublished Works

Most of your sources will be published books or journal articles, but you might sometimes need to cite something which hasn’t been published.

Luckily, most referencing systems make allowances for this, requiring only that you clearly indicate when doing so. Most versions of Harvard referencing, for instance, allow you to cite a wide variety of unpublished sources, including:

• Personal communications
• Doctoral theses
• Unpublished conference papers
• Lecture handouts
• Works currently awaiting publication

You can even cite a live musical performance in some cases! The key is to follow your style guide and provide enough information that your readers can find the sources you’ve used (even if they’re not published).

4.     Citing Sources when Details Are Missing

You should try your hardest to find all relevant details for the sources you’re citing. But all is not lost if your search comes up short, since most referencing systems include conventions for noting missing detail.

In some versions of Harvard referencing, for instance, you can use ‘Anon’ if the author of a source is unidentifiable. You can also use abbreviations like ‘n.d.’ (no date), ‘s.l.’ (no place of publication) and ‘s.n.’ (no named publisher) if other information is missing. Remember to be cautious about using sources of this kind, however, especially if you rely upon them for evidence.

5.     Computers Make Referencing Easy

These days, you can get your hands on software to do your referencing for you. Or at least to make the whole process a lot simpler.

These are known as reference management software packages and can save time and effort when working on a major project. However, you still need to double check all details before handing in your essay. Or you can ask the professionals to give your referencing a look for you.