It is important to learn the scholarly practice of citing other people’s research, and referencing the material you have used.
Referencing:
Enables your reader to find the material you have referred to
Demonstrates your breadth of reading about the subject
Supports and/or develops your argument
Avoids plagiarism: using somebody else’s work without acknowledging the fact is plagiarism. It is important to always reference when quoting or paraphrasing another person’s work
Referencing is the academic practice of acknowledging the sources you have used in your work. Sources may be other people's words and ideas, or legal authorities such as legislation and case law.
Referencing demonstrates your ethical use of information, and the range of your research and reading, provides authority to your arguments, enables others to find materials cited, and avoids accusations of plagiarism.
Plagiarism is the use of another person's work without proper acknowledgement. Most plagiarism is unintentional and the result of poor academic practice. It is important to reference when directly quoting or paraphrasing another person's work.
Referencing styles are sets of rules governing referencing practice. They prescribe the type, order and format of information in a reference. There are 3 main types of referencing style: in-text, footnote and endnote. Always check what referencing style is required by your department or assessment, as there may be local interpretations.
Referencing software allows you to manage references, insert citations and create a bibliography, in your referencing style. It is particularly useful for students writing dissertations and theses.
EndNote is referencing software from Clarivate. EndNote is available from Warwick IT Services, and is supported by Warwick Library. Please see the EndNote LibGuide for further information.
Introduction to ReferencingLearn what referencing is, why it is important and when you need to use it.
Note that this course uses examples in the Harvard referencing style.
Avoiding PlagiarismThis course will help you understand how plagiarism is defined, identified and its potential consequences. It will also provide you with clear tips on how to avoid plagiarism and build good academic practice.
Cite Them Right Online is the University of Warwick Library's new interactive referencing tool. It has rules and tutorials for referencing all major resource types across 8 major referencing styles including APA, Chicago, Harvard, IEEE, MHRA, MLR, OSCOLA and Vancouver.
Watch the short video to find out how Cite Them Right Online can help you.
To access Cite Them Right Online, click on Login > Login via your Institution > University of Warwick.
