How to cite References
Lecture No. 19
Introduction to Citing References
Definition: Citing references involves acknowledging and giving credit to the sources of
information used in academic writing to avoid plagiarism and provide credibility to your work
Importance: Proper referencing demonstrates integrity, supports your arguments with
evidence, and allows readers to locate and verify the sources you've consulted.
Enabling Further Research: Proper citations allow readers to locate and explore the sources
you have used. This enables them to delve deeper into the subject and build upon your
research.
Conti…
Citation Styles:
Different academic disciplines and publications may follow specific citation styles. Some
commonly used citation styles include:
a. APA (American Psychological Association) Style: Widely used in social sciences,
education, and psychology.
b. MLA (Modern Language Association) Style: Commonly used in humanities, literature,
and the arts.
c. Chicago Manual of Style: Used in various disciplines, including history, social sciences,
and fine arts.
d. Harvard Referencing Style: Commonly used in the natural and social sciences.
e. OSCOLA (Oxford Standard for Citation of Legal Authorities)
Elements of a Citation:
A typical citation includes the following elements:
a. Author(s): The individual or entity responsible for creating the work.
b. Title: The title of the article, book, or source.
c. Publication Date: The year of publication.
d. Publication Information: Includes the publisher, place of publication, and, in the case of
articles, the name of the journal and volume/issue numbers.
e. Page Numbers: The specific pages or range of pages you are referencing.
Creating a Bibliography:
A bibliography is a list of all the sources you have cited in your work. Here's a step-by-step
process for creating a bibliography:
a. Collect Information: Gather complete and accurate information for each source, including
author(s), title, publication date, and publication information.
b. Organize Sources: Arrange your sources alphabetically by the author's last name or, if no
author is available, by the title of the work.
c. Format the Entries: Follow the specific guidelines of your chosen citation style to format
each entry consistently. Pay attention to punctuation, italics, capitalization, and indentation.
Conti….
Include Relevant Details: Depending on the citation style, you may need to include
additional information such as the edition of a book or the URL of an online source.
e. Review and Double-Check: Ensure the accuracy and completeness of each entry by
comparing it with the original source and referencing the citation style guide.
Steps to Cite in Chicago Style:
Author's Name: Start with the author's FIRST name, followed LAST name.
Title: Italicize the title of books, journals, and websites. Place article titles in quotation
marks.
Publication Information: Include the place of publication, publisher, and year for books.
For articles, include the volume, issue, and page range.
Accessed Date: If citing online sources, include the date you accessed the source.
Punctuation: Use periods to separate elements, and commas between the author's name
and title elements.
Chicago Manual
Book with One Author:
Format: Author 'First Name, last Name. Title of Book. Place of Publication: Publisher, Year.
Example: John Smith, The Art of Writing, (New York: Random House, 2020.)
2. Book with Two or More Authors:
Format: First Name, last Name, and First Name Last Name. Title of Book. Place of Publication: Publisher,
Year.
Example: John Smith and Emily Jones, Creative Writing Techniques (Chicago: University of Chicago Press,
2018.)
3. Chapter or Article in an Edited Book:
Format: Author's First Name, Last Name. "Title of Chapter." In Title of Book, edited by Editor's Name, Page
range. Place of Publication: Publisher, Year.
Example: sarah Brown, "The Power of Storytelling." In Essays on Writing, edited by David Johnson, 45-60.
Boston: Beacon Press, 2015.
Conti…
Journal Article:
Format: Author's First Name, Last Name. "Title of Article." Title of Journal Volume, no.
Issue (Year): Page range.
Example: Robert Anderson, "The Role of Editing in Writing." Journal of Writing Studies
10, no. 2 (2019): 25-40.
5. Website:
Format: Author's first Name, last Name (if available). "Title of Webpage." Website Name.
Publication Date. URL.
Example: Emily smith, "Tips for Effective Writing." Writing Blog. January 5, 2022.
https://www.writingblog.com/tips-effective-writing.
Conti…
Newspaper Article:
Format: Author's first Name, last Name. "Title of Article." Newspaper Name, Month Day, Year.
Example: Michael Johnson, "Writing in the Digital Age." New York Times, March 15, 2023.
7. Book Review:
Format: Reviewer's First Name, last Name. "Title of Review." Review of Title of Book, by
Author's Name. Title of Journal Volume, no. Issue (Year): Page range.
Example: Jessica Parker, Review of The Art of Writing, by John Smith."
Conti…
Thesis / Dissertation Citation:
Author's name, thesis title, institution, and year of publication
Sarah Thompson , "Exploring Literary Devices in Modern Poetry." PhD diss., University of Chicago, 2020.
Exercise No. 1 for Students
Book Citation:
Book Title: The Art of Writing
Author: John Smith
Place of Publication: New York
Publisher: Random House
Year: 2020
Journal Article Citation:
Article Title: "The Power of Editing"
Author: Sarah Brown
Journal Title: Journal of Writing Studies
Volume: 10
Issue: 2
Year: 2019
Page Range: 25-40
Website Citation:
Webpage Title: "Tips for Effective Writing"
Author (if available): Emily Smith
Website Name: Writing Blog
Publication Date: January 5, 2022
URL: https://www.writingblog.com/tips-effective-writing
Newspaper Article Citation:
Article Title: "Writing in the Digital Age"
Author: Michael Johnson
Newspaper Name: New York Times
Publication Date: March 15, 2023
Conti….
Book Review Citation:
Reviewer: Jessica Parker
Review Title: "Review of The Art of Writing"
Book Author: John Smith
Journal Title: Journal of Writing Studies
Volume: 12
Issue: 1
Year: 2021
Page Range: 100-105
Conti…
Book Citation:
Book Title: The Elements of Style
Author: William Strunk Jr. and E.B. White
Place of Publication: Boston
Publisher: Pearson
Year: 2017
Journal Article Citation:
Article Title: "The Evolution of Language"
Author: Jane Doe
Journal Title: Linguistic Studies
Volume: 25
Issue: 3
Year: 2018
Page Range: 45-60
Conti..
Website Citation:
Webpage Title: "Grammar Tips for Writers"
Author (if available): Thomas Johnson
Website Name: Grammar Guru
Publication Date: June 10, 2021
URL: https://www.grammarguru.com/grammar-tips
Newspaper Article Citation:
Article Title: "The Impact of Climate Change"
Author: David Smith
Newspaper Name: Washington Post
Publication Date: May 5, 2022
Oscola (Oxford Standard for Citation of Legal Authorities
Basic elements:
Author: For books and journal articles, include the author's name as given in the source. For
cases, include the parties' names.
Title: Include the title of the source in italics for books, journals, and reports. Case titles
should be in normal font.
Publication Information: Provide publication details such as the publisher, place of
publication, and year of publication for books. Include journal titles, volume numbers, issue
numbers, and page ranges for journal articles.
Conti…
Case Citations: Case citations include the case name, neutral citation (if available), law report
citation, court name, and year of the decision.
Legislation: Refer to statutes by their short title, section number, and year.
URLs and Dates: For online sources, include the URL and access date in the footnote. Use
square brackets for URLs.
Pinpoint References: Provide pinpoint references for specific pages, paragraphs, or sections
when citing sources.
Conti…
Book:
In OSCOLA referencing, when citing a book, you typically include the author's name, the book
title in italics, the publication year in parentheses, and the publisher. Here's an example:
Footnote:
John Doe, Legal Writing and Citation (Oxford University Press 2020).
Bibliography:
Doe J, Legal Writing and Citation (Oxford University Press 2020)
Conti…
Journal Article:
When citing a journal article in OSCOLA style, include the author's name, article title in
single quotation marks, the year of Publication in Square Brackets ,the volume number,
journal title in italics,, and the page number.
Footnote:
2. Jane Smith, 'Understanding OSCOLA Referencing' [2021] 25 Journal of Legal Writing 123.
Bibliography:
Smith J, 'Understanding OSCOLA Referencing' [2021] 25 Journal of Legal Writing 123
Conti…
Case Citation:
In OSCOLA, case citations typically include the case name, neutral citation (if available), law
report citation, court abbreviation, and the year of the decision. Here's an example:
Case Name: R v Brown [1994] 1 AC 212 (HL)
Explanation:
"R v Brown" is the case name.
"[1994]" represents the year of the decision.
"1 AC" refers to the volume and abbreviation of the law report, in this case, "Appeal Cases."
"212" indicates the page number within the law report.
"(HL)" signifies the court where the case was decided, in this instance, the House of Lords.
Conti…
Legislation:
OSCOLA referencing for legislation includes the title of the legislation, year, chapter (if
applicable), and section.
Footnote:
4. Data Protection Act 2018, c 12, s 45(2).
Bibliography:
Data Protection Act 2018, c 12
Conti…
Website:
For websites, include the author (if available), page title in single quotation marks, the
publication date or last updated date in parentheses, the website name in italics, and the URL
followed by the date accessed in angle brackets.
Footnote:
5. Law Commission, 'Annual Report 2020' (Law Commission, 2021)
https://www.lawcom.gov.uk/publications/annual-report-2020/ accessed 15 April 2022.
Bibliography:
Law Commission, 'Annual Report 2020' (Law Commission, 2021)
https://www.lawcom.gov.uk/publications/annual-report-2020/
Exercise
Write down the citation in OSCOLA format.
Book:
Title: "The Law of Contracts in International Trade"
Author: John Smith
Year: 2018
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Page Number: 45
Journal Article:
Title: Intellectual Property Rights in the Digital Age
Author: Emma Johnson
Journal: International Journal of Law and Technology
Year: 2020
Volume: 12
Issue: 2
Page Range: 67-82
Legal Case:
Case Name: R v Jones [2019] UKSC 56
Court: Supreme Court of the United Kingdom
Year: 2019
Conti…
Website:
Title: "Understanding Human Rights Law"
Website Name: Human Rights Watch
URL: https://www.hrw.org/human-rights-law
Accessed: April 15, 2024
Answers
Book:
Smith J, 'The Law of Contracts in International Trade' (Oxford University Press 2018) 45
Journal Article:
Johnson E, 'Intellectual Property Rights in the Digital Age' (2020) 12(2) International Journal
of Law and Technology 67-82
Legal Case:
R v Jones [2019] UKSC 56
Website:
Human Rights Watch, 'Understanding Human Rights Law' https://www.hrw.org/human-rights-
law accessed 15 April 2024
