What is referencing?
Answer
Referencing is the process of identifying the sources you have used when researching your work. It is an essential component of academic work and serves several purposes:
- Gives credit to other people's work and ideas.
- Provides the reader (often the marker or examiner) with evidence of the breadth and depth of your reading.
- Allows the reader to locate your references and locate the original works for further reading.
- Protects the writer from accusations of plagiarism.
Different subjects use different referencing styles; we recommend consulting your course handbook if you're not sure which to use.
For more support and guidance, consult our Referencing Guide, or take a look at Cite Them Right.