Referencing $LaTeX: \mid$ What is a reference and why do you use them? $LaTeX: \mid$ APA, Harvard and other author-year systems $LaTeX: \mid$ Vancouver, IEEE and other numerical systems $LaTeX: \mid$ Oxford, Chicago and other footnote systems $LaTeX: \mid$ Paraphrasing and quoating $LaTeX: \mid$ AI and references $LaTeX: \mid$ The Reference Management Programme Zotero

Using references in academic writing

A reference is a citation of a source that you use to support, explain, or deepen the information in an academic text.

Referencing is a fundamental part of academic writing. It clarifies which ideas and conclusions are your own and which are drawn from others. At the same time, it shows respect for the original authors and gives them the recognition they deserve.

Correct referencing is also crucial for avoiding plagiarism — that is, using someone else’s text or ideas without citing the source. This is something you’ll practise a great deal during your studies. Read more in the section on plagiarism and copyright.

When should you reference?

When you present facts, theories, methods, or research results from books, articles, reports, or other sources.
When you quote someone’s words directly, even if it’s from a previous assignment you wrote yourself.
When you paraphrase (summarise or rephrase) a source in your own words.
When you use material such as images, diagrams, or tables from other sources.

Referencing demonstrates that you have engaged with relevant research, strengthens your arguments, and helps the reader locate the original sources.