Citations & Referencing

Referencing does more than prevent plagiarism — it demonstrates your academic integrity, strengthens your arguments, and situates your work within established scholarship.

1. When to Cite

  • Quoting directly
  • Paraphrasing ideas
  • Using data or statistics
  • Referring to theories/models
  • Discussing academic debates

2. How to Cite

In-text citations connect evidence to authors. Reference lists provide full details.

Harvard

(Author, Year)

APA

(Author, Year, p.)

MLA

(Author page)

Chicago

Footnotes or author–date system.

3. Why It Matters

  • Academic honesty
  • Strengthens arguments
  • Shows depth of research
  • Builds scholarly credibility
  • Locates your work in debate

Why Referencing Matters

Referencing is not a formality. It is how academic knowledge is built, shared, scrutinised, and verified. Strong referencing shows that your work is anchored in research rather than unsupported opinion.

  • It demonstrates respect for intellectual property.
  • It allows readers to trace your sources for verification.
  • It strengthens your argument by grounding it in established research.
  • It shows critical engagement — not blind acceptance — of ideas.

Quoting vs. Paraphrasing

Academic writing relies heavily on paraphrasing — showing you understand ideas by expressing them in your own words. Quoting is best for precision, definitions, or when the author’s phrasing is significant.

Use a Quote When…

  • The exact wording is crucial.
  • You’re analysing language or rhetorical style.
  • The phrase has cultural/historical significance.

Paraphrase When…

  • You want to integrate evidence smoothly.
  • You’re explaining ideas in your own structure.
  • You’re comparing multiple authors.

How to Evaluate a Source

  • Author expertise: Is the author recognised in the field?
  • Publication type: Peer-reviewed journal? Academic press?
  • Date: Is the source still current or superseded?
  • Evidence quality: Data? Case studies? Logic?
  • Bias: What perspective does the author take?

Citation Sentence Templates

Introducing Evidence

“According to Smith (2020), …”

“Recent research by Lopez and Chen (2019) suggests that…”

Comparing Sources

“While Jones (2017) emphasises…, Khan (2018) argues that…”

Highlighting Limitations

“A limitation of Brown’s (2016) study is its focus on…, which may restrict…”

Synthesis

“Together, these studies indicate that…, suggesting a broader trend in…”