How should I reference confidential material?

If you need to reference material which you have seen but cannot identify fully in your work for reasons of confidentiality you can hide the identity of the author by using something like this:

Endnote (arranged numerically by the citation number in the text)

(1) Company A. Costs and implications of project beta. Unpublished confidential document; 2015.

Bibliography (arranged alphabetically by author)

Company A. Costs and implications of project beta. Unpublished confidential document; 2015.

 


If you are required to reference documents but obliged not to identity particular health trusts to ensure you preserve the identity of patients you may have worked with on placement you can use the following styles:

If you wish to use local policy that is in the public arena, for example on a website, which would disclose your practice area you may choose to reference as:

NHS Trust (Name withheld). Name of document; 2015.
OR
Name withheld. Name of document; 2015.

If you wish to use local policy that is unpublished i.e. not available in the public area you may choose to reference as:

NHS Trust (Name withheld). Name of document. Unpublished confidential document; 2015.
OR
Name witheld. Name of document. Unpublished confidential document; 2015.