Unit 3: Reference Lists
What is a Reference List?
The reference list gives full details of the sources you have cited in your work. Each source you have cited must have its own reference list entry.
Top Tip!
Make sure you write the reference list entry as soon as you insert a citation to avoid missing any!
Essential Features of a Reference List:
- The entries are arranged alphabetically by author
- It appears at the end of your document, before any appendices
- Entries should not be numbered or have bullet points. Keep it simple!
While these rules apply widely, there are some special cases. For example, you may reference many sources with the same author, that may or may not have different publication years. We will explore this in a further unit.
Examples for Key Sources
Let's have a look at some of the most commonly cited sources. For more templates, please have a look at our referencing templates, or consult Cite Them Right.
Template
Authors (Year of Publication) Book Title. Edition (if not first). Place of Publication: Publisher.
Example
Reference List
Cottrell, S. (2022) Skills for success: personal development and employability. 4th edn. London: Bloomsbury Academic.
Template
Authors (Year of Publication) ‘Article Title’, Journal Title, Volume(issue), Article Page Range or article number. Available at: DOI or URL (Accessed: date).
Example
Reference List
Asnaashari, M. et al. (2023) 'The Effect of Changes in the Angular Position of Implants on Metal Artifact Reduction in Cone-Beam Computed Tomography Images: A Scoping Review', Radiology Research and Practice, article number 5539719. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1155/2023/5539719
Changuiti, O. et al. (2023) 'Simulation and midwifery education 2011–2021: a systematic review', British Journal of Midwifery, 31(5), pp. 286–293. Available at: https://ezproxy.rgu.ac.uk/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=ip,shib&db=ccm&AN=163525494&scope=site (Accessed: 19 December 2023).
Chen, Y. (2023) 'Addressing Uncertainties Through Improved Reserve Product Design', IEEE Transactions on Power Systems, 38(4), pp. 3911–3923. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1109/TPWRS.2022.3200697
Template
Authors (Year of Publication) Webpage Title. Available at: URL (Accessed: Date).
Example
Reference List
McKinnon, M. (2024) The curious case of the missing Lanarkshire cats. Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/czvjp1gnnpro (Accessed: 2 May 2024).
Office for Students (OfS) (2023) National Student Survey 2023. Available at: https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/student-information-and-data/national-student-survey-nss/ (Accessed: 2 May 2024).
Sample Reference List
Berkenkotter, C. and Huckin, T. (2014) Genre knowledge in disciplinary communication. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Braine, G. (1989) ‘Writing in science and technology: an analysis of assignments from ten undergraduate courses’, English for Specific Purposes, 8(1), pp. 3-16. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/0889-4906(89)90003-3
Faigley, L. and Hansen, K. (2013) ‘Learning to write in the social sciences’, College Composition and Communication, 36(2), pp. 140-149. Available at: https://doi.org/10.2307/357434
Horowitz, D. (2011) ‘What professors actually require: academic tasks for the ESL classroom’, TESOL Quarterly, 20(3), pp. 445-462. Available at: https://doi.org/10.2307/3586294
Swales, J. et al. (2012) Genre analysis: English in academic and research settings. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press.
Bibliographies
A bibliography is like a reference list, but also contains references to sources not cited in your work. It is not needed for most assignments, but if in doubt please check with your module team or personal tutor.
Bibliographies follow the same rules and have the same essential features as reference lists.
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