Referencing and RefWorks
RGU Vancouver Referencing
Referencing is a critical element in any academic assignment and during your studies at RGU, you will always be required to reference your sources according to our guidelines.
Remember that you need to follow the examples exactly - using capital letters, italic and the correct punctuation as shown in the examples.
If you require feedback on some of your references, please submit them using our feedback request form only. Please make sure you have read the terms of service on the form before submitting your request.
Why Reference?
| WHY DO I HAVE TO REFERENCE? |
|---|
| To support your arguments by referring your reader to academic sources which confirm what you are saying |
| To give credit to the other authors whose work you have quoted, or to whose work you have referred |
| To avoid a charge of plagiarism |
| To allow the reader of your work to find the books, journal articles, web pages etc. which you have read |
| To demonstrate that you understand the conventions of academic writing |
| WHEN DO I REFERENCE? |
|---|
| Every time you quote directly from someone else’s work |
Every time you refer indirectly to the work of someone else, e.g. if you:
|
| When you wish to provide sources of further information, clarification of points you have made in your text, or additional evidence to support your arguments |
What is...
The Stages of Referencing
Features
- appears at the end of your work giving the full reference details of works from which you have quoted or to which you have referred in your text
- is arranged numerically by the citation numbers in your text and should be headed References
- if you have quoted directly only once from a source, the endnote will include a page reference
Features
- appears at the end of your work following the endnote
- lists the full reference details for all items included in your endnote plus anything else which you have read but not referred to or quoted in your text, e.g. background reading.
- is arranged alphabetically by author. If it contains more than one work by the same author they are arranged alphabetically by title.
The citation is inserted into your text where you have quoted from, or referred to, someone else's work.
Features
- consists of a number either in brackets (1) [1] or in superscript¹
- the numbers run consecutively throughout your work
- if you quote from, or refer to, the same source more than once, use the same citation number each time; a page reference may also appear if available.
- if you have quoted directly from an item more than once in your text you will place a page reference after the number
Examples
| When you paraphrase: | It has been suggested that.... (1). |
| When you paraphrase and want to use the author(s) name(s) in the sentence: |
|
| When you directly quote: | One view is that “referencing is a pain I could do without” (1). |
| When you directly quote and use the author(s) name(s) in the sentence: | Brown (1) has stated most astutely that “referencing is a pain I could do without”. |
A-Z Templates
Further support for Vancouver referencing
If you need further support with Vancouver referencing please visit our Workshops and Appointments page where you will find information on how to book 1-1 or small group support appointments with one of our team.
How we can help
If you're not sure which template is right for your source, or if you're struggling to identify the information you need, then you can email the team for support.
If you require feedback on some of your references, please submit them using our feedback request form only. Please make sure you have read the terms of service on the form before submitting your request.
Appointments, workshops and email support are available during the Academic Support Team working hours of Monday-Friday 9am-5pm.
Appointment and email response times will depend on team availability and demands on the service. These are very high demand services so please ensure you contact us well ahead of any deadlines.