University of Malta
Department of Music Studies
School of Performing Arts
Referencing System
Music Studies follows the ‘Citation by the Author–Date System’ in the MHRA Style Guide
(available at http://www.mhra.org.uk/Publications/Books/StyleGuide/) in Section 11.4 (page 78).
This system requires all bibliographical references to be placed at the end in alphabetical order
by names of author(s) or editor(s), followed by date of publication. The form recommended is as
in the following examples:
Anderson, Benedict. 1983. Imagined Communities: Reflections on the Origin and Spread of
Nationalism (London: Verso) [This applies to books.]
Crystal, David. 2010. An Encyclopedic Dictionary of Language and Languages, 3rd edn
(Oxford: Blackwell) [This applies to books with more than one edition.]
Rouse, John. 2005. ‘Brecht and the Contradictory Actor’, in Phillip B. Zarrilli (ed.), Acting
Re-Considered: A Theoretical and Practical Guide, 2nd edn (London: Routledge), pp. 248–
59 [This applies to chapters in books.]
Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus. 1960. Sonatas and Fantasies for the Piano, rev. edn, ed. by
Nathan Broder (Bryn Mawr, PA: Presser) [This applies to published scores.]
Evans, David. 2001. ‘Memphis’, in Stanley Sadie and John Tyrell (eds.), The New Grove
Dictionary of Music and Musicians, 2nd edn (London: Macmillan), 17: 811-13 [This applies
to encyclopedia entries.]
MacAulay, Donald (ed.). 1992. The Celtic Languages (Cambridge: Cambridge University
Press) [This applies to edited books.]
Turino, Thomas. 1999. ‘Signs of Imagination, Identity, and Experience: A Peircean Theory
for Music’, Ethnomusicology, 43 (2): 221–55 [This applies to journal articles. Do not
include ‘pp.’ for journal articles.]
Friedland, Jonathan. 2002. ‘Across the Divide’, Guardian, 15 January, section G2, pp. 10–11
[This applies to paper newspaper/magazine articles.]
Friedland, Jonathan. 2002. ‘Across the Divide’, Guardian, 16 January, <
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2002/jan/16/comment.jonathanfreedland> [accessed 25
August 2014] [This applies to online newspaper/magazine articles.]
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Camilleri, Frank. 2009. ‘Tilting at Windmills: A Case Study’, Icarus Performance Project,
<http://www.icarusproject.info/tilting-at-windmills/> [accessed 30 July 2014] [This applies
to online articles.]
Taylor, Mary. 1977. ‘The Legend of Apollonius of Tyre in Spanish and French Literature
before 1500’ (unpublished master’s thesis, University of Manchester) [This applies to theses
and dissertations.]
Butler, Robert. 2002. ‘The World Has Gone Mad Today’ Program notes for Anything Goes
(London: National Theatre) [This applies to program notes.]
Wethal, Torgeir (dir.). 1972. Training at the Teatr Laboratorium in Wrocław (Holstebro: Odin
Teatret Film) [This applies to films. If you are citing a film on the internet (e.g. YouTube)
you should reference the original film and not the YouTube site.]
Frantic Assembly. 2014. < http://www.franticassembly.co.uk/> [accessed 06 September 2014]
[This applies to websites. The date refers to when you last accessed it.]
Debono, Joe. 2011. ‘Programme 10’, Platea – Series III, Campus FM – University of Malta,
<http://campusfm.um.edu.mt/pages/webcastspages/Autumn_14/platea_mainpage.html#series
_3> [accessed 16 August 2014] [This applies to broadcasts, podcasts, webcasts.]
Beethoven, Ludwig van. 1999. Piano Concerto no. 5, Mitsuko Uchida, Symphonieorchester
des Bayerischen Rundfunks, cond. by Kurt Sanderling (Phillips, 462 586-2) [on CD] [This
applies to recordings under the direction of a conductor.]
Sykes, Belinda (dir.). 2001. Ballads of Love and Betrayal, Joglaresa (Village Life, 01013VL)
[on CD] [This applies to recordings of an ensemble under a musical/artistic director].
FURTHER NOTES ABOUT BIBLIOGRAPHY ENTRIES
(1) Note the use of capital letters, numbering, and punctuation in the Bibliography examples listed above
(including no full stop at the end of each item).
(2) Where there are two or more authors, use: ‘Ogden, C. K., and I. A. Richards’ rather than ‘Ogden, C.
K. and I. A. Richards’ or ‘Ogden, C. K. and (or &) Richards, I. A.’. Editors should be referred to by the
abbreviations ‘(ed.)’ or ‘(eds)’.
(3) If the list includes more than one work by the same author, a long dash should be substituted for
the name after the first appearance and works should be listed in date order, e.g.:
Posner, Rebecca. 1996. The Romance Languages (Cambridge: Cambridge
University Press)
—— 1997. Linguistic Change in French (Oxford: Clarendon Press)
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(4) If two or more works by the same author(s) have the same publication date, they should be
arranged in alphabetical order of title and distinguished by adding letters after the date (e.g. ‘1998a’,
‘1998b’).
IMPORTANT NOTE: REFERENCES IN THE TEXT
Do not use footnotes for referencing purposes. Footnotes should be used to make additional comments.
All references should be placed in the text as in the following:
References in the text should give in parentheses the surname of the author, the publication date of the
work, and, where necessary, a page reference, e.g.:
Pidgins contrast with creoles, which are created when pidgins acquire native speakers (Crystal
1992: 302).
Note the spacing and punctuation of the format: (Surname year: number) – (Crystal 1993: 302)
When the author’s name is given in the text, it should not be repeated in the reference. In such cases, the
reference either follows the name or, if this seems stylistically preferable, may come at some other point
in the same sentence:
Smith (1977: 66) argues that […]
Smith, who was known for his contentious views, replied (1977: 66) that […]
Smith regards this interpretation as ‘wholly unacceptable’ (1977: 66).
In the case of multiple authors, separate authors’ names with a comma, and precede last author
name with “&”:
[. . .] identified in the canon of Sartre’s work (Austin, Rees & Vinaver 1961).
In the case of four or more authors use first author’s surname and the abbreviation “et al.”
[. . .] the subtle distinctions between nineteenth century French and English high culture
(Harkness et al. 2003).
When the year is given in the text it should not be repeated in the reference. In such cases,
include just the author name (and page reference, if applicable) inside parentheses:
[. . .] an earlier essay from 1994 puts forward an entirely different view (Oczion: 283-89).
When there is no author use the title in place of the author name:
[. . .] accepted definition given (Collins German-English Dictionary 1993).
Author cited in another work (secondary citation): Try to avoid this where possible, it is not
good practice to cite material that you have not directly read yourself. You should always try to
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find the original publication. Where unavoidable, refer to the original author, but make it clear
that the source of your information is another author and publication,
[. . .] A study by Schneider indicates that working is important to the self-esteem (cited by
Forrester Jones et al. 2002: 755).
[. . .] Forrester Jones et al. refer to Schneider’s study on self-esteem (2002). [In this case,
Schneider is the original author, and Forrester Jones is the work the original author is
mentioned in].
The expressions ‘loc. cit.’ and ‘op. cit.’ are too vague and should not be used. The term ‘ibid.’
should be used very sparingly and limited to those situations where there is no possibility of
confusion, such as after a second reference which is separated from its predecessor by no more
than four lines of typescript. ‘Id.’ should be avoided since the Latin idem refers only to a single
male author.
fc & pc.12.2015
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