Citing and referencing: a practical guide
This short guide explains how you cite some of the major types of materials you are likely to use
when writing your thesis and dissertation. It is recommended that you consult one of the style
guides listed in the bibliography for specific details about a particular bibliographic style. This guide
is based on the Harvard method of citation (i.e.: author-date in-text citation with a reference list or
bibliography) in conjunction with the American Psychological Association (APA) bibliographical
style (5th edition, pp. 207- 281).
a) Writing directly: Using the author’s name explicitly :
Citing a book
In-text:
Ref. list:
Travel writer Bill Bryson (1995, p.12) says that “London is a great place.”
Bryson, B. (1995). Notes from a small island. London: Black Swan.
b) Writing indirectly: Not including the author’s name :
Citing a book
In-text:
A leading travel writer has recently praised London. (Bryson, 1995).
In-text
(specific part/quote): A leading travel writer has recently called London “a great place”
(Bryson, 1995, p.12)
Ref. list.:
Bryson, B. (1995). Notes from a small island. London: Black Swan.
Citing an edited book
In-text:
Ref. list:
(Garafalo, 1992)
Garafalo, R. (Ed.). (1992). Rockin' the boat: mass music and mass
movements. Boston: South End Press.
Citing a book with two authors (and a translator + editor)
In-text:
Ref. list:
(Marx and Engels, 1965)
Marx, K., & Engels, F. (1965), The Communist manifesto (S. Moore,
Trans.; J. Katz, Ed.). New York: Washington Square Press (Original work
published 1848).
Citing a chapter from a book
In-text:
(Ullestad, 1992)
In-text
(specific part/quote): (Ullestad, 1992, p.31)
Ref. list:
Ullestad, N. (1992). Diverse rock rebellions subvert mass media hegemony.
In R. Garofalo (Ed.). Rockin' the boat: mass music and mass movements
(pp.23-45). Boston: South End Press.
Citing a journal article
In-text:
Ref. list:
(Patton, 1997)
Patton, M. (1997). Evaluation as a tool. Journal of Social Science, 18 (3),
345-356.
Citing a newspaper article
In-text:
Ref. list:
(Smith, 2003, p.16)
Smith, T. (2003, June 23). University tuition fees: the debate.
The Guardian. p.16.
Citing a conference paper
In-text:
Ref. list:
(Secker, 2005)
Secker, J. (2005). Current Issues in Information Literacy: are we making all
the wrong assumptions? In A. Martin (Ed.). Proceedings of the 4th eLiteracy
Conference, June 15-17, 2005 (pp.23-25) Glasgow, Scotland. University of
Strathclyde.
Citing a website (& corporate author)
In-text: First citation
(The London School of Economics and Political Science [LSE],
2005, para.12)
In-text: Later citations (LSE, 2005, para.12)
Ref. list:
The London School of Economics and Political Science. The
Identity Card Bill debate: what model might work? Retrieved 9 June, 2005,
from
http://www.lse.ac.uk/collections/pressAndInformationOffice/newsAndEvents/
archives/2005/ID_Card_update.htm

add page or chapter number if available on the web site.

see: http://www.apastyle.org/manual/related/electronic-sources.pdf for more examples of
electronic references using APA.
Citing a thesis
In-text:
Ref. list:
and
(Secker, 1999)
Secker, J. (1999). Newspapers and historical research: a study of historians
custodians in Wales. Unpublished Ph.D. thesis, University of Wales,
Aberystwyth.
Citing a research report
In-text:
Ref. list:
(Mullineux, 1997)
Mullineux, N. (1997). The world tyre industry: a new perspective to 2005.
(Research Report 348). London: Economist Intelligence Unit.
Citing Legislation (refer to the OSCOLA or Bluebook guides):
Ref. list:
For older acts:
Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1987
Crown Debts Act 1801 (14 Geo 3 c 90)
Citing indirect sources (author A cites author B)
See the University of Manitoba examples for APA, MLA and Chicago here:
http://www.umanitoba.ca/student/u1/lac/media/Citing-Secondary-or-Indirect-Sources-07.pdf
Parliamentary Papers
When citing parliamentary papers include the following information:



Abbreviation of the House – HC or HL
Paper number
Date of Parliamentary Session – in brackets
For example: Report from the Select Committee on Citations HC (1990-91) 7
Law reports and cases
The correct referencing method for Case Reports is commonly referred to as ‘accepted legal
citation’. This is not part of the Harvard system but it is the preferred method used by the legal
profession. Cases, therefore, are usually cited in this way:





Names of the parties (plaintiff and defendant) – underlined, in bold, or in italics and followed
by a full stop
Year the case was reported – in square brackets
Number of the volume in which it was reported
Name of the series of law reports (in abbreviated form)
Page number at which the report starts
For example:
In-text: (Smith v. Smith, 1988)
Ref. list: Smith v. Smith [1988] 5 All E.R. 3
Films, sound recordings and off-air broadcasts
Spielberg, S. (Director). (1981). Raiders of the Lost Ark. [Motion picture]. New York: Warner.
Panorama. (2003, June 23). Global warming: the inside story. [Television broadcast]. London:
BBC . [video: VHS].
Children, language and literature. (1982). [Sound recording : audiocassette].
Milton Keynes, Open University Press.
Example of order of references in list (= alphabetical, letter- by- letter):
Alleyne, R.L. (2001) …
Alleyne, R.L., & Evans, A.J. (1999) …
Baheti, J.R. (2001a) …
Baheti, J.R. (2001b) …
Cabading, J.R., & Wright, K. (2000) …
Cabading, J.R., & Wright, K. (2001) …
Garofalo, R. (1992). ….
Garofalo, R. (Ed.). (1988). ….
The London School of Economics and Political Science. (2005). …
Mathur, A.L., & Wallston, J. (1999) …
Mathur, S.E., & Ahlers, R.J. (1998) …
Panorama, (2003). …
February 2010.
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