A Complete Guide on Referencing Style Every Student Must Be Aware Of!

In order to make a perfect academic document, referencing must be done of the sources from which the information has been collected. Having said that, there are different type of reference style that you must know to proceed further with citation. The referencing style is often specified by the academic institution with their guidelines to avoid creating any confusion for the students.

Citation of the sources also helps in eliminating the plagiarism from the academic paper and provides evidence to support the presented information in the document. The below section contains a detailed study; they are:

1. Harvard Referencing Guide
2. Vancouver Referencing Guide
3. APA Referencing Guide
4. OSCOLA Referencing Guide

Read further to know more!

Learn Different Types of Reference Styles: Harvard, Vancouver, APA, OSCOLA

Generating references in the academic document enhances its authenticity and legitimacy by showcasing every source from which the data is collected. Since you are writing an academic document, you must be well aware of the different type of reference style used for citation and that every one of them has its own importance.

Furthermore, the referencing is done in two different ways:

1. In-text Citation: This is done in the middle of the content, where you can add a citation showing that the information has been collected from the particular source. This makes it easier for the professor to check the authenticity without any complexities. It requires some necessary details while citing the sources that you will know below, along with every type of referencing style.

2. Reference List: The list of all the sources will appear at the end of the document to make it easier to find them in one place. It is generally written in alphabetical order as per the author’s name. Also, this helps in separating and clearly showcasing every source or citation properly.

To proceed further, below are the guides for different types of references:

Harvard Referencing:

The Harvard referencing guide is used basically in the humanities stream. This can be done as the in-text citation of the sources referred to collect the information for the document. Also, this uses the author-date system for citing the sources.

• The structure of the Harvard referencing style is simple and easier for the students to understand without any complexities.
• Having said that, the Harvard referencing style follows this format for citation:
• Last Name, First Initial. (Year Published). Title. City: Publisher, Page(s)

Vancouver Referencing:

• The Vancouver referencing guide is generally used in the stream of medical science as well as in the technical stream to cite the sources used as references.
• In this, one or more authors can be included to showcase every detail in the reference list. The format of Vancouver referencing style for citation:
• Authors. Article Title. Journal Title. Date of Publication; Volume (Issue): Page(s)

APA Referencing:

APA stands for American Psychological Association. APA referencing guide is generally used in the social science stream to cite the sources. With the help of this style, the students can easily showcase their information in the document by following it consistently throughout.

• The format of APA referencing style used for citation is:
• Author Last Name, First Initial. Middle Initial if known. Publication Year. Book Title. Publisher.

OSCOLA Referencing:

OSCOLA is basically a footnote style of citing the sources that are referred for writing the information of the document. In this style, instead of using full stop for separations of the abbreviations, the semi-colon is used.

• The OSCOLA referencing guide is basically used in the law stream to cite the sources that are referred by the student to make a perfect document that helps in supporting their information.
• The format used in OSCOLA referencing styles for citing the sources:
• Author’s Last Name, Author’s Initial Name; (‘Quote the laws’) Section

After reading the above, it is clear when to use which type of reference style and the structure to be followed for the same. Having said that, it is also important to know the do’s and don’ts of referencing that every student should know to do it correctly; the below section explains it in detail.

You may also like to read: The Best Examples of Online IEEE Citation Generator & Mistakes Done by Students

Do’s & Don’t of Referencing to Consider!

Since there are different type of reference style, as shown above, it is important to learn the do’s and don’ts of referencing to avoid any complexities while citing the sources in your document:

Do’s of Referencing:

1. Make the correct use of sources that are referred to collect information from.
2. Follow the guidelines as given by the academic institution to use a type of reference style for citing the sources.
3. Be consistent with the referencing style you are using throughout the document.
4. Include the references list on the end page.
5. Make the referencing list alphabetically considering the author name.
6. Check that the name is correctly written in both the in-text citation and reference list presented at the end of the document.
7. Integrate the quotes with correct page numbers for the list of references.

Don’ts of Referencing:

1. Don’t Stick with the same rules, avoid any additional ones; it will create more confusion and hence complexity in citing sources will increase.
2. Stop Citing the sources after the document is written completely. And keep the referred sources in the bookmark.
3. Avoid keeping the record of sources that you have used while writing the document.
4. Eliminate recording of the sources not used to collect the information to make the document informative.
5. Don’t include all the information like the author’s name, publication date, etc.

The above are some do’s and don’ts that must be remembered while citing the sources. Having said that, there are different type of reference style; therefore, while picking the one, you must be well aware of the above points to not make any mistakes.

No Time for Citations? Reading this Might be Helpful!

Are you unaware of which citation to use and how to use it? Yes, then do not worry; you are not alone in this; students make mistakes of not bookmarking their sources and then waste a lot of time searching for the same. If you also have come across experiencing the same, then taking help with assignment writing from the experts is proven to be the best solution.

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