Beginner's Guide to referencing

Build your confidence and skills via our step-by-step guide.

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Stage 1: What is Referencing?
Stage 2: Choosing a Referencing Style
Stage 3: Laying out your bibliography
Stage 4: Avoiding common mistakes
Stage 5: Best Practice tip to follow
Stage 6: Further Support
Stage 1

What is
Referencing?

Referencing is how you give credit to the original sources of ideas, facts, or quotes used in your assignments. It shows where your information comes from, helping to back up your points and avoid plagiarism.

By citing sources correctly, you make your work trustworthy and give readers a way to find the information you used.
For more information, please watch our video for a referencing masterclass
Stage 2

Choosing a
Referencing style?

Various subjects use different referencing styles to make sure sources are cited clearly and consistently. Each style has its guidelines to help you properly reference books, articles, websites, and other sources. Check with your lecturers if you’re unsure which one to use.
Below is an array of some referencing styles. Please have a peek.
APA (American Psychological Association)
MLA (Modern Language Association)
Harvard Referencing 
Chicago Manual of Style
Vancouver
Stage 3

Laying Out
Bibliography

A bibliography, also known as Reference List is a list of all the sources you've referenced in your work. It’s important because it credits the authors whose ideas have supported your argument and helps the reader follow up on your research. By including a full bibliography, you’re showing a clear record of your sources, strengthening the credibility of your work and demonstrating academic integrity.
At the end of your work, you’ll need a reference list on a separate page of all the sources you've cited. Your reference list should contain only primary and secondary sources, and there are a few formatting rules to follow:
Below is an array of some referencing styles. Please have a peek.
See These Rules
Stage 4

Avoiding
Common mistakes

Below is an array of some referencing styles. Please have a peek.
01. Lack of quotation marks
02. Lack of paraphrasing
03. Lack of secondary referencing
04. Sharing work with friends
05. Self-plagiarism
06. Using AI
Stage 5

Best practices &
Tips to follow

To prevent mistakes, follow our best practice tips below.

01.

Complete the ‘Academic honesty & plagiarism’ module on ELE

We recommend completing this module once a term to ensure you fully understand what referencing is. 

Many students we see who get investigated for academic misconduct either didn’t do the ELE module as part of their induction or haven’t done the module again since the very beginning of their time at university. 
Watch How To do This

02

Put the book down 

If you read a book, left it at home and then met your friend in town who asked you about what you’re reading, you wouldn’t be able to quote from the book or read out the blurb. Instead, you would have to describe it in your own words.
 
Similarly, after you finish reading an academic source we recommend closing it and then trying to summarise it. Because you don’t have the book open and are not tempted to copy directly, your summary will be in your own words. This is a really good way to improve your paraphrasing skills. 

03

Make your quotations count

Paraphrasing the author's ideas is usually the best approach, as it highlights your understanding of the material. However, there will be moments when a direct quotation is essential. Remember, that quoting an entire paragraph often suggests a simple copy-and-paste effort rather than a grasp of the argument.

We suggest focusing on shorter quotes—individual sentences or key phrases—especially when the author’s wording is particularly impactful or when paraphrasing would risk altering the original meaning. 

04

Columns or colours

Academic misconduct often happens unintentionally due to poor note-taking. When students copy directly from a source without marking it for paraphrasing, they may later believe it’s in their own words, leading to accidental plagiarism.

We recommend two approaches:

• Columns – use a Microsoft Word table to put your notes in. Use one column for direct quotations that you want to use in your assignment and another column for paraphrased material that you have already put into your own words.

• Colours – use one colour for direct quotations and another colour for paraphrased material. This way, when it comes to writing your assignment you know what text you can copy in (which you have already put into your own words) and what still needs to be paraphrased.

05

Give yourself time

Most students we support through academic misconduct have been under pressure and run out of time which led to the referencing errors.
 
We always recommend completing referencing as you write your assignment rather than leaving it until the very end. This will allow you time to spot any potential mistakes and correct them before you submit your work. 

If you are unwell physically or mentally and are unable to submit your work in time, we strongly recommend that you  apply for mitigation. This can be done 24 hours after the deadline has passed. It is always better to submit your work when you are feeling well so you can submit the best possible version. 

06

Talk to someone 

If you are ever unsure about your referencing, we always recommend reaching out to someone to discuss your concerns.
  
It is always better to check than to take a risk and deal with it on your own. The person you speak to won’t be annoyed, they will be happy to provide reassurance that you’re on the right track. You can ask your lecturer, personal tutor, peers or the Guild Advice team. 
Stage 6

Need further
Support?

Do you still need a bit more information? The University offers support tailored to your academic circumstances.
Select the option below which best describes you to access more tailored information.
Study Zone
LibGuides
Studiosity
INTO
Academic and lecturer support
Exeter Students’ Guild