Why reference?
In your work at university you are expected to:
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acknowledge the authors and creators of the ideas and material that has informed your work, and
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show that you have used reputable sources of information.
These acknowledgments are normally presented in the format of a particular referencing style.
If you fail to acknowledge the work of others correctly, you may be guilty of plagiarism, even if you have done so unintentionally.
The University of Melbourne produces a wide range of resources to ensure that you understand the requirements of referencing, including:
Referencing styles
Re:cite is the University of Melbourne Library's guide to referencing. It:
- includes general style notes for a number of referencing styles
- provides guidelines showing how to format different types of sources, with examples
- is a useful guide for commonly used source types, like books and journal articles
However, it doesn't cover everything you might use as a source.
To assist students in the Faculty of Fine Arts and Music, the Library provides support for two referencing styles:
- Chicago A (Chicago style with footnotes)
- Chicago B (Chicago style with in-text or author-date)
What to cite when you write?
Books
Journal Articles
Images
Sound
Film/ DVD/ TV
Websites
Artworks
Citation generators- use with caution
You may like to use a citation generator to help you create your references. These tools are quick but they are not always accurate. Make sure you double-check your references against Re:cite to make sure they are correct.
Incorporating sources
You can incorporate information from sources you uncover in your research in a number of ways.
For written information, you can use direct quotes, paraphrases and summaries to critically evaluate the ideas of other authors and use them to support your work.
Direct quote:
Paraphrase:
Summary:
Footnote:
This short video shows you some tips to help you rewrite the ideas of other authors in your own words. Paraphrasing ideas in your writing (video).
For more information about integrating sources in your writing, refer to Incorporating sources in academic writing (pdf).
Your voice
In addition to drawing on a range of academic sources in your work, it's important to include your own arguments and ideas.
You should use your 'voice' in your academic writing to indicate to readers which ideas are yours, and provide your critical evaluation of the ideas of other authors.
Example 1
Example 2
Watch this video about critical literacy for an overview of techniques to distinguish your ideas from the ideas of other writers. Critical literacy (video).
To develop your own 'voice', refer to Voice in academic writing (pdf).
For a collection of many words and phrases that could be used to express your voice, refer to the following sections of the University of Manchester Academic Phrasebank: