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Referencing

Referencing is a key skill you need to demonstrate good academic practice. You must provide references for everything you use to write your assignments. A reference provides the reader with all the information needed to accurately identify the original source of the authors you have quoted or paraphrased.

You will be taught how to reference as part of your course. Depending on what referencing style you are being taught with, you might find the following pages useful:
Whichever style is preferred, you must use it consistently throughout your assignment. You should check in your module guide or with your lecturer/course leader before you begin your work to ensure you are using the right referencing style.

Library support

  • we can help you understand general principles of referencing using the style guides linked from this page
  • We can answer questions about specific referencing difficulties. Contact us for advice
  • We can show you how to use our subscribed reference management software, RefWorks. In addition to this, we have a guide on using Zotero but we cannot support other products. More information on other referencing tools is available online including comparison tables
  • If you choose to use the Referencing tab in Microsoft Word, please note that the Harvard-Anglia 2008 style is not the official ARU style. You will need to modify references to comply with CTR Harvard style
  • We cannot correct or proof-read your written work. Check the Academic Regulations to ensure your work is compliant

Where can you get help?

Page Last Reviewed: 11th April 2025 by Andrew Boulden.