This document provides guidance on writing a list of references for academic assignments, emphasizing the importance of including only sources that are cited. It outlines two common citation styles: Vancouver and Harvard, detailing their formats and requirements for citing books, journal articles, and internet sources. The document also includes examples of both citation styles and links for further reference support.

1. Writing References
Tony Lynch
&
Anthony Elloway

2. References: listing your sources
This short presentation is about writing a list
of references showing the source materials
you have cited in an academic assignment.

3. What to include?
• All sources cited and mentioned in your
text
• Do NOT include sources not cited – even
though you may have read them!

4. Remember to do the following
Leave yourself enough time to draw up your
list of sources
Make sure your list is complete and
consistent
Follow the appropriate conventions including formatting

5. Citation styles
There are several different citation styles,
but whichever is used there are two aspects
1. Citing
2. List of references

6. Citing

7. What do you notice about these
two extracts?
Extract 1
Socioeconomic inequalities in infant mortality exist in many
developed countries despite improvements in overall
mortality.1 Countries have varying strategies to reduce
these inequalities.2 The UK government has made major
attempts to tackle socioeconomic inequalities in infant
mortality by setting a public service agreement target in
2003 to reduce the relative deprivation gap in England and
Wales by 10% by 2010.3 However, recent evidence
indicates that this target is unlikely to be achieved and the
relative deprivation gap may be widening.4
(Smith, L.K , Manktelow, B N, Draper, E S, Springett, A, David J Field, D J. Nature of socioeconomic inequalities in neonatal mortality: population based study. BMJ 2010;34:
c6654)

8. What do you notice about these
two extracts?
Extract 2
Records of late-summer pre-departure mortality on
breeding areas have mainly involved hirundines. Two major
periods of freezing weather in central Europe in 1931 and
1974 killed hundreds of thousands or even millions of birds
(Alexander 1933; Bruderer and Muff 1979; Reid 1981).
After the 1974 incident, house martin Delichon urbica
populations in Switzerland were reduced by an estimated
25–30% in the following year (Bruderer and Muff 1979).
Other incidents refer to arctic-nesting waterfowl, unable to
leave breeding areas before falling temperatures froze
them into the ice for the winter (Barry 1968).
(Newton, I. Can conditions experienced during migration limit the population levels of birds? Journal of Ornithology 147/2L 146-166.)

9. Extract 1
Extract 1
This is the Vancouver style of citation – numerical. This style is
favoured by some scientific journals e.g. British Medical Journal.
Note the following:
• each piece of work cited has a number, given in order of citation
• if a work cited more than once, the same number is used
• the number can be written in superscript (small and raised) or
placed in brackets
• number can be placed within sentence punctuation or outside it (as
they are in this example).

10. Extract 2
Extract 2
This is the Harvard style of citation. This is widely used both in
humanities and sciences.
Note the following:
• each piece of work cited has the surname of the author and then the
date the work was published (Reid 1981)
• if a piece of work has two authors, include both names (Bruderer
and Muff 1979)
• if a piece of work has more than two authors, you can write the first
name and then add ‘et al’ (= and others) (Smith et al 2010)

11. Note-taking
It is essential to note the information
you will need for citing and referencing
at the same time as you take your
notes!

12. List of references

13. What information do you need if you cite
a book?
•
•
•
•
•
•
Name of author(s)
Title
Date of publication
Place of publication
Name of publisher
Page numbers (usually only required for
direct quotations)

14. Examples (Harvard)

15. What information do you need if you cite
a paper in an academic journal?
•
•
•
•
•
Name of author(s)
Title of paper
Date of publication
Name of journal
Page numbers

16. Examples (Harvard)

17. Information required - Internet sources?
Same as for books and papers in journals
plus
• URL
• Date when accessed

18. Examples

19. A list of references - Vancouver style
1.
Barr P, Clegg J, Wallace C. Advanced reading skills.
London: Longman, 1983.
2.
Abercrombie D. Paralanguage. British Journal of
Disorders of Communication 1968, 3:55-59.
3.
Kinsella V, editor. Language teaching and linguistics:
surveys. Cambridge: Cambridge University
Press, 1978.
4.
Oller JW, Richards JC, editors. Focus on the learner.
Rowley, Massachusetts: Newbury House, 1973.

20. Useful references
Harvard system
http://libweb.anglia.ac.uk/referencing/harvard.htm
http://education.exeter.ac.uk/dll/studyskills/harvard_referencing.htm
http://library.leeds.ac.uk/skills-referencing-harvard#activate-article
http://www.sussex.ac.uk/library/infosuss/referencing/h_intro.shtml
Vancouver (numerical) system
https://workspace.imperial.ac.uk/library/Public/Vancouver_referencing.pdf
http://www2.le.ac.uk/library/help/citing/vancouver-numbered-system/vancouver-numbered-system
http://www2.le.ac.uk/offices/careers/ld/resources/writing/vancouver
http://monash.edu/library/skills/resources/tutorials/citing/vancouver.html