SUBJECT MATTERS: 1. What is Reference? 2. Purpose of Reference 3. Reference Style 4. Sources of Reference 5. Primary & Secondary Sources Citation

1. ‘Reference’ in Legal Research
PRESENTED BY
ARNAB DAS
Master of Laws (LL.M)

2. Subject Matters
?
1 What is Reference?
2 Purpose of Reference
3 Reference Style
4 Sources of Reference
5 Primary & Secondary Sources Citation

3. What is Reference?
 Reference means a method of acknowledging sources of information or
ideas of others.
 Reference is required both for intellectual honesty and for credibility for
one’s research.
 Reference implies indication of direct quotation of facts, figures, ideas,
theories from published and unpublished works.
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4. Purpose of Reference
 to acknowledge and give credit to sources;
 to prove that the author is not plagiarizing;
 to enable the readers to follow-up and read more on the topic discussed;
 to give the readers the opportunity to check references as quickly as
possible;
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5.  There are two main types of reference style:
1. Oxford Reference Style; and
2. Harvard Reference Style
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Reference Style (Oxford & Harvard)

6. 1. Oxford & Harvard Reference Style
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 In Oxford reference style, the
details of the sources are given
either at the bottom of the each
page, called footnotes, or in a
reference list at the end of
research paper, called end noting.
 Footnotes or endnotes should be
designated as 1, 2, 3, etc.
 In Harvard reference style, a brief
citation to a source is given within
the text. Its indicated by citing the
name of the author, the date of
publication to the relevant work.
 In example: Farukh, Al Abdullah
(2009), Essentials of Legal
Research, Palal Prokshoni

7. Sources of Reference
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 There are two types of sources of Reference:
Primary Source: Primary sources refers to the records of the law
made by the law making authority, Codes, Statutes, Cases, Rules &
Regulations or decisions made by the administrative body.
Secondary Sources: Secondary sources refers to the law books,
journals, articles in book, periodicals, treaties, decision of the foreign
courts, seminar or conference proceedings, legal dictionary, law
digests, etc.)

8. Sources of Reference
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How to Citation Primary Sources?
1. UN Treaty Series
2. UN Documents
3. Case Citation

9. Primary Sources Citation
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1. For UN Treaty Series:
 the name of the treaty;
 the date of its adoption & enforcement;
 the volume number of the treaty series;
 the abbreviation of UN body; and
 the number of page(s) or article
For instance, International Convention on Civil and Political Rights (adopted 16
December 1966, entered into force 23 March 1976) 999 UNTS 171 OR,
Universal Declaration of Human Rights (adopted 10 December 1948) UNGA Res
217 A(III) (UDHR) Art 5

10. Primary Sources Citation
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2. United Nations (UN) Documents:
UNSC Res 1373 (28 September 2001) UN Doc S/RES/1373
UNGA Res 3314 (XXIX) (14 December 1974)

11. Primary Sources Citation
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3. Case Citation:
 the name of the parties of the case;
 the date that the decision was made before the court;
 the volume number of the law report series;
 the abbreviation of that report series;
 the abbreviation of the court in which the decision was made; and
 the first page or specific page of the report
For instance, State vs. Mohammad Shafiqul Islam and Others (1991) 43
DLR (AD) 92
State vs. Mohammad Shafiqul Islam and Others (1991) 43 DLR (AD) 92 at
94 or 92-94

12. Sources of Reference
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How to Citation Secondary Sources?
1. Book Citation
2. Journal Article Citation
3. Internet Sources Citation

13. Secondary Sources Citation
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1. For Book Citation:
Name of the Author/Editors;
Title of the Book;
No. of Edition (if there any);
Name of the Publisher/Publication;
Place of the Publication (only the city)
Date of the Publication (only the year); and
Page number/numbers
For instance, Islam, Mahmudul, Constitution Law of Bangladesh, 2nd
Edition, Mullick Brothers, Dhaka, 2003, p. 147

14. Secondary Sources Citation
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2. For Journal Article Citation:
Name of the Author;
Name of the article with single quotation mark;
The name of the Journal in italics;
Volume number of the Journal;
Date of the Publication (month & year); and
Page or pages range
For instance, Shahdeen Malik, ‘Law of Homicide in the Early Nineteenth
Century Bengal: Changed Law and Unchanged Application’, Bangladesh
Journal of Law, Vol. 2, No. 1, (1998), pp. 85-102

15. Secondary Sources Citation
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3. Internet Sources Citation:
 Name of the Article;
 Web address (omitting http:// or https://);
 The date that the material was accessed;
For instance, Law of Homicide in the Early Nineteenth Century, at
www.bdlawjournal.com/article/7768, last retrieved on July 11, 2001

16. THANK YOU FOR YOUR
PATIENCE.
HAVE A NICE MOMENT! 

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