This document discusses how to properly reference sources in academic assignments. It explains that referencing is important to acknowledge sources, gain marks by supporting arguments, and allow others to follow up on research. A reference includes an in-text citation with a corresponding footnote and full reference in the bibliography. Quotations use exact words while paraphrasing rewrites ideas in one's own words, but both require referencing the original source. Examples are provided of correctly formatted references for a quotation and paraphrase. The key is to always acknowledge where information came from, even when rephrasing ideas.

1. Correct use of sources
How to acknowledge other people’s work in
your assignments

2. By the end of this presentation you should know:
• Why you should reference
• What a reference looks like
• The difference between quotation and paraphrasing

3. Why reference?
• To acknowledge the sources of your information
• To gain marks by:
– Providing evidence to support your arguments
– Enabling your tutors to check the accuracy and
dependability of your sources
• It also enables others to follow up your area of research

4. What is a reference?
A reference is the way that you acknowledge your use of other
people’s work. There are three parts:
1. The citation is a pointer in the text of your work, saying that
you are using someone else’s ideas.
– You do this by putting a number in superscript and square
brackets into your sentence like this [1]. The numbers
correspond to the order in which the sources appear in
your work.

5. What is a reference?
A reference is the way that you acknowledge your use of other
people’s work. There are three parts:
2. The footnote at the base of the page gives the short details of
the work from which the information came.
3. The reference gives the full details of the work from which
the information came. You put it in a Bibliography at the end
of your work.

6. What does a reference look like?
A direct quotation from a book
Use information downloaded from the internet with caution. Be aware
that “you should never let the ease of using the Internet replace using a
library and using textbooks.”[1]
Footnote (at the bottom of the page)
1. Neville, C. (2010), at p.151.
Bibliography (at the end of your essay)
Neville, C. (2010) The ultimate study skills handbook. Maidenhead:
Open University Press.
This is the full reference that
goes in the bibliography at the
end of the essay
This is the brief reference
that goes in the footnote.
This is the
citation

7. Different referencing styles
The previous slide is a basic example.
Your school or course may require references to be
formatted in a slightly different way. Go to
http://www.bradford.ac.uk/library/help/referencing/ to find
the referencing guide for your course.

8. Quoting
Quotation is when you use the exact words of someone
else’s work
You must make it plain exactly which words you are
quoting, and acknowledge the source that they came
from.
Charts, diagrams, photographs, code, etc. from someone
else’s work also count as direct quotes.
For more information go to
http://www.bradford.ac.uk/library/help/plagiarism/avoiding-
plagiarism/#quotation

9. Paraphrasing
Paraphrasing is when you read someone else’s work,
think about it, and rewrite it in your own words, without
changing the facts or meaning of the original
It is usually better to paraphrase, as it shows you have
understood
You still need to acknowledge a source when you have
paraphrased it!
For more information go to
http://www.bradford.ac.uk/library/help/plagiarism/avoiding-
plagiarism/#paraphrasing

10. Example of a correctly acknowledged quotation
“You should never let the
ease of using the Internet
replace using a library” [1]
Note the quotation marks
around the quoted text
and the number that
points to brief details of
the book that should be
given in a footnote.

11. Example of a correctly acknowledged paraphrase
Even though it is often easier
to use internet sites, students
should still use library
resources [1].
Here the idea is put into your own
words, so there is no need for
quotation marks. You still need to
acknowledge the source of the
idea .

12. Remember!
If you learn and subsequently use anything from a
resource you have read, you must acknowledge where it
came from, even if you are not using exactly the same
words as the original source

13. What next?
Please go back to Blackboard (the window will still be
open) and click the “Mark Reviewed” button.
The next lesson is on types of plagiarism.

14. For more information visit our website:
www.bradford.ac.uk/library
Plagiarism Awareness for New Students by University of Bradford Library is licensed
under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial 4.0 International License
We welcome feedback on our documentation. Please email: library@bradford.ac.uk.
.
July 2014