The document provides an overview of referencing and the UCT Author-date referencing style. It discusses referencing as acknowledging sources, avoiding plagiarism, and enabling readers to follow cited arguments. The UCT style requires including the author's name, publication date, title, and publication details for sources cited in-text and in a reference list. Sources can be cited directly or through paraphrasing, and details vary depending on whether the source is a book, journal article, newspaper, website or other format. The guide provides numerous examples of how to reference different source types according to the UCT Author-date style. Readers are directed to the full UCT Author-date Reference Guide online for more examples.

1. Referencing
An introduction

2. What is referencing?
• A standardised way of acknowledging sources
of information and ideas that you have used
in your assignment
• Helps avoid plagiarism (stealing of other's
ideas) - Turnitin
• Enables readers to follow-up and read more
fully the cited author’s arguments
• Shows you have done research

3. UCT Author-date referencing style
• Examples given here follow the UCT Author-
date: Reference Guide

4. Basic structure of UCT Author-date reference
includes:
• Author(s) of publication– Surname & initial
• Date of publication– Year of publication
• Title of publication
• Publication details – Place and name of
publisher for books or volume, issue and page
numbers for journals and URL for an Internet
resource

5. Two stages of referencing
• In-text citation
– Put brief details in round brackets () within the
body of an essay to indicate every instance that
you have borrowed words or ideas
• Reference list
– Put the full details of all sources used in your work
at the end of your paper

6. Two ways to cite sources:
• Direct quotation – use someone else’s work
word for word
• Put the words used in “quotation marks”
• Use sparingly
• Paraphrasing – put someone else’s ideas in
your own words

7. In-text citation - Details to include (1)
If author’s name is not included in the sentence put:
(Author’s surname, year of publication:page number)
In an analysis of equity and efficiency in public education, it was found
that South Africa has elements of both a first world country, and a
third world country (Crouch, 1996:134).
The study found that “South African society embodies both First
World and Third World living standards” (Crouch, 1996:134).
NB: List all authors to a maximum of three separated by a comma but the last
separated by an ampersand &. If more than 3 authors, list the first author followed by
“et al.”

8. In-text citation - Details to include (2)
If author’s name is included in the sentence put:
(Year of publication:page number)
In his analysis of equity and efficiency in public education, Crouch
(1996:134) noted that South Africa has elements of both a first world
country, and a third world country.
Crouch (1996:134) states that “South African society embodies both
First World and Third World living standards”.

9. In-text citation - Details to include (3)
If there is no author, use the first significant words of the
title. Usually, three words are enough for in-text citations.
Use ellipses for longer titles to indicate the omission of
words:
(“First significant words of title …”, year of publication)
There was a significant increase in foreign arrivals between November
and December (“Number of foreigners visiting …”, 2016).
“Number of foreigners visiting …” (2016) noted an increase in foreign
arrivals “from 1.3-million in November to 1.5-million in December”.

10. Reference list
• Full details of all the sources mentioned in
your work have to be listed at the end of the
paper.
• Details included in a reference are dependent
on the source type i.e. book, article, website
etc.

11. Referencing - Book
Author(s) – surname & initial Glimcher, P. W.
Date – year of publication 2011.
Title – italicised Foundations of neuroeconomic analysis.
Place of publication – town of publication New York:
Publisher – name of publisher Oxford University Press.
Glimcher, P. W. 2011. Foundations of neuroeconomic analysis.
New York: Oxford University Press.
Note: The names of all authors should appear in the reference list to a maximum of
eight. Add “et al.” after the eighth name when there are more than eight authors.

12. Referencing – Chapter in a book
Author(s) of chapter – surname & initial Johansson, A.C.
Date – year of publication 2012.
Title of chapter Financial repression and China’s economic imbalances.
Title of book – italicised & preceded by the word In In Rebalancing and
sustaining growth in China.
Editor(s) of book – initial & surname followed by Ed(s). H. McKay & L.
Song, Eds.
Place of publication – town of publication Canberra:
Publisher – name of publisher ANU E Press.
Page numbers - for chapter 45-64.
Johansson, A.C. 2012. Financial repression and China’s economic
imbalances. In Rebalancing and sustaining growth in China. H. McKay & L.
Song, Eds. Canberra: ANU E Press. 45-64.

13. Referencing – Print journal article
Author(s) – surname & initial Fuchs, V.R.
Date – year of publication 2000.
Title of article The future of health economics.
Title of journal – italicised & capitalised (except articles &
prepositions) Journal of Health Economics.
Journal volume and issue number as well as page number or the
beginning and end pages if it covers more than one page
19(2):141-157.
Fuchs, V. R. 2000. The future of health economics.
Journal of Health Economics. 19(2):141-157.

14. Referencing – Electronic journal with DOI
A DOI is a unique number that identifies electronic documents. It is guaranteed
never to change, so you can use it to link permanently to electronic documents.

15. Referencing – Electronic journal with DOI
Author(s) - Surname & initial Pons-Vignon, N. & Anseeuw, W.
Date – Year of publication 2009.
Title of article – Great expectations: working conditions in South Africa since
the end of apartheid.
Title of journal – italicised & capitalised (except articles & prepositions)
Journal of Southern African Studies.
Journal volume and issue number as well as page number or the beginning
and end pages if it covers more than one page 35(4):883-899.
DOI - DOI: 10.1080/03057070903313236.
Pons-Vignon, N. & Anseeuw, W. 2009. Great expectations: working conditions
in South Africa since the end of apartheid. Journal of Southern African
Studies. 35(4):883-899. DOI: 10.1080/03057070903313236.

16. Referencing – Electronic journal with stable URL/permalink

17. Referencing – Electronic journal with stable URL/permalink
Author(s) - Surname & initial Siebert, W.S.
Date – Year of publication 1987.
Title of article – Black trade unions and the wage gap in South Africa.
Title of journal – italicised & capitalised (except articles & prepositions)
Managerial and Decision Economics.
Journal volume and issue number as well as page number or the beginning
and end pages if it covers more than one page 8(1):55-65.
Stable URL or permalink - preceded by the word Available: Available:
http://www.jstor.org/stable/2560525
Date retrieved [2015, November 25].
Siebert, W.S. 1987. Black trade unions and the wage gap in South Africa.
Managerial and Decision Economics. 8(1):55-65. Available:
http://www.jstor.org/stable/2560525 [2015, November 25].

18. Electronic journal, neither DOI nor stable URL
Author(s) – surname & initial e.g. Moll, P.
Date – year of publication e.g. 1996.
Title of article e.g. Compulsory centralization of collective bargaining in
South Africa.
Title of journal – italicised e.g. American Economic Review.
Journal volume and issue number and page number or the beginning and
end pages if it covers more than one page e.g. 86(2):326-329.
Database – preceded by the word Available e.g. Available: Business
Source Premier
Date retrieved e.g. [2013, March 12].
Moll, P. 1996. Compulsory centralization of collective bargaining in South
Africa. American Economic Review. 86(2):326-329. Available: Business
Source Premier [2013, March 12].

19. Referencing – Print newspaper article
Author(s) - Surname & initial Byforde-Jones, C.
Date – Year of publication 2003.
Title of article Hitches over mixed farming wages.
Title of newspaper – italicised & capitalised (except articles &
prepositions) Natal Witness.
Date – day of publication including pages number 2 May:11.
Byforde-Jones, C. 2003. Hitches over mixed farming wages. Natal
witness. 2 May:11.

20. Referencing – Online Newspaper article
Author(s) - Surname & initial Maswanganyi, N.
Date – Year of publication 2016.
Title of article SA can avoid a rating downgrade to junk status.
Title of newspaper – italicised & capitalised (except articles & prepositions)
Business Day.
Date – day of publication 9 February.
URL – preceded by the word Available:
Date retrieved [2016, February 11].
Maswanganyi, N. 2016. SA can avoid a rating downgrade to junk
status. Business Day. 9 February. Available:
http://www.bdlive.co.za/economy/2016/02/09/sa-can-avoid-a-rating-
downgrade-to-junk-status [2016, February 11].

21. Referencing – Online Newspaper (No author)
Title of article Number of foreigners visiting SA rose sharply in
December.
Date – Year of publication 2016.
Title of newspaper – italicised & capitalised (except articles & prepositions)
Business Day.
Date – day of publication 10 February.
URL – preceded by the word Available:
Date retrieved [2016, February 15].
Number of foreigners visiting SA rose sharply in December. 2016.
Business Day. 10 February. Available:
http://www.bdlive.co.za/business/transport/2016/02/10/number-of-
foreigners-visiting-sa-rose-sharply-in-december [2016, February 15].

22. Referencing – Online Newspaper from an electronic database
Author(s) - Surname & initial Paton, C.
Date – Year of publication 2012.
Title of article New farming wage model to be sought.
Title of newspaper – italicised & capitalised (except articles & prepositions)
Business Day.
Date – day of publication 23 November.
Database – preceded by the word Available: Available: LexisNexis
Academic
Date retrieved [2016, February 5].
Paton, C. 2012. New farming wage model to be sought. Business Day.
23 November. Available: LexisNexis Academic [2016, February 5].

23. Referencing - Website (personal authors)
Author(s) - Surname & initial Dreschler, D. & Hallam, D.
Date – Year resource was produced or last updated
2009.
Title of resource - italicised Buying land in developing
nations: challenges and promises.
URL – preceded by the word Available:
Date retrieved - date resource was accessed [2015,
March 16].
Dreschler, D. & Hallam, D. 2009. Buying land in developing
nations: challenges and promises. Available:
http://www.voxeu.org/article/buying-land-developing-
nations [2015, March 16].

24. Referencing - Website (group or corporate author)
Author(s) - Name of organisation Organisation for
Economic Co-operation and Development.
Date – Year resource was produced or last updated 2015.
Title of resource -italicised Health care quality indicators -
primary care.
URL – preceded by the word Available:
Date retrieved - date resource was accessed [2017,
February 9].
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
2015. Health care quality indicators - primary care.
Available: http://www.oecd.org/els/health-systems/hcqi-
primary-care.htm [2017, February 9].

25. UCT Author-Date Reference Guide
• More examples of referencing other sources
available in the UCT Author-date: Reference
Guide
• The guide is available from Libraries’ website

26. Go to: www.lib.uct.ac.za
Hover your mouse on
Research Help

27. Click on Referencing help

28. UCT Author-date Reference Guide

29. Reference guide

30. For reference examples

31. Need more help?
maureen.chiware@uct.ac.za