FADA - Undergraduate Student Support: How To: Referencing

What is referencing?

Referencing is the way that you describe the sources of information and ideas that you use in your assignments.

Why do I need to reference?

• To indicate where you get your information/ideas from.
• So the reader can verify your sources.
• To avoid plagiarism.   Plagiarism is when a person tries to present someone else's work as their own.  Penalties for plagiarism can include loss of marks, failing a subject or failing your course. You might like to watch this short video on plagiarism.

What do I have to reference?

• If you have used anything in your assignment that was originally written or created by someone else, you must reference it. 
• This does not just mean direct quotes... it also includes any ideas you have paraphrased or summarized…
• It applies to anything you use - graphs, statistics, images etc.

The primary reason to cite your sources is to avoid plagiarism and give proper credit to the original author or creator.  Other reasons for citing your sources:

• Enables a reader to locate the sources you cited.

• Demonstrates the accuracy and reliability of your information.

• Shows the amount of research you’ve done.

• Strengthens your work by lendi outside support to your ideas.