Haward
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Westminster Institute of Education
How to reference
Harvard referencing for Westminster Institute students
Kate Williams Jane Spiro Nick Swarbrick
www.brookes.ac.uk/schools/education
How to reference
2
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Introduction
Students often say that lecturers give conflicting advice on how to reference assignments, and have asked for clearer and more consistent guidelines. This guide explains how to use the Harvard (author/date) referencing style. This style is used by most courses and programmes in WIE, but not all. Check the style used on each module from your Module Handbook, or Module Leader. While individual lecturers may have their preferences for how Harvard references should be laid out (in the use of underlining and italics for example), the guidelines in this booklet are acceptable to all lecturers in the School on modules that use the Harvard style.
Why reference?
When you write academic assignments, you are expected to acknowledge all the sources you have referred to, so your reader knows where the information you are using has come from. It is therefore important that any statements you make in your work are supported by references to the materials you have read.
Good referencing is important because it
• • • • shows the sources you have used in your work enables other people to find the sources you have used supports facts and claims you have made in your work avoids the accusation of plagiarism.
Does it matter what referencing system I use?
There are various referencing styles, and all are correct. However most Schools and programmes within Oxford Brookes University, including most at Westminster Institute of Education, use the Harvard (Author-date) system, and this is the system explained in this guide.
Edition 1 September 2008
© Westminster Institute of Education Oxford Brookes University, Oxford
Contents
How this guide works 1 How to use sources in your writing
Westminster Institute of Education
How to reference
Harvard referencing for Westminster Institute students
Kate Williams Jane Spiro Nick Swarbrick
www.brookes.ac.uk/schools/education
How to reference
2
go to contents page >
Introduction
Students often say that lecturers give conflicting advice on how to reference assignments, and have asked for clearer and more consistent guidelines. This guide explains how to use the Harvard (author/date) referencing style. This style is used by most courses and programmes in WIE, but not all. Check the style used on each module from your Module Handbook, or Module Leader. While individual lecturers may have their preferences for how Harvard references should be laid out (in the use of underlining and italics for example), the guidelines in this booklet are acceptable to all lecturers in the School on modules that use the Harvard style.
Why reference?
When you write academic assignments, you are expected to acknowledge all the sources you have referred to, so your reader knows where the information you are using has come from. It is therefore important that any statements you make in your work are supported by references to the materials you have read.
Good referencing is important because it
• • • • shows the sources you have used in your work enables other people to find the sources you have used supports facts and claims you have made in your work avoids the accusation of plagiarism.
Does it matter what referencing system I use?
There are various referencing styles, and all are correct. However most Schools and programmes within Oxford Brookes University, including most at Westminster Institute of Education, use the Harvard (Author-date) system, and this is the system explained in this guide.
Edition 1 September 2008
© Westminster Institute of Education Oxford Brookes University, Oxford
Contents
How this guide works 1 How to use sources in your writing