Compiled by: Tracy Kent, Digital Assets Librarian, University of Birmingham t.k.kent@bham.ac.uk, December 2011

Good referencing is an essential part of scholarship and information management and generally has three main functions:

• to acknowledge an intellectual debt
• to support specific facts or claims
• to enable the reader to find sources easily

There are two main styles of referencing: author/date system (often referred to as Harvard) where the author's surname and year of publication is placed in the text with a list of references arranged alphabetically at the end of the work; the numbering system (often called Vancouver) whereby references are numbered in the text and the list of references is compiled at the end of the work with specific sequences for presentation of the elements in this style.

Both systems allow some flexibility in how the in-text citation may appear and publishers will clearly specify the style references should appear in. Check the guidelines for contributors before any submission is made (usually on the inside cover).

•  A good academic paper draws on and develops what has already been published in the literature. If you have read widely then ensure those references appear within your paper.
• References are needed when you cite or quote from someone’s work and must appear in the body of the text and the reference list at the end.

• Never assume that you will not need an item again once you have read it. You may need to verify a reference! So take care to note all the information about a particular reference for ease of re-tracing.

• If you maintain a set of photocopied articles make a note about their location in your file. This saves time and effort looking for references again.

• Never cite what you have not seen. If you come across an abstract of interest then obtain the original before adding it to your bibliography.

• Avoid citing unpublished works as this makes tracing references difficult. Failure to locate references may lead to serious academic offences and possible breach of Copyright.

• Check your list of references for accuracy, currency and consistency before you submit and ensure that your list fulfils the functions of referencing outlined above.

• Use any guidelines that have been recommended for your course – usually found in course handbooks.

• Consider investing in appropriate reference management software (see overleaf) which will help with this process.

Top tips on reference management software 

Are you a researcher or information professional with a need to manage references either within your organisation or for your own personal use?

Managing references is a labour intensive, but necessary, part of information management. If your references cannot be found or, worse, are found incomplete then there is a serious problem for you or your organisation. Reference management software might be the answer.

1. Do your homework!

Research and plan your requirements for the software. Consider what the software can do and the space implications. Choosing software is a very personal choice and it is difficult to compare features, so obtain demonstration copies. A useful comparison chart, which includes free and fee-based packages, can be found at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_reference_management_software.  

2. Consider the hardware you have available

Does your organisation have an IT standard which must be conformed to (for example PC or Mac) and how many users are likely to need to make use of the software? Is there a networkable version? Will users be based in one location or is access required any time, any place, anywhere? Can the data be easily transferred from one type of computer to another? Are your references to be accessed securely and used anytime? 

3. How is the integrity of the collection maintained?

Whether entering author’s names, periodical titles, keywords or other reference components, the extent to which consistency is maintained impacts upon the validity of the data retrieved, and the speed of retrieval. Check what features are provided to help maintain a consistent database, such as alphabetized listings, duplicate detection and alternative periodical names. 

4. Which services do you use for your research?

The software provides an opportunity to import references from a range of databases, suppliers and providers. You need to be clear about where you obtain your data so that you can check if the process of importing is straightforward. Some packages are aimed at particular disciplines whilst others are multidisciplinary. Direct searching of particular database hosts (Web of Science, library catalogues, etc.) is often inbuilt so check if your particular favourites are listed. 

5. Who searches your collection?

Answers to this will determine how full and complete your citations need to be, including whether you wish to link to full text documents, web URLs or to refer to material housed in a physical building. How sophisticated does the searching need to be to retrieve meaningful references? Do you require full Boolean logic operators or merely a browse option? Are your users local or across the other side of the world? 

6. Where do you publish?

The production of a bibliography at the touch of a button is the greatest time saving device of this type of software. The delivery of several hundred output styles does away, to some extent, with the need to know citation rules and practices, but only if your required style is supported. 

7. Finally, what are the support and training implications for introducing the software?

Although entering and retrieving references should be simple, specific training is often necessary to be able to exploit the software to its fullest. Who will provide the training? What support strategies are in place once the training phase is over? How will you obtain and encourage feedback on the software once it is in place? 

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