A reference list gives the sources cited in a text. Each citation connects a specific piece of information to a specific source.
This is different from a bibliography (sometimes headed further reading or similar), which is a list of sources the author has used and an interested reader might like to explore. A bibliography is not a replacement for a reference list, because it does not tell the reader where a particular fact or statement came from.
In a conventional text, an in-text citation may take several forms, including:
- numerical – often as a superscript1 or in brackets, either (2) or [3]
- author name and date – for example, (Jones 2012)
- some other unique combination that links to an entry in the reference list.
The references are usually collected at the back in a separate list, but may be in footnotes or endnotes, interspersed with other notes. Always find out what referencing system your publication uses – there are hundreds of variations – and use it. Your institute will have guidelines for formatting documents.
Decide whether to manage your references manually or use referencing software. The decision might depend on the size of the project, the writing tools you are using and whether you want to keep your work in the cloud.
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