2. Why do I have to reference my academic work?

It is important that you always reference your work. Correctly referencing your work means that you:

  • acknowledge the contribution that other people have made to your work
  • produce work that is credible and accountable
  • help the reader to locate the sources you have used to write your coursework: remember, someone else - not least your tutor - may wish to consult a particular book chapter or article that you have used

The essential point of referencing then, is to ensure that your work is demonstrably honest and reliable, and to make the sources and resources you have used as traceable as possible.

Find out more about referencing in the following chapters:

Chapter 2 gives you an overview of some of the most commonly used referencing styles.

Chapter 3 tells you about different reference management tools.

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