Referencing Style
APA 7 Quick Guide for University Students
What Is APA Style?
APA is an author–date referencing system from the American Psychological Association, now in its 7th edition (2020). It is used across psychology, education, the social sciences, health sciences, business and many other fields.
Every source you read, use or refer to must appear in two matching places:
- In-text citation. This is a short pointer in your sentence, such as (Hartono, 2022).
- Reference list entry. This is the full details at the end of your paper, so readers can find the source.
The two must match. A source cited in the text must be in the reference list, and every reference must be cited in the text. The only exception is personal communications, which appear in the text only.
All names, titles and DOIs in the examples below are invented for illustration.
MLA 9 Quick Guide for University Students
What Is MLA Style?
MLA is an author–page referencing system from the Modern Language Association. The current version is the 9th edition of the MLA Handbook, published in 2021. It is used mainly in the humanities, including literature, English, languages, cultural studies, media studies and the arts.
Every source you quote, paraphrase or summarize must appear in two matching places:
- In-text citation. This is a short pointer in your sentence, usually the author’s surname and a page number, such as (Hartono 45). MLA uses no comma and no “p.”
- Works Cited entry. This gives the full details in an alphabetical list at the end of your paper.
The word or name that starts the in-text citation must be the first word of the matching Works Cited entry, so readers can find it at once.
Unlike APA, MLA puts the date near the end of an entry, writes full first names, and uses title case for all titles.
All names, titles and links in the examples below are invented for illustration.
Chicago Style Quick Guide: Author-Date and Notes-Bibliography
What Is Chicago Style?
Chicago style comes from The Chicago Manual of Style (CMOS). It offers two citation systems, and both are current and fully accepted. Your lecturer or department decides which one you use, so never mix them in one paper.
| Author-date system | Notes and bibliography system | |
|---|---|---|
| Common in | Physical, natural and social sciences | History, literature, the arts and other humanities |
| In the text | A brief citation in parentheses: (Halim 2020, 45) | A superscript number linked to a footnote or endnote¹ |
| At the end | References list | Bibliography |
| Year placement | Right after the author’s name | Near the end of the entry |
This guide explains the author-date system first, then the notes and bibliography system.
All names, titles and links in the examples below are invented for illustration. Always follow your lecturer’s instructions.
Harvard Referencing Quick Guide for University Students
What Is Harvard Style?
Harvard is an author–date referencing system used across business, the sciences, the social sciences, health and education. This guide follows Cite Them Right Harvard, the most widely used version, which is used at universities such as the Open University and King’s College London.
Every source you quote, paraphrase or summarize appears in two matching places:
- In-text citation. This gives the author’s surname, the year, and a page number when needed, such as (Hartono, 2022, p. 14). In-text citations count toward your word count.
- Reference list entry. This gives the full details in an alphabetical list at the end. The reference list does not count toward your word count.
A reference list includes only sources you cited. A bibliography also includes background reading you did not cite. Most courses want only a reference list unless the assignment brief says otherwise.
All names, titles and links in the examples below are invented for illustration. Always use the exact version your university or lecturer requires.
IEEE Referencing Quick Guide for University Students
What Is IEEE Style?
IEEE is a numbered referencing system from the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. It is used in electrical and electronic engineering, computer science, information technology and telecommunications.
Every source appears in two matching places:
- In-text citation. A number in square brackets, such as [1], placed in your sentence.
- Reference list entry. The full details in a numbered list at the end of your paper.
Sources are numbered in the order you first cite them, not alphabetically. Once a source has a number, it keeps that number every time you cite it.
Every IEEE reference has three key parts:
- Author names written as initials, then surname: J. K. Author.
- Titles of parts, such as an article, chapter or paper, in quotation marks: “Title of paper.”
- Titles of whole works, such as a journal, book or conference, in italics, often abbreviated: IEEE Trans. Power Syst.
All names, titles and links in the examples below are invented for illustration. Always follow your lecturer’s instructions.
