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Referencing guide at the University of Manchester: What is referencing?

This referencing guide is designed to provide support for all referencing requirements at the University of Manchester

What is referencing?

Referencing is a vital part of the academic writing process. It allows you to:

  • Acknowledge the contribution that other authors have made to the development of your arguments and concepts.
  • Inform your readers of the sources of quotations, theories, datasets etc. that you've referred to, and enable them to find the sources quickly and easily themselves.
  • Demonstrate that you have understood particular concepts proposed by other writers while developing your own ideas.
  • Provide evidence of the depth and breadth of your own reading on a subject.

What is a reference list?

This is your list of all the sources that have been cited in the text of your work. The reference list includes all the books, e-books, journals, websites etc. in one list at the end of your document.

What is a bibliography?

The bibliography includes items which you have consulted for your work but not cited in the main body of your text. The list should appear at the end of your piece of work after the list of references. This demonstrates to the reader (examiner) the unused research you carried out.

NOTE: Check with your School if you need to produce a bibliography.

Word count and referencing

Generally, the word count of your work will include everything that is in the main text (citations, quotes, tables, lists etc) but will not include what is in the reference list/bibliography.

NOTE: Check the referencing advice given in your course handbook usually found in your Blackboard space, as rules can change from School to School.

Citing

Whenever you quote, paraphrase or make use of another person’s work in your own writing, you must indicate this in the body of your work (a citation) and provide full details of the source in a reference list (all the sources you have referred to directly in your work) or a bibliography (all the sources you have read in the course of your research, not just those you have cited).   

Your reference list should include details of all the books, journal articles, websites and any other material you have used.

You do not need to reference:

  • Your own ideas and observations.
  • Information regarded as ‘common knowledge'.
  • Your conclusions (where you are pulling together ideas already discussed and cited in the main body of your work).

Understanding when to cite references is an important part of your academic progression.


The way that you cite references will depend on the referencing style you are using. There are many different referencing styles and you must ensure that you are following the appropriate style when submitting your work.

Getting started with referencing - is a MLE resource that explores the principles behind referencing, highlighting why it is good academic practice.

Check with your course handbook or supervisor to be sure that you are following the specific guidelines required by your school.

Commonly used referencing styles at The University of Manchester include Harvard Manchester, Harvard, APA, MHLA, MLA and Vancouver.

These referencing pages will provide you with a useful introduction to the principles of referencing in various styles.

There are cases when an author discusses the research of another author in their work. When you are unable to track down the original research document you can cite them as a secondary source. In the citation include the (primary) source and where it was cited (secondary).

  • Note: Only secondary cite when you cannot gain access to the primary source

In Harvard Manchester style: (Author, Date)

In-text citation:

Use either 'quoted in' or 'cited in' depending on the included detail.

 Anderton places the importance of taste squarely at the feet of the regurgitated... (1995, cited in Calvert, 2024).

"It is the regurgitated that I lay complete blame"... (Anderton, 1995, quoted in Calvert, 2024).

For referencing purposes, only include the research you did consult because you did not read the original document and are taking any inference on the work from that author.

Reference:

Calvert, M. (2024). The genius in action: tales from the reference world, Oxford University Press: Oxford.

In Vancouver (numeric) style:

In-text citation:

Use either 'quoted in' or 'cited in' depending on the included detail.

According to Anderton as cited in Calvert (3) importance of taste is squarely at the feet of the regurgitated...

"It is the regurgitated that I lay complete blame"... Anderton quoted in Calvert (3).

For referencing purposes, only include the research you did consult because you did not read the original document and are taking any inference on the work from that author.

Reference:

3. Calvert, T. The genius in action: tales from the reference world. Oxford: Oxford University Press; 2024.

Quote, paraphrase and summarise

There are several ways in which you may want to utilise other people’s ideas in order to add substance to your work. The most common ways to accomplish this are to quote, paraphrase or summarise.

Referencing and AI

If you are using a Chatbot or AI tool in your assignments then please check the guidance below:

Can I use a Chatbot or AI tool in my assignments?

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