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Referencing and RefWorks

Citing references


When communicating information you need to let people know where you found quotations, ideas or arguments by citing references correctly.

It will help you to avoid plagiarism and demonstrate your knowledge of research in your subject area.

Citing references properly involves recording what you have used in a specific and consistent format.

There are citation schemes available which specify how you would cite anything you have used in your work such as a journal article, symposium paper, chapter in an edited book, web page, DVD and so on. You will find guides on citing references using some common citation schemes below.

Common citation schemes include:

  • Harvard
  • Vancouver
  • Chicago

Cranfield University does not usually mandate which citation scheme you use but you should always:

  • Be consistent - pick one scheme that you're comfortable with and stick with it
  • Check with your supervisor / lecturer to see if they have a preference

 

Guides on citing references:

 

Further reading:

  • Pears, R. & Shields, G. (2009). Cite them right : the essential guide to referencing and plagiarism. Newcastle Upon Tyne : Pear Tree Books

Where do you find it in the Library? Classmark: 378.18 PEA on the Ground Floor

 

Other sources of help - RefWorks


There are tools available to help you manage your references properly. We recommend RefWorks.

What is RefWorks?
RefWorks is the reference management software (also known as "bibliographic management software" or "citation management software") subscribed to by Cranfield University.

What can I do with it?

  • You use it to store, access, organise and reformat references you have found to articles, books, websites, etc, during your research
  • It creates a searchable database which can produce bibliographies in a range of formats including Harvard, Vancouver and Chicago
  • Security note: you should only use it to store references to unclassified information
     

How will it really help me?
Organising your research properly, and the ability to automatically format your references into a bibliography, will save you a lot of time retyping information and reduces the chance of accidental plagiarism.


Watch how to use it:


Read how to use it:


Use it: