Reference management systems such as EndNote, Zotero and Mendeley help in collecting, organising and managing references. But why is referencing important, and how will using these systems help you to succeed in your degree?
Referencing is a way of acknowledging the sources of information used in your writing such as articles, books and websites. Referencing is an important academic skill and vital to the research process.
There are two parts to a reference; the 'citation' in the body of the text which supports your evidence and arguments, and the 'reference' list at the end of the text, which provides full details of the resource so the reader can view the ideas in their original context.
Why is referencing important?
Referencing is important as it:
Provides evidence for your arguments
Enables readers to find the content you have used in your research
Prevents accusations of plagiarism, by acknowledging the sources you have used
Demonstrates your academic vigour and engagement with the field of research
In the 3 minute video below, Richard Pears and Graham Shields explain the importance of referencing to achieve good grades:
Which referencing style should I use?
Referencing styles are subject-specific, often developed to best suit the type of sources found in different disciplinary fields. At UoG we have an institutional version of both Harvard and MHRA, which have slight stylistic differences compared to the standard Harvard and MHRA styles. You can download and apply these institution-specific styles using the EndNote desktop application, UoG's recommended reference management system. Below is a list of the different referencing styles used for academic schools:
To learn more about referencing you can refer to the introductory guide on the Cite Them Right website, which answers questions you may have such as:
Why is referencing important?
What is plagiarism, and should I be worried about it?
How can I find, evaluate and use sources effectively?
The Cite Them Right website also provides style specific guidance for the standard Harvard and MHRA styles, APA, and OSCOLA.
Guidance for referencing Generative AI tools
Generative AI can be useful for certain tasks, e.g. generating keywords for searches. But it’s important to properly cite and acknowledge when you have used AI-generated content in your assignments, as not doing so can be considered a form of academic misconduct.
You can refer to the AI Guidance page for more information on AI and academic integrity. While Cite Them Right provides guidance on referencing AI content, there is currently no specific resource type for referencing AI content in EndNote. For guidance on how to correctly reference AI-generated content, contact your Academic Liaison Librarian for support.
We have available on the library website Quick referencing guides for the APA, UoG Harvard, UoG MHRA, and OSCOLA referencing styles. These guides provide greater detail around the conventions used for citing, paraphrasing and quoting sources in a text, with examples of common types of references for books, articles, websites, etc.
Help with referencing
Academic Liaison Librarians at the university support the different academic schools, offering subject-specific support on finding resources for assignments and dissertations, referencing, searching specialist databases, and more. Academic Liaison Librarians are available for 1-to-1 appointments, either in-person or through Teams; feel free to email or book an appointment with your ALL if you need help with referencing.
