This guide shows you how to reference at ACU. It contains lots of examples of references and how to use them in your assessments.
You can further develop your understanding of referencing, academic integrity and academic writing by:
Contact the Library to report any problems with this referencing guide.
Every source of information or idea that is not your own must be acknowledged in your writing. Referencing or citing the information is a way to acknowledge the original authors of the sources you have used.
Question | Answer | Action |
---|---|---|
Are you using someone else's ideas, theories, or images? | Yes | Cite it |
Are you quoting an author's words directly? | Yes | Place double quotation marks (") around the text and cite it |
Are you paraphrasing or putting an idea into your own words? | Yes | Cite it |
Are you using information that is considered common knowledge? (e.g. Canberra is the capital of Australia or the sun sets in the west) | Yes | No need to cite it |
Reference management software such as Zotero, Mendeley and EndNote can generate references automatically in a chosen referencing style. To ensure that references are cited correctly it is recommended you have a good understanding of a style before using this type of software. The best way to become familiar with a style is to refer to the published style manual available in the relevant referencing guide.
If you are an undergraduate and have never used a reference management system, it is recommended you use Zotero or Mendeley. They are easy to learn and are perfect for assessment tasks and small research projects.
If you are a researcher or a postgraduate student working with large documents, e.g., a thesis, it is recommended that you use EndNote. It is harder to learn initially and best suited to users comfortable with reference management software.
Other tools are available to generate a reference automatically. Always check the reference matches the relevant examples in the Library's Referencing guide or published style manual. Examples of tools are: