School of Life & Medical Sciences

Guidelines for
Referencing and
Bibliographical
Citation 2017-18
Based on the APA 6th edition

[Type text]
The School of Life & Medical Sciences Guide to Referencing and Bibliographical
Citation: Contents
Introduction 1

Section 1 How to cite references in the text

1.1 Citing sources 2
1.2 Direct quotations 3
1.3 Citation of books and journal articles: numbers of authors 4
1.4 Authors with compound names 5
1.5 Authors with the same surname 5
1.6 Authors identified as Anonymous 5
1.7 Two or more publications to support text 5
1.8 Two or more publications from the same author in the same year 6
1.9 Edited book 6
1.10 Religious text 6
1.11 Individual work/pages on the World Wide Web 6
1.12 Citations from: Government or other organisation publications 7
1.13 Organisations or institutions as authors 7
1.14 Dissertations and theses 7
1.15 Conference material 8
1.16 Company literature 8
1.17 Unpublished work and personal communication 8
1.18 Films, videos and broadcasts 8
1.19 Newspaper articles 9
1.20 CD-ROMs 9
1.21 Citations from electronic mail 9
1.22 Citations from StudyNet 9
1.23 Citations from lecture notes 9
1.24 Citations from legal materials 10
1.25 Citations from dictionaries 10
1.26 Citations from pamphlets/advice sheets 10
1.27 Secondary references 10
Section 2: Writing the Reference (and Bibliography) List
2.0 Presentation of the reference/bibliography list 11
2.1 Referencing books 11
2.1.1 Multiple authors 12
2.1.2 Electronic books 12
2.1.3 Edited books 12
2.1.4 Two or more publications from the same author(s) in the same year 13
2.1.5 Two or more authors with the same surname and same initial in the 13
same year
2.1.6 Referencing an individual author and one by the same individual 13
with another co author
2.2 Referencing journals 14
2.2.1 Two or more publications from one author in different years 15
2.2.2 An author with a compound surname 15
2.3 Referencing citations with direct quotations 15
2.4 Referencing individual work/pages on the World Wide Web 15
2.5 Referencing discussion groups/e-mail lists 16
2.6 Referencing personal e-mails 16
2.7 Referencing StudyNet 16
2.8 Referencing Government publications 17
2.9 Referencing organisations or institutions as authors 18
2.10 Referencing religious texts 18
2.11 Referencing dissertations and theses 19
2.12 Referencing conference material 19
2.13 Referencing company literature 20
2.14 Referencing unpublished work and personal communication 20
2.15 Referencing films, videos and broadcasts 20
2.16 Referencing newspaper articles 21
2.17 Referencing CD-ROMs 21
2.18 Referencing legal materials 21
2.19 Referencing dictionaries 22
2.20 Referencing pamphlets/advice sheets 22
2.21 Referencing secondary references 22

References 23
The School of Life & Medical Sciences Guide to Referencing and
Bibliographical Citation
Introduction
This handbook provides information on writing and citing references for all staff and students within
the School of Life and Medical Sciences. There are many versions of the Harvard referencing system
and this citation guide has been developed using the American Psychological Association [APA]
guidelines (American Psychological Association, 2010) and the British Standard Recommendations
for References to Published Materials (British Standards Institution [BSI] 2002). It is important that
you adopt these citation guidelines for all your assignments1, so that referencing is achieved
consistently and accurately across the School.

Why reference?
Referencing all sources of information within written work is an important part of academic
integrity as it tells the reader where you have found your information, how up to date it is, and the
extent, depth and appropriateness of your reading relevant to your assessment. It also helps the
reader to differentiate between your personal thoughts and experiences and those of others.

Plagiarism and Academic Integrity

Plagiarism is where an individual (either unintentionally or intentionally) claims another author’s
work as their own original composition. This is a form of academic dishonesty and has no place in
academic writing. You can minimise unintentional plagiarism by adhering to the following:
• All written work (prose or text) must be drafted/written by you in your own words followed
by acknowledgement of the source material (referenced), thus conveying your
understanding of the information;
• The only exception to not using your own words would be when using an exact quotation
from another author’s work. Note this must be recognised by using quotation marks;
• Any figures, tables, or diagrams in your work should be devised and produced by you, except
where you give due acknowledgement to others.

Academic staff marking work will always watch out for evidence of plagiarism and if this is detected,
it will be reported to the School Academic Conduct Officer (FACO).

Stages in Referencing
Referencing requires you to do two things: cite sources in your written text and, at the end of your
work, provide a list of references that were referred to in your text. Note, if you have consulted
other relevant material but NOT referred to it in the text, this is listed in a separate Bibliography,
which follows the same rules for listing the references and is placed after the reference list.

The citation guidelines are divided into two sections:

1. how to present your references within the main body of your work;
2. how to present the reference list (and separate bibliography if used).

1 Note – in special cases where students are undertaking modules administered by or associated with other Faculties or
Schools, there may be a requirement to adopt an alternative system, e.g. Oxford System for English Case Law as required by
the School of Law. Where this is the case, the module assessment guide will indicate this.
1
Section 1: Citations in the Text
1.1 Citing sources in the text
This citation guidance uses an author-date style approach. The following are examples of:
• referencing material correctly in the text;
• referencing the material using a direct quotation;
• plagiarism.

Please take time to read these examples carefully, if you still are unsure of the difference, please
see your personal/academic tutor. Remember, if the members of staff marking your work are
querying your academic integrity, i.e. that you have copied work either from a published source or
another student they WILL investigate and if evidence confirms academic dishonesty you will be
referred to the Faculty Academic Conduct Officer.

The original text: (not from a published source but will be referred to as Fletcher, 2005)

Selection of equipment to prevent pressure ulcers is a complex task. Information about the
patient’s lifestyle and the environment in which they are to be cared for is as important as the
determination of their level of risk. A wide variety of systems are available for both bed and
chair allowing for 24 hour provision of equipment. Any patient who is provided equipment for
the bed and spends part of the day sat out (whether in a chair or wheelchair) should also have
the relevant seating provided as in the sitting position the body weight is supported on a far
smaller surface area and is therefore at greater risk.

Correctly citing a reference in the text

Fletcher (2005) suggests that there are a variety of factors to consider when selecting
equipment; amongst which are the patient’s lifestyle and care environment.
Or
It is important to address equipment provision in an holistic way, clinical, psychological and
environmental issues should be considered (Fletcher, 2005).

Tip: Remember to put the full stop after the bracketed reference (see above).

Correctly citing as a direct quotation in the text

Fletcher (2005) states that “Information about the patient’s lifestyle and the environment in
which they are to be cared for is as important as the determination of their level of risk”
(p.2). When caring for Mrs X the size of her bedroom and amount of additional furniture in
the room was the most difficult aspect of selecting her equipment.

Plagiarism
Mrs X required specialist pressure ulcer prevention equipment. Selection of equipment to
prevent pressure ulcers is a complex task. Information about the patient’s lifestyle and the
environment in which they are to be cared for is as important as the determination of their
level of risk. A wide variety of systems are available for both bed and chair allowing for 24
hour provision of equipment. The nurses caring for Mrs X had only limited experience of
equipment selection and therefore requested help from the Tissue Viability Nurse.

In this example you can see that the sentences have been copied directly from the original text and
no reference is made to the original source - this is plagiarism.

2
1.2 Direct quotations

A direct quotation of 40 or less words from another author’s work is placed in double quotation
marks and the page number(s) of the quotation is/are included. Single page numbers are denoted
by ‘p.’, multiple pages by ‘pp.’.

Examples:
Balaskas (1990) states “many women underestimate the sheer hard work, dedication and
patience involved in caring for a baby” (p. 13).

“... where full disclosure would inevitably lead to biased responses some degree of covert data
collection is feasible, particularly when dealing with sensitive aspects of subjects’ behaviour”
(Clarke, 1996, pp. 434-435).

The three dots in the above example indicate that the beginning of the sentence in the original has
been omitted from the quotation.

If you add anything to the direct quotation in order to improve the reader’s understanding, this is
included within square brackets.

“Many such defects [congenital] are not serious and may go unnoticed for a lifetime” (Tortora &
Derrickson,2008, p.752).

If the direct quotation has more than 40 words the quotation forms a separate indented paragraph,
double spaced, without double quotation marks.

Example:
Redman (1976) found the following:
A major purpose of stating objectives specifically is to help the learner

understand them and become self-directive. Self-direction is also served by

having the teacher explain the goals and provide a model of the correct

behaviour, as in demonstrating catheter care and indicating what the learner

should be able to do and when (p 90).

NOTE:

All types of direct quotations should be used SPARSELY; they should only be used to accentuate
significant points.

It is not acceptable for your work to consist of a large number of direct quotations because this is
not your original composition and it uses up valuable words from your assignment word count.

3
 1.3 Citation of books and journal articles in text: number of authors

Number of Authors In-text example

One Starvation of patients can lead to physiological consequences, which can
exacerbate anxiety (Thornes, 1991).
OR
Thornes (1991) maintains that the starvation of patients can lead to physiological
consequences, which can exacerbate anxiety.
OR
In 1991, Thornes’s paper identified that .....

Two Bale and Jones (1997) report that the assessment of a wound requires the nurse
to have an underlying knowledge of the factors that may affect the healing
Always cite both process.
names every time the
reference occurs in The assessment of a wound requires the nurse to have an underlying knowledge
the text. of the factors that may affect the healing process (Bale & Jones, 1997).
Three to five (First citation):
Long, Jones, Peters and Brown (1995) report that there are a number of factors
Cite all the authors which may influence health promoting behaviours and these include the
the first time the individual’s perception, cognitive ability and demographic characteristics.
reference occurs; in
subsequent citations (Subsequent citation of same reference)
of the same reference, Long et al. (1995) suggest that health promoting behaviours are the most
include only the significant factors.
surname of the first
author followed by ‘et Exception: if two references with the same years shorten to the same form (e.g.
al.’ and the year. Martin, Butler and Jamieson, 1994, and Martin, Jamieson, Butler and Penn, 1994,
shorten to Martin et al., 1994), cite the surnames of the first authors and as many
of the subsequent authors as necessary to distinguish the two references.

Six or more (First citation and subsequent citations):

Alberts et al. (2008) maintains that apoptosis plays a very important role in animal
Cite only the surname and plant development.
of the first author
followed by ‘et al.’ and Exception: if two references with six or more authors shorten to the same form,
the year for the first cite the surnames of the first authors and of as many subsequent authors as
and all other citations. necessary to distinguish the two references. For example, if you had entries for
the following references:
In the reference list,
provide the initials Rand, Marple, Mead, Ade, Pacey and Mangle (2005)
and surnames of the Rand, Marple, Mangle, Ade, Pacey and Jones (2005)
first six authors, and
shorten any remaining In the text you would cite them as such:
authors to ‘et al.’ (see The role of the multi-disciplinary team has become increasingly important within
page 13). the modern health service (Rand, Marple, Mead et al., 2005).

Communication between members of the multi-disciplinary team is essential

(Rand, Marple, Mangle et al., 2005).

4
Note:

When two or more sources support the same point, list them alphabetically and separate the
sources with a semi-colon (Armstrong & Wild, 2007; Bateman, 2009; Clark & Mahoney, 2006)

When citing references in running text, you should join multiple author citations by the word ‘and’,
whereas in the reference list or in bracketed citations, you should join the names by an ampersand
‘&’.

Running text - Smith and Jones (2010) identified that the phrasing of work...

Bracketed citation - phrasing of work can influence the grade gained (Smith & Jones, 2010).

Note: Include a full stop after ‘al’ as it is an abbreviation, i.e. ‘et al.’

Note: When citing the reference at the end of the sentence, remember to put a full stop after the
‘al.’ plus a comma before stating the year.

1.4 Authors with compound surnames

Some authors have compound surnames e.g. von Toller or ter Riet, although the first part of the
surname may be presented in lower case it is an integral part of the surname and would be included
in the reference in the text.

Example:
In a systematic review of diagnostic and screening tests ter Riet (2001) simplified two main
issues.

1.5 Authors with the same surname

If two or more authors have the same surname, they are distinguished by the author’s forename
initial. Include the first author’s initial in all text citations, even if the year of publication differs.

Examples:
J.P. Edwards (1997) states that conformity to group norms brings psychological rewards through
the acceptance by and support of other members.

The presence of others may sometimes inhibit individual performance (F. Edwards, 1996).

1.6 Authors identified as Anonymous

Only use this if the author is specifically identified as “Anonymous”.

Example:
Anonymous (2010) identified that timetabling can influence a student’s learning experience.

1.7 Two or more publications

If two or more documents support your statement, the citations are listed in alphabetical order by
the first author’s surname and are separated with semicolons.

5
 Example:
Damage to the perirhinal cortex can cause impairments on delayed non-matching to sample
tasks (Brown et al., 1995; Gaffan & Buckley, 2001; Zola, 1998).

1.8 Two or more publications from the same author(s) in the same year
If two or more documents have the same author and year, they are distinguished by lower case
letters (a, b, c etc.), following the year within brackets. They are ordered by their appearance in the
text, i.e. the first article/book cited is a and so on.

Example:
Edwards (1997a, 1997b) states that health professionals must have a clear understanding of
physiological principles in order to accurately record both blood pressure and temperature
measurements.

In order to record blood and temperature measurements, health professionals must have a clear
understanding of physiological principles (Edwards, 1997a, 1997b).

1.9 Edited book

An edited book is one where each chapter is written by different authors. If referencing the whole
book the basic order of elements is the same as the examples given above. When referencing a
single chapter this should be done using the author of the chapter and only the author(s) of the
chapter is/are cited within the text; the editors are acknowledged within the reference list.

Example:
Ruston and Wells (1999) describe the use of a change management team to introduce leg ulcer
management guidelines.

1.10 Citation from a religious text

Most religious texts do not have a date as this can not be agreed upon, therefore a citation within
the text would reference the author of that chapter/book without giving a date.

Example:
It is arguable that light is one of the most critical sources of energy. Earliest history refers to the
sun (light) and in the first book of the Bible it says ‘let there be light’ (Genesis 1:3)

1.11 Citations from individual work/pages on the World Wide Web

To cite material from the web the author or organisation, rather than the Uniform Resource Locator
(URL) needs to be cited.

Example:
The Board, in responding to the Government’s strategy relating to the resistance of antibiotics
and other antimicrobial agents continues to encourage all education providers to ensure that
infection control and the related issue of antibiotic use remain important themes through
education programmes (ENB, 1999).

Tip: Care must be taken when accessing information available on the World Wide Web (WWW)
through the Internet, as information is often not reviewed and may lack academic validity.

6
1.12 Citations from Government or other Organisation publications
There is a range of Government publications that you may wish to cite in your work. These include
Acts of Parliament, Command Papers, Statutory Instruments, Bills and Committee Reports. In citing
such material the country of origin, the name of the department who issues the publication and the
date should be cited.

Example Acts of Parliament:

Community care is now high on the agenda in the NHS (UK Department of Health, 1990).

Example of Command Papers:

An employer has a duty to ensure that the health and safety of the workforce is maintained at all
times (UK Committee for Health and Safety at Work, 1972).

Example of Statutory Instruments:

An accurate record of accidents and dangerous occurrences should be maintained in the
workplace (UK Statutory Instrument, 1980).

Example of Bills:
All members of a workforce are entitled to be become a Trade Union member (UK Parliament,
1984).

Example of Committee Reports:

Proposals for the restructuring of senior personnel within the NHS were published in 1980 (UK
Ministry of Health and Scottish Home and Health Department, 1980).

Example of a Health Service Circular:

The single assessment process will lead to a more efficient assessment process and more
effective care services for older people (UK Department of Health HSC, 2002).

Example of Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency Bulletins (formerly the
Medical Devices Agency):
Trusts should identify medical electrical systems, assess risks and take remedial action as is
required (UK Medical Devices Agency, 2003).

1.13 Citations from organisations or institutions as authors (corporate authorship)

Where the publication is not the work of individuals, the name of the organisation/institution
should be used with the year of publication.

Example:
Every community nurse should have training in child protection policies and procedures (Health
Visitors’ Association, 1994)

1.14 Citations from dissertations and theses

Material cited from theses and dissertations is treated in the same way as books, journals and
documents.

Example:
A study was undertaken to explore patients’ self-monitoring of postoperative pain (Fordham,
1985).

7
1.15 Citations from conference material
Material cited from published conference proceedings is treated in the same way as books or
journals.

Example 1:
Greenwood and Butcher (1997) describe how lasting change was achieved in a busy surgical
environment utilising the skills of existing nurse specialists.

Whenever unpublished conference material is cited reference should be made to the author’s
surname and the phrase unpublished conference paper/poster.

Example 2:
Curriculum development requires systematic, advanced planning (Pendleton,1999, unpublished
conference paper).

1.16 Citations from company literature

References to company literature should be avoided where possible. However where necessary the
company name should be stated followed by the year of publication. If no date is available ‘n.d.’
should be used.

Example:
This company producing pressure relieving equipment is becoming increasingly aware of the
diversity of their market, offering bespoke products tailored to meet individual patient’s needs
(Karomed, n.d.).

1.17 Citations from unpublished work and personal communication

Personal communication may be letters, memos, some electronic communications, personal
interviews and telephone conversations. References to unpublished material or personal
communication should be kept to a minimum, since they cannot be followed-up easily by anyone
reading the piece of work. Personal communications and unpublished material is not included in the
reference list so are cited within the text only. The initials and surname of the communicator should
be given along with an exact a date as possible.

Example 1:
Patient involvement in care is a concept which must be addressed by all members of the multi-
disciplinary team (I.T. Smith, unpublished work, May 4, 2005).

Example 2:
I have found that a skills laboratory provides a secure environment for the teaching of clinical
skills (J.M. Humphries, personal communication, August 1,2003).

1.18 Citations from films, videos and broadcasts (podcasts)

Most films, videos and broadcasts are normally produced by a group of individuals. When citing this
type of material the transmitting organisation with the date of production/transmission should be
used.

Examples:
The impact of undiagnosed post-natal depression can often have adverse effects on all family
members (British Broadcasting Corporation, 1995).

8
 Breast feeding is recommended for at least the first four months of life, to enable the best
possible start, as it protects against respiratory diseases and gastro-enteritis (Royal College of
Midwives, 1990)

1.19 Citations from newspaper articles

To cite material from a newspaper article where the author’s name is evident, the author’s name
and year of the publication are given in the text.

Example 1:
... Journal publication is seen as a significant element in maintaining a research culture
(Prestwich, 1999).

To cite material from a newspaper where no author is indicated, the name of the newspaper and
year of publication is given in the text.

Example 2:
The first full-time paramedic science degree course in the country was launched with a visit from
MP Baroness Helene Hayman (Welwyn and Hatfield Times, 1999).

1.20 Citations from CD-ROM

This refers to CD-ROMs, which are works in their own right and not bibliographic databases. The
author/editor should be given followed by the year and type of medium in brackets.

Example:
Hawking (1994, CD-ROM) describes his theory of the beginning of the universe.

1.21 Citations from electronic mail

Material from e-mail correspondence should be cited as ‘personal communication’ (see section
1.18) and should not appear in the reference list.

Example:
You might like to consider making reference to relevant government policy in this assignment (P.
Brown, personal communication, May 29, 1999)

1.22 Citations from StudyNet

Where possible these should be avoided. However if it is necessary they should be cited giving the
author(s) of the work where it is known, the date either as stated on the information (for example
some lecturers will put a reference at the bottom of the document saying their name and the date
or date updated) .

Example:
Fletcher (2000) suggests a range of mechanisms by which the presence of necrotic tissue may
delay wound healing.

1.23 Citation from your own lecture notes

Citations from the notes you make from an oral presentation and/or lecture should not be used.

9
1.24 Citation from legal materials
References from legal materials should be treated like references with no authors. Materials such as
court cases, statutes, and legislation should be cited by the first few words of the reference and the
year, thus enabling the reader to identify the reference within the reference list. Court decisions
should be cited by giving the name of the case in italics and the year of the decision. If two or more
years are given, cite those years as well.

Example 1: Court case

Leonard v. Smith (1985) set a precedent for the rights of individuals.

Example 2: Statute
Individuals that pose a risk to themselves or others may be sectioned (Mental Health
Systems Act,1988).

Example 3: Resolutions
The bill which was initially passed by the House of Representatives was then resolved by
the senate (Senate Resolution 106, 1998).

1.25 Citation from dictionaries

Within the text, the title of the dictionary (or chapter if appropriate) should be given followed by
year of publication.

1.26 Citation from pamphlets/advice sheets

If there is a date of publication, follow the guidance in section 1.14 above; if there is no date, use
the guidance in section 1.17.

1.27 Secondary references

The use of secondary references is not encouraged. Where access to the primary source is available
the original material should be consulted. However, where a secondary reference is unavoidable, it
should be cited as follows in the text:

Examples:
Winter (1962, cited in Thomas, 1990) demonstrated that in pigs superficial acute wounds that
were kept moist healed more rapidly.

In pigs, superficial acute wounds that are kept moist heal more rapidly (Winter, 1962, cited in
Thomas, 1990)

10
Section 2.0 Presentation of a Reference/Bibliography List
References are listed at the end of the text, followed by the Bibliography list (if used) BEFORE any
appendices (if there are any). Important things to note are:

• All citations should be listed;

• Citations are listed in alphabetical order of the author’s surname;
• Lists should have a hanging indent paragraph style;
• Use double spacing;
• Chronological order is used if there is more than one reference by the same author.

2.1 Referencing books

The basic order of elements for non-edited books are:

Author's surname and initials Separated by a comma and Author, A. A.

followed by a full stop

Year (in brackets) followed by a full (1999).

stop

Title In italics and lower/sentence Principles of drug action.

case, i.e. only the first word
begins with a capital letter;
followed by a full stop

Edition –N.B. only included if (in brackets and abbreviated to (2nd ed.).
NOT a first edition ‘ed.’) followed by a full stop

Place of publication followed by a colon London:

Publisher or equivalent followed by a full stop Churchill-Livingstone.

Mitchell, N. (1981). Social attribution: A primer in obvious psychology. (2nd ed.). London:
MacMillan.

11
2.1.1 Multiple authors

Two Joined by ‘&’ Bale, S. & Jones, V. (1997). Wound care nursing: A
patient centred approach. London: Baillière
Tindall.
Three, four Use commas and an ‘&’ Short, B. C., Smith, W. J. & Beaufort, V. L. (2000).
and five
Assessment: A structured approach. London:
Mosby.
Six or more Provide the initials and Croft, H. M., Martin, P. L., Range, K. A., Peters, S.
surnames of the first six
Z., Burton, L. R., Right, D. V., et al. (1985).
authors, and shorten any
remaining authors to ‘et al.’ Physiology for beginners. (4th ed.). London:
Baker.

2.1.2 Electronic books

Note if the book is ELECTRONIC give information about the format in square brackets after the title
and state the DOI (Digital object identifier) or URL in place of publisher location and name.

Schiraldi, G.R. (2001). The post-traumatic stress disorder sourcebook: a guide to healing, recovery
and growth [Adobe Digital Editions version]. doi: 10.1036/10071393722

2.1.3 Edited book

An edited book is one where each chapter is written by different authors. If referencing the whole
book the basic order of elements is the same as the examples given above. When referencing a
single chapter this should be done using the author of the chapter. The title of the chapter needs to
be given alongside the book in which it is published. The author(s) and title of the chapter are
presented and followed by a full stop. Then the word ‘In’ followed by the editor(s) and title of the
book. The page numbers of the chapter must be included followed by the place of publication and
the publisher.

Example 1:
Ruston, A. & Lawes, M. (1999). The management of leg ulcers in the community: A
multi-disciplinary experience in primary care. In D. Humphris, & P. Littlejohn (Eds.),
Implementing clinical guidelines: A practical guide. (pp. 63-75). Abingdon: Radcliffe Medical
Press.

Example 2:
Botham, I. T. & Argyle, M. (1972). Staring you in the face. In M. Thatcher (Ed.), If it had
teeth: Fifteen years of research into non-verbal communication. (pp. 315-337). New York:
Academic Press.

12
2.1.4 Referencing two or more publications from the same author(s) in the same year
The basic order of elements is the same as the examples given above; however the references are
presented in the alphabetical order of the lower case letters.

Examples:
Department of Health. (1989a). Caring for people. London: HMSO.

Department of Health. (1989b). Working for patients. London: HMSO.

2.1.5 Referencing two or more authors with the same surname and same initial in the same
year
The basic order of elements is the same as each of the examples given above; however the
references are presented in the alphabetical order of the lower case letters.

Examples:
Walsh, M., & Jones P. (1987a). The way forward. London: McKnight.

Walsh, M., & Jones P. (1987b). Processes explained. Glasgow: Abersham.

2.1.6 Referencing an individual author and one by the same individual with another co author
List the individual author first, then the reference with the co-author.

Examples:
Hoskin, P. J. (2006). Radiotherapy in practice. External beam therapy. Oxford: Oxford University
Press.

Hoskin, P.J. & Coyle, C. (2005). Radiotherapy in practice: brachytherapy. Oxford: Oxford University
Press.

13
2.2 Referencing a journal

When a reference originates from a journal the basic order of elements are:

Author's surname and initials Separated by a comma and are Brown, A. & Green, A.
followed by a full stop

Year (in brackets) followed by a full (2006).

stop

Title of article in lower/sentence case followed The effects of locus of control

by a full stop on causal attributions.

Title of the journal in italics and title case, i.e. each Trend in Microbiology
word begins with a capital letter

Volume number in italics – this is separated from Trend in Microbiology, 5

the title by a comma

Issue number Not in italics but presented in Trend in Microbiology, 5(10),

brackets; followed by a comma,

Page numbers of the article page numbers are not preceded Trend in Microbiology, 5(10),
by ‘pp’ as they are for book 65-70.
chapters; followed by a full stop

Edwards, S. L. (1998). Malnutrition in hospital patients: Where does it come from?

British Journal of Nursing, 7(16), 954-974.

Two authors Joined by ‘&’ Ridley, R. M. & Baker, H. F. (1999). Big decisions based on
small numbers: Lessons from BSE. The Veterinary
Quarterly, 21(3), 86-92.

Three, four and Use commas and an Cowley, S., Bergen, A., Young, K. & Kavanagh, A. (1996).
five ‘&’
Identifying a framework for research: the example of
health needs assessment. Journal of Clinical Nursing,
5(1), 53-62.

Six or more Provide the initials Lee, A. C., Buckley, M. J., Pegman, S.J., Spiers, H., Scahill,
and surnames of the
V. L., Gaffan, D., et al. (2005). Specialization in the
first six authors, and
shorten any medial temporal lobe for processing of objects and
remaining authors to
scenes. Hippocampus. 15(6), 782-797.
‘et al.’

14
Note: when referring to electronic journal publications, you still must reference the article as a
journal article even though you have accessed it on line. You do not reference it as a Web reference
therefore you do not need to state ‘retrieved on’ and do not need to provide the URL. Even though
the journal article is accessible online, it has been peer reviewed and ‘published’. There may be
occasions where an article has been accepted for publication and is available via the electronic
journal but has not yet been allocated a volume, issue or page number. In place of the missing
information, use the term ‘in press’.

2.2.1 Referencing two or more publications from one author in different years
The basic order of elements is the same; references are placed in chronological order.

Moffatt, C. (1997). Know how. Four-layer bandaging. Nursing Times, 93(16), 82-83.

Moffatt, C. (1998). The principles of assessment prior to compression therapy. Journal of

Wound Care, 7(7 suppl), S6-S9.

2.2.2 Referencing an author with a compound surname

The basic order of the elements is unchanged; the first part of the surname is presented in lower
case and the second part with usual capitalisation.

ter Riet, G., Kessels. A. G. & Bachmann, L. M. (2001). Systematic reviews of evaluations
of diagnostic and screening tests. Two issues were simplified. British Medical Journal,
323(7322), 1188, (letter).

2.3 Referencing direct quotations

If using a direct quotation in a text, the basic order is the same as each of the examples given for
books and journals. However, when quoting from a book the page number is omitted in the
reference list because it has been included in the text at the point of citation.

2.4 Referencing individual work/pages on the World Wide Web

Please note that most web pages are updated on a regular basis. The date of publication is the date
the pages were last updated. Where the date is not obvious click on View and page source to check
when last modified. If no publication date is given write ‘n.d.’ for no date. Only mention an edition
if the document clearly states that the pages have been rewritten rather than just updated. The
accessed date is when the document was viewed/down loaded. This is necessary to allow for any
subsequent changes which may be made to the page or if the page is no longer available. A copy of
all potentially temporary sources should be kept in case it is needed to substantiate information
provided.

When the reference originates from the World Wide Web the basic order of elements is as follows:
• Author’s/editor’s surname, initial (separated by a comma and followed by a full stop).
• Year (in brackets) followed by a full stop e.g. (1999).
• Title of article (in lower/sentence case) e.g. The effects of locus of control on causal
attributions.

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 • Title of source (in italics) followed by a full stop.
• Edition (if appropriate) followed by a full stop.
• State date of retrieval (Month, Day, Year) separated by commas e.g. ‘Retrieved August, 17,
2007’
• Place of publication (if appropriate)
• Publisher (if appropriate) or URL address followed by a full stop.

English Nursing Board. (1999). Educational Issues, Infection Control: Latest

Government Strategy. Retrieved June, 28, 1999, from
http://www.ENB.org.uk/32infect.htm.

Fletcher, J. (2001). A practical approach to dressing wounds in difficult positions In, S.

Ashurst, M. Bradbury & J.P. Cruickshank (Eds.), Aspects of Skin and Wound Care Nursing.
London: Mark Allen. Retrieved June, 17, 2002, from http://www.quaybooks.com/ebooks.

2.5 Referencing discussion groups/e-mail lists

These discussion lists generate e-mail messages which are sent directly to the subscriber. Some, but
not all, archive the messages sent; for this reason a local copy should be kept by the recipient who is
giving the citation and a note added to this effect.

References to these messages should be treated in a similar way to journal references using the list
name in place of the journal title (but not in italics) and subject line of the message in place of the
article title. These details together with the author will appear in the message header.

Sandall, J. (2001, May 24). Midwifery-research. Message posted to Free web-based

virtual midwifery library, archived at http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/midwifery-
research.html.

Clarke, D. & Young, J. (2001, June 8). Substance misuse resource. Message posted to
UK.sci.med.nursing, archived at news:uksc.med.nursing.

2.6 Referencing personal e-mails

If reference is made to a personal e-mail it is cited in the text only and is not included in the
reference list.

2.7 Referencing StudyNet

Where reference is made to work from StudyNet the author date and title of the document are
referenced as for a book, this should then be followed by StudyNet, the module name and code in
brackets with the semester and year.

Fletcher, J. (2001). How necrosis delays healing. Retrieved August 21, 2007, from
StudyNet (Problem Wounds 3NMH 0025). Semester A 2004/2005.

16
2.8 Referencing Government Publications
When including Government publications in a reference list/bibliography, Acts of Parliament,
Command Papers, Statutory Instruments, Bills and Committee Reports should be cited as follows:

Act of Parliament
• Country of origin.
• Originating department.
• Year (in brackets).
• Title of Act (in italics and title case).
• Place of publication:
• Publisher.

United Kingdom. Department of Health. (1990). National Health Service and

Community Care Act. London: HMSO.

A Command Paper:
• Country of origin.
• Originating committee.
• Year (in brackets).
• Command paper title (in italics and title case).
• Place of publication:
• Publisher.
• Committee chairman (in brackets):
• Command paper number (in brackets).

United Kingdom. Committee for Health and Safety at Work. (1972). Report 1970-1972.
London: HMSO. (Chairman Lord Robens): (Cmd.5034) .

A Statutory Instrument:
• Country of origin.
• Statutory Instrument.
• Year (in brackets).
• Title of the Statutory Instrument (in italics and title case).
• Place of publication:
• Publisher.
• Statutory Instrument number (in brackets).

United Kingdom. Statutory Instrument. (1980). Health and Safety: The Notification of
Accidents and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations. London: HMSO. (S.I. No.
5081).

A Bill:
• Country of origin.
• Originating body.
• Year (in brackets).
• Title of Bill (in italics and title case)
• Place of publication:
17
 • Publisher.

United Kingdom. Parliament. (1984). Trade Union Bill. London: HMSO.

A Committee Report:
• Country of origin.
• Originating body.
• Year (in brackets).
• Title of Committee Report (in italics and title case).
• Place of publication:
• Publisher.
• Committee chairman (in brackets).

United Kingdom. Ministry of Health and Scottish Home and Health Department. (1980).
Report of the Committee on Senior Nursing Structure. London: HMSO. (Chairman B. Salmon).

A Health Service or Local Authority Circular:

• Originating body.
• Title of circular (in title case).
• Circular Series Number (in brackets)

Department of Health. The Single Assessment Process for Older People. (HSC 2002/001).

A Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency Bulletin (Formerly the Medical Devices
Agency):
• Agency name in full (in title case).
• Reference number of bulletin (in brackets).
• Title of bulletin (in lower/sentence case).

Medical Devices Agency. (MDA/2003/015). All medical electrical equipment.

2.9 Referencing organisations or institutions as authors (corporate authorship)

Where the publication relates to organisations/institutions as authors the basic order of elements is:
• Organisation/institution.
• Year (and month, if given)(in brackets).
• Title of the published work (in lower/sentence case and italics).
• Place of publication:
• Name of publisher.

Health Visitors’ Association. (1994). Protecting the child - an HVA guide to practice and
procedures. London: HVA.

2.10 Referencing Religious Texts

If an editor/guide/translator is known then this should be given as the author. Where this is not
known no author is presented (do not write anonymous or unknown unless it is specifically stated in
the text that that is the correct way to acknowledge the author).

18
The basic order of the elements should be:
• Author (if known).
• Title (in italics).
• Author of Chapter/Book.
• Number of Chapter/Book.
• Verse.
• Translation/Version.
• Place of Publication:
• Publisher.

Text without a designated author:

Holy Bible. Isaiah 55. 6-7. King James version.

Bhagavadgita. (1993). E. Arnold, (Trans.). New York: Dover Publications Inc.

Texts with a designated author:

Nooruddin, A. (Guide). (1990). The Holy Qur’an. Korea: New Foundation International Inc.

2.11 Referencing dissertations and theses

These are treated like books, as far as possible, but as they are unpublished this needs to be stated,
alongside the level of thesis and the name and place of the educational institution.

Fordham, M. (1985). Deconditioning and reconditioning following elective surgery.

Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of London, London.

2.12 Referencing conference material

Whenever published conference material is cited in the reference list/bibliography the following
basic order of elements should be used:
• Author surname and initials.
• Year (in brackets).
• Title of conference material (in lower/sentence case).
• In Editor(s) (Ed. Or Eds.),
• Proceedings of ... Conference title (in italics and title case)
• Pages (pp.).
• Place of publication
• Publisher

If no author or editor is given on the title page the name of the conference is cited first in italics

Greenwood, D. & Butcher, M. (1997). Bringing the issue of documentation to the ward
staff. In D. Leaper, C. Dealey, P.J. Franks, D. Hofman & C. Moffatt (Eds.), Proceedings of the
7th European Conference on Advances in Wound Management. (pp.134-136). Cambridge:
University Press.

Whenever printed but unpublished conference material (for example a poster) is cited in the
reference list/bibliography the following basic order of elements should be used:
• Author surname and initials.
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 • Year and month (in brackets).
• Title of conference material (in lower/sentence case).
• Type of material.
• Conference title (in italics and title case).
• Place of conference.

Walker, Z. (1998, March). Promoting teenage health in primary care. Poster session
presented at The 6th Annual Public Health Forum. Lancaster.

2.13 Referencing company literature

Most company literature has a title or is tied into a particular product campaign. As much detail as
possible should be given to allow the material to be identified in future. As the campaign may
change it is suggested that a copy of the material is held by the student. Where a date is given, this
should be included; where there is no apparent date (n.d.) should be stated. The company will
appear as both the author and publisher.The phrase ‘company literature’ should appear at the end
of the citation.

Karomed. (n.d.). Support Services – Bespoke Products. Karomed. Company Literature.

2.14 Referencing unpublished work

If citations are from unpublished work the following basic order of elements should be used:
• Author surname and initials.
• Year (in brackets) - if known.
• Title of unpublished work (in italics and sentence case)
• Include the phrase ‘Unpublished manuscript’.

Smith, M. (1999). A diary of a practice nurse. Unpublished manuscript.

2.15 Referencing films, videos and broadcasts (podcasts)

Most films, videos and broadcasts are normally produced by a group of individuals. When citing this
type of material the transmitting organisation with the date production should be used.

If citations are from films, videos and broadcasts, the following basic order of elements should be
used:
• Name of director/producer/production team.
• Year (in brackets).
• Title of production (in italics and title case).
• In square brackets include as is appropriate the phrase [Video], [Motion Picture] or [details
of the programme’s transmission].
• Place of production:
• Name of production company

British Broadcasting Corporation. (1995). Panorama: Baby Blues. [Television broadcast]

London: British Broadcasting Corporation.

Aaron Sorkin. (Writer). (2003). The West Wing [Television series] New York: New York
Broadcasting Company
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 Royal College of Midwives. (1990). Helping A Mother To Breastfeed: No Finer
Investment. [Video]. London: Healthcare Productions.

2.16 Referencing newspaper articles

If citations are from a newspaper article where the author’s name is evident, the following basic
order of elements should be used:
• Author’s name and initials.
• Year and date (in brackets).
• Title of article (in lower/sentence case).
• Title of newspaper (in italics and title case).
• Page number

Prestwich, P. (1999, May 18). Researchers keep their heads in history. The Guardian, p.2.

If citations are from a newspaper where no author is indicated, the following basic order of
elements is used:
• Title of the material or article (in lower/sentence case).
• Year and date (in brackets).
• Title of newspaper (in italics and title case).
• Page number.

Baroness praises paramedic course. (1999, May 26). Welwyn and Hatfield Times, p.7.

2.17 Referencing CD-ROMs

• Author/Editor.
• Year in brackets.
• Title of the material (in lower/sentence case)
• [CD-ROM].
• Place of publication:
• Publisher.

Hawking, S.W. (1994). A Brief History of Time. [CD-ROM]. London: Crunch Media.

2.18 Referencing legal materials

Legal periodicals cite references differently to the APA 6th referencing system. Legal periodicals cite
references in footnotes, whereas the APA 6th system locates all references, including reference to
legal materials, in the reference list.
The following order of basic elements should be used for statutes and other legislation
• A title or name of the legislation,
• Section number and source of the statute, (abbreviations for sources are acceptable e.g.
United States Code; U.S.C.)
• Year in brackets (this is the publication date which may be different from the year in the
name of the act).

Mental Health Systems Act, 42 U.S.C. 9401 (1988).

The following order of basic elements should be used for cases

• The title or name of the case (usually one party versus another),
21
 • Volume, Source and Page of the ‘reporter’ (books which record court decisions)
(abbreviations for sources are acceptable e.g. Federal Reporter; F.)
• Jurisdictions of the court writing the decision plus the date of the decision in brackets.
(abbreviations for jurisdictions are acceptable e.g. Western District of New York; W.D.
N.Y. 1953)

Leonard v. Smith, 354 F. 189 (W.D. N.Y. 1953).

2.19 Referencing dictionaries

When listing the reference at the end, books without authors should list the
• Title (in italics).
• Author of Chapter/Book (if appropriate)
• Translation/Version/Edition
• Place of Publication:
• Publisher.

2.20 Referencing pamphlets/advice sheets

If there is a date of publication, use the list suggested in section 2.9. When there is no date, use the
guidance in section 2.13.

2.21 Referencing secondary references

Only the source of work accessed should be included in the reference list.

The citation in the text is Winter (1962, cited in Thomas, 1990).

However only the secondary source should appear in the reference list.

Thomas, S. (1990). Drugs and their actions. London: The Pharmaceutical Press.

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References
American Psychological Association. (2010). Publication manual of the American

psychological association (6th ed.). Washington: American Psychological Association.

British Standards Institution. (2002). British standard recommendations for references to

published material - BS 1629. London: British Standards Institution.

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