This is a guide to citing in a text only. There are further guides on Writing a bibliography and related issues.

 When you refer to an author*whose work you have read in the body of your essay/assignment  Citations usually involve giving the surname of the author and the date the book/article was published  * remember the author may not be a person – it may be an organisation e.g. a charity or government department

 There are two things to consider  Is the name of the author a natural part of your sentence or not?  Are you making a particular or general reference to something you have read?

 Where the name of the author forms a natural part of your sentence.  For example:  Buscombe states that auteur theory was never a theory of the cinema.

 The reader already knows the name of the author - Buscombe, so you do not need to repeat it, but you do need to give the date his work was published.  The date is needed because your bibliography might list more than one article/book by Buscombe. The date will help the reader identify the relevant one.

 Buscombe (1973) states that auteur theory was never a theory of the cinema.

 The brackets are there to tell the reader to ignore the information in the brackets for the moment and concentrate on the meaning.  The references are important but they can be confusing and distracting. Putting them in brackets helps the reader.

 If you are not sure if the brackets are in the right place try reading the sentence out loud, leaving out anything in brackets.  If the sentence makes sense the brackets are probably in the right place  If it sounds odd you probably need to move them

 Where the author name is not included in your sentence.  For example:  It has been said that the test of a theory is whether it produces new knowledge.

 The reader does not know who said this, so you need to give the author’s name.  You also need to give the date he or she said it. The date of publication.

 It has been said that the test of a theory is whether it produces new knowledge (Buscombe, 1979).

 a page reference is essential if you have included a direct quotation.  It is also a good idea if you are:  Paraphrasing or summarising a particular point the author is making  You are referring to a particular point he or she makes

 Buscombe (1973, p10) maintains that auteur theory was never a theory of the cinema.

 If there are two authors e.g. John Smith and Paul Jones who wrote a book in 2001, your citation will look like this  Smith & Jones (2001) believe that ….  or like this  Some theorists (Smith & Jones, 2001) believe that ……

 Sometimes there are several authors (up to 30+ in the case of scientific papers)  If there are more than two, only give the names of the first two (as they appear in the book or article) and add et al (Latin for and the rest)  Williams, Thompson et al

 It’s always a good idea to check the original text if you can, if not:  You need to show exactly where the information comes from.

 Smith (cited in Henderson 1973, p34) has identified three main causes of child poverty.  REMEMBER - In the bibliography you give a reference for Henderson only. You cannot cite Smith because you have not used his work.

 It shows that your ideas are based on a wide knowledge of your subject. ie you have done the reading.  It allows you to acknowledge the contribution of experts and authoritative sources in your subject. ie. You recognise that you owe a lot to what others have already done in your subject.

 Correct referencing is a courtesy to the reader.  The reader might want to follow up (or check) something you have said.  The reference in the text should lead the reader to the place in the bibliography where the full reference will be found.

 In the bibliography books, articles etc are always listed by author’s surname (or if the text is anonymous by title), followed by the date of publication.  If the reader has these two pieces of information he or she should be able to find the all the rest of the information.

 You will only be able to cite your references properly in the text (and the bibliography) if you have kept a good record of where you found information.  Keeping a proper record saves time later and ensures that you do not lose marks for sloppy referencing.