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Referencing Help

Referencing Help

Citation Guides

In any assignment, proper referencing is important to avoid plagiarism. There are many referencing styles available and each style has its own conventions. The referencing style you are required to use depends on what course you are doing. You should always check your assignment requirement or contact your lecturer if you are unsure about which style to use. Do not mix referencing styles within a single paper.

Which referencing style to use?

Programme Referencing style Maintained by
A-Levels *
WACE *
Certificate
Diploma
FIB
Sunway College Johor Bahru
ACCA
ACCA FIA
Oxford Brookes University
MUFY Monash University
VU Degree
VU English for Business
Victoria University

* For A-Levels and WACE students: Some intakes are required to use the Harvard style. Before using this guide, please check with your lecturer regarding the required citation style.

Referencing is a way of demonstrating the ideas or information from a number of sources you have used in your assignments or written work to avoid plagiarism.

  • To avoid plagiarism.
  • To acknowledge the source.
  • To show evidence of the breadth and depth of your reading.
  • To support your work with the authoritative work of another author.
  • To enable readers of your work to trace the original source of information or ideas that you have used.

A reference or citation is required when you:

  • Directly quote another person word for word.
  • Paraphrase or summarise ideas or data obtained from another source.
  • Use statistics in your work obtained from another source.
  • Use tables, figures, diagrams or images created by someone else.
  • Use theories, controversial facts, opinions or dates from another source.

Downloadable Guides

Quick guide and checklist Citation generator

Further Readings