Are you writing an assignment but not sure how to write references to it? Don’t worry. Because this is a very common concern that more than 80% of the students have. Adding references is important to enhance an assignment’s authority and authenticity. This blog provides expert insights on this seemingly simple yet crucial topic.
What Are The References for An Assignment?
When you write an assignment, you don’t necessarily write a fresh thought or concept but write your understanding of an existing idea. For this, you will often refer to other existing literature. Whenever you make such references in your assignment, you are required to mention details of those sources. These are called the references for an assignment.
Importance of Citation And Referencing in An Assignment
Citation and referencing in assignments are considered important for many different reasons. Let’s take a look at them.
- Referencing lets you prove that you are not using someone else’s ideas as your own and thereby avoid the chances of plagiarism.
- By referencing a work in your assignment, you get the opportunity to show your professor that you improved your knowledge of a topic by engaging with an existing work.
- Reputed academic institutions have strict assignment evaluation policies. If they learn that you haven’t added citations and references in assignments, they may suspect your academic integrity.
- Assignments can be used as a reliable source of information in academic debates. Should your arguments sound more credible and authentic, having proper citations and references is essential.
Referencing Styles for Assignment
It is interesting to learn that there are multiple referencing styles out there with a unique set of rules. Each of these styles suits specific subjects, programs and contexts. So before zeroing in on a style, be certain to figure out your institution’s assignment guidelines.
APA (American Psychological Association) Referencing Style
APA style reference citation is a popular method frequently adopted for programs like Sociology and Psychology. In APA format for references, you can find clear instructions on how to keep the document’s design and layout, how to use in-text citations and what should be the structure to list the references. For in-text citations, the author’s last name and year of publication are used. Eg. Cameroon, 2024
MLA (Modern Language Association) Referencing Style
MLA Style Citations are frequently used for academic subjects like Humanities and Linguistics. While in-text citations are brief with the author’s last name and the page number, the citations given at the end under ‘works cited’ are much more detailed and comprehensive. E.g. for MLA in text referencing: Cameroon 45.
Chicago Referencing Style
Chicago Style format citation is known for its flexible nature because you can use it across almost all programs if there is no specific citation requirement specified by the institution. For reference, you may use Notes and Bibliography. Author and Date format is used for in-text citation. The separate bibliography at the end of your paper needs to be comprehensive. E.g for in-text citation in Chicago style: Cameroon 2024
Harvard Referencing Style
Students of Business Management Programs, Social Sciences, and related subjects are often recommended to use Harvard referencing and citation. The key differentiating factor of this citation style is its comprehensive nature. For a Harvard referencing citation, you need to provide complete details of the source you mention at the end of your paper. For in-site reference, you should add the last name of the author along with the year of publication.
How To Write References In Assignment?
Having learned about different types of references in assignment, let’s now look at real-world examples of using them.
APA Style Examples
In-text citation:
Single author: Nixon, 2024
Double authors: Nixon & Cameroon, 2024
Three or more authors: Nixon et al., 2024
Bibliographic reference:
Book: Nixon, J. (2024). Analytics of Economy. Boston Press
Journal: Nixon, J., Parker, P. (2024). How to Sell Like a Pro. The Marketer, September, 33-35
MLA Style Examples
In-text citation:
Single author: Brown, 56
Double authors: Brown & Patel, 74
Three or more authors: Patel et al., 74
Bibliographic reference:
Book: Nixon, Brown. Acute Business Management. London Press, 2022
Journal: Keller, Jose, and Smitha Thomas. “Success Tips to Business Growth.” Business Insider, June, 2024, pp. 45-60.
Chicago Style Examples
In-text citation:
Smith, Climate Change, 78.
Bibliographic reference:
Book: Kerry, Peter, and Sandra Davis. Leadership Strategies. Boston: Harvard Business Press, 2015.
Journal article: Johnson, Sandra. “Role of Communication in Business.” Journal of Business, vol. 30, no. 2 (2018): 45-60.
Harvard Style Examples
In-text citation:
Single author: (Patel 2023);
Double authors: (Patel and Parker 2023);
More than two authors: (Patel et al. 2023).
Bibliography References
Book: Kerry, Patel. Book Title. Publisher, Year.
Journal article: John Kerry, and Natal Patel, “Article Title.” Journal Name, Issue no, Year: page range.
Where Should You Add References In A Written Assignment?
While writing an assignment, as you have observed from the different citation styles, you will be coming across two types of citations. In-text and bibliographic citations. Make sure that you add in-text citations whenever you deal with someone else’s work in your paper. For instance, while quoting, summarising or referencing. Depending on the type of citation you are using, the in-text citation should be customized. As for the bibliographic referencing, you can write that after the assignment conclusion preferably on a new page.
Citing Sources in Assignment in Unusual Situations
Sometimes the sources you intend to add might be special. For instance, without the author’s name or date of publication. How is one supposed to cite the sources in such unusual situations? Let’s find out how.
When there is no author:
- Title of the Book or Article, Year.
When there is no date for publishing
- Kerry, n.d or Kerry (n.d).
n.d means no date.
Secondary Sources
- Kelly, as cited in Hunt, 2022
Conclusion
Perfect! You have got a thorough overview of references in assignment. Are you ready now to write your assignments using the right reference style? Don’t worry if you still have any doubts. Just let us know what your concern is and we the writers at Anjit VS and team will shed more light on that. Before you decide on a specific citation style, make sure to verify the same with your institute. Best of luck with your assignment writing.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
How to write book references in assignment?
Writing a book reference in an assignment is simple. Whenever you rely on a book’s content on your assignment, add in-text citations such as the author’s last name and year of publishing. For instance, Kerry, 2002 or Kerry, 25 depending on the citation style you are using. Similarly, at the end of the assignment, provide a comprehensive reference about the book. For instance: Kerry. Business Management Strategies. Toronto: Toronto Business Press, 2015.
What citation style should I use for my university assignments?
As we have discussed in the description of each referencing style, some referencing styles are considered ideal for certain subjects or disciplines. For instance, APA for Psychology and Social science. So, it is recommended to choose a citation style in alignment with your assignment subject and the university guidelines.
How to write online references in assignments?
You can write online references in assignments as below:
Author’s name, publication date, title of the web page or article, URL, and access date for online references in assignments.
E.g. Francis, A. (2024). “How to Write Online References.” Retrieved from www.examplewebsite.com/how-to-write-online-references. Accessed April 23, 2024.
