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Referencing Fundamentals: Reference lists

What is a reference & reference list?

A reference contains all the details needed for a reader to locate the exact information resource, regardless of it's format (eg book, website, video). All of your references are then listed alphabetically at the end of your assessment creating a Reference List.

What elements are included, their order, and how they are formatted differ between referencing styles. Both APA7 and Harvard are author-date referencing styles which means every reference entry will start with the author and then the date.

Here is an example of the most straight-forward reference, a book with one author:
 

Chatfield, T. (2020). Think critically. Sage Publications.

Chatfield, Y 2020, Think critically, Sage Publications, London.

 

As you can see, the punctuation between APA7 & MP Harvard is different, with APA7 using more fullstops. MP Harvard also includes the place of the publisher where APA7 does not.

References for different resource types will contain many of the same elements as the above examples but will often contain other unique identifiers, such as URLs and volume & issue numbers. Refer to ERNI to discover what needs to be included and how it should be displaced. 

Reference lists & bibliographies

What's the difference between a reference list and a bibliography?

Reference Lists contains only items you have referred to in your writing (that is, each reference entry should have a corresponding in-text citation)

Bibliographies include all the items you used to research and write, even if the items isn't referred to (that is, a reference entry may not appear as an in-text citation)

Otherwise, both look exactly the same!

Reference list examples

A reference list prepared in APA7 would look like this:

References

Association of College and Research Libraries. (2016). Framework for information literacy for higher education. American Library Association.
https://www.ala.org/acrl/standards/ilframework  

Australian Library and Information Association. (2006). Statement on information literacy for all Australians. https://read.alia.org.au/statement-information-literacy-all-australians  

Darder, A., Baltodano, M. P., & Torres, R. D. (2009). Critical pedagogy: An introduction. In A. Darder, M. P. Baltodano, & R. D. Torres (Eds.), The critical pedagogy reader (2nd ed. pp. 1–20). Routledge. 

Elmborg, J. (2006). Critical information literacy: Implications for instructional practice. The Journal of Academic Librarianship, 32(2), 192199. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.acalib.2005.12.004  

Freire, P. (1970). Pedagogy of the oppressed (M. Bergman Ramos, Trans.). Penguin Books.

Giroux, H. A. (2001). Theory and resistance in education: Towards a pedagogy for the opposition. Bergin & Garvey.  

Giroux, H. A. (2002). Neoliberalism, corporate culture, and the promise of higher education: The university as a democratic public sphere. Harvard Educational Review, 72(4), 425463. 

Lyle Skains, R. (2018). Creative practice as research: Discourse on methodology. Journal of Media Practice, 19(1), 8297. https://doi.org/10.1080/14682753.2017.1362175   

Rapchak, M. (2021). Introducing critical librarianship to information professionals: Using critical pedagogy and critical information literacy in an LIS graduate course. Communications in Information Literacy, 15(1), 140157. https://doi.org/10.15760/comminfolit.2021.15.1.8   

Tewell, E. (2018). The practice and promise of critical information literacy: Academic librarians’ involvement in critical library instruction. College & Research Libraries, 79(1), 1034. https://doi.org/10.5860/crl.79.1.10 

A reference list prepared in MP Harvard would look like this:

References

Association of College and Research Libraries 2016, Framework for information literacy for higher education, American Library Association, viewed 18 September 2024, https://www.ala.org/acrl/standards/ilframework  

Australian Library and Information Association 2006, Statement on information literacy for all Australians, Australian Library and Information Association, viewed 18 September 2024, https://read.alia.org.au/statement-information-literacy-all-australians  

Darder, A, Baltodano, MP, & Torres, RD 2009, ‘Critical pedagogy: an introduction’, in A Darder, MP Baltodano, & RD Torres (eds.), The critical pedagogy reader, 2nd edn, Routledge, New York, pp. 1-20.

Elmborg, J 2006, ‘Critical information literacy: implications for instructional practice’, The Journal of Academic Librarianship, Vol. 32, No. 2, pp. 192-199, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.acalib.2005.12.004   

Freire, P 1970, Pedagogy of the oppressed, trans. M Bergman Ramos, Penguin Books, London.

Giroux, HA 2001, Theory and resistance in education: towards a pedagogy for the opposition, Bergin & Garvey, Westport, CT.  

Giroux, HA 2002, ‘Neoliberalism, corporate culture, and the promise of higher education: the university as a democratic public sphere’, Harvard Educational Review, Vol. 72, No. 4, pp. 425-463. 

Lyle Skains, R 2018, ‘Creative practice as research: discourse on methodology’, Journal of Media Practice, Vol. 19, No. 1, pp. 82-97, https://doi.org/10.1080/14682753.2017.1362175   

Rapchak, M 2021, ‘Introducing critical librarianship to information professionals: using critical pedagogy and critical information literacy in an LIS graduate course’, Communications in Information Literacy, Vol. 15, No. 1, pp. 140-157, https://doi.org/10.15760/comminfolit.2021.15.1.8   

Tewell, E 2018, ‘The practice and promise of critical information literacy: academic librarians’ involvement in critical library instruction’, College & Research Libraries, Vol. 79, No. 1, pp. 10-34, https://doi.org/10.5860/crl.79.1.10