OXFORD

A GUIDE TO REFERENCING
HOW TO LIST SOURCES USED FOR ASSIGNMENTS

This guide provides examples of how sources are acknowledged in text and reference lists, using the guidelines set out by the
Oxford system.

ƒ Before you write your reference list or bibliography, check with your lecturer/tutor which style they prefer you to use
ƒ It is important to be consistent
ƒ All sources used in assignments, essays, reports and theses must be acknowledged

REFERENCING IS NECESSARY TO AVOID PLAGIARISM, TO VERIFY QUOTATIONS, AND TO ENABLE READERS TO

IDENTIFY AND CONSULT ANY ITEM TO FOLLOW-UP A CITED AUTHOR'S ARGUMENTS

THE SEQUENTIAL NUMBERING SYSTEM (OXFORD)

In this system each citation is given a unique number in the order in which it appears in the text, either in brackets or
superscripted. If a reference is cited more than once abbreviations may be used to describe it for later references. (Refer: Style
manual for authors, editors and printers 1994). The details of the source are given either at the bottom of each page (called
footnotes), or in a reference list at the end of your paper (this is called endnoting).

With endnoting, the reference list may be made up of a sequentially numbered list at the end of the chapter or paper. In the
Oxford system, the list of References or the Bibliography is arranged in alphabetical order by the author's family name at the
end of the paper.

REFERENCES IN THE TEXT OF YOUR ESSAY (IN-TEXT CITATIONS)

The Oxford system requires citations to be numbered and then listed either as footnotes or endnotes. A reference requires the
name of the author/s, publication details and specific page/s (if appropriate). Full details of the citation are included in the
Reference List or Bibliography.

ƒ Use a footnote at the bottom of the page, or endnotes at end of the chapter. These are numbered in the order in
which they are cited in the text.

For example: ... as one writer has argued football is a sociological need. (1)

ƒ A direct quotation may include some or all the words of the writer, so may be used within a sentence with quotation
marks to highlight the citation. The name of the author may also be referred to in the text.

For example: ... and, Hughson has claimed that "soccer has long been associated with hooliganism". (2)

ƒ When referring to, or quoting authors use the surname (or family name). An indirect quote is when the ideas of
another writer are presented in other words. It is important to indicate the source of information when rewriting (that
is, paraphrasing) some one else's work. The footnote or endnote number will refer to a list at the end of the paper
indicating the full details of the source of the information, including the page number.

C:\Documents and Settings\staff\Desktop\oxford.doc

Created on 23 May 2007 – Last Updated: 31 May 2007
1/4
 1) A. Giddens, Politics, sociology and social theory: encounters with classical and contemporary thought,
(Cambridge: Polity Press) 1995, p.37.

2) J. Hughson, ‘Is the carnival over? Soccer support and hooliganism in Australia’ in Sport and Leisure:
Critical Perspectives, eds. G. Lawrence & D. Rowe, (Sydney: Hodder Education), 1998, p. 170.

ƒ Once an item has been cited, there are abbreviations to use to refer to the item if citing it again – see ‘Examples of
footnote shortcuts’ on page 4. References are normally listed in numerical order at the end of a chapter or paper.
However, they may also be listed the same as a Bibliography in alphabetical order by the author's family name at the
end of the paper.

EXAMPLES OF THE OXFORD SYSTEM OF REFERENCING / CITING

The following details are required to describe where the information was found. Some details will not be applicable in every
case.

Footnote for a book:

Author/s Initial & Family Name, Title of Book (Place of Publication: Publisher, date of publication), page number/s.

K.E. McCrone, Playing the Game. Sport and the Physical Emancipation of English Women. 1870-1914, (Lexington:
University Press of Kentucky), 1988, p. 53.

Footnote for an article in a journal:

Author/s Initial & Family Name, 'Article Title', Journal Title, Volume & Issue details (Issues Date), page number/s.

J. Nauright, 'Sports History and Social History: The Current State of Australian Sports History', Sporting Traditions, vol.
11, no. 2 (May 1995), pp. 105-106.

Footnote for a chapter in an anthology:

Author/s of article Initial & Family Name, 'Title of chapter', in Editor/s Initials & Family Name (eds), Title of book (Place of
Publication: Publisher, Date of publication), page number/s.

R. Crawford, 'Moral and Manly: Girls and Games in Early TwentiethCentury Melbourne', in l.A. Mangan and R.J. Park
(eds), From 'Fair Sex' to Feminism. Sport and the Socialization of Women in the Industrial and Post-Industrial Eras
(London: Frank Cass, 1987), p. 90.

Footnote for a newspaper reference:

Author/s Initial & Family name, 'Title of the article, Name of newspaper Day month year of publication, page numbers of article.
[NB. The convention is to delete "The" in the titles of newspapers].

R. Buchanan, 'Sirens of the Outer. Football's Granny Pack', Age 19 March 1995, p.17.

Footnote for a newspaper reference from an online database such as Factiva:

Author/s Initial & Family name, 'Title of the article, Name of newspaper Day month year of publication, page numbers of article,
date accessed, name of database.

Gilbert, ‘Recall the other World Cup? Nor can England’, Age 10 June 2006, p.8, retrieved 29 May 2007, Factiva
database.

C:\Documents and Settings\staff\Desktop\oxford.doc

Created on 23 May 2007 – Last Updated: 31 May 2007
2/4
Footnote for an article in an online database:

Author/s Initial & Family Name, 'Article Title', Journal Title, Volume & Issue details (Issues Date), page number/s, date
accessed, name of database.

S. Cannella & F. Lidz, ‘Fever pitch’, Sports Illustrated, vol. 102, no. 22, (2005), p. 18, retrieved May 29 2007, Academic
Search Premier database.

FURTHER INFORMATION OR EXAMPLES

Ritter, R.M. The Oxford guide to style (Oxford, Oxford University Press: 2002)

Betts, K. & Seitz, A. Writing essays and research reports in the social sciences 2nd ed., (Melbourne, Nelson: 1994)

Style manual for authors, editors and printers 5th ed. (Canberra, AGPS Press: 1994) (6th due in preparation)

EXAMPLE OF AN OXFORD ENDNOTE LIST

The sources cited in the text should be numbered and then listed in number order.

1. K.E. McCrone, Playing the Game. Sport and the Physical Emancipation of English Women, 1870-1914 (Lexington:
University Press of Kentucky, 1988), p.53.

2. Giddens, Politics, sociology and social theory: encounters with classical and contemporary thought. (Cambridge:
Polity Press), 1995 p. 37.

3. J. Nauright, 'Sports History and Social History: The Current State of Australian Sports History', Sporting Traditions,
vol. 11, no. 2 (May 1995), pp 105-106.

4. R. Crawford, 'Moral and Manly: Girls and Games in Early TwentiethCentury Melbourne', in J.A. Mangan and R.J.
Park (eds), From 'Fair Sex' to Feminism. Sport and the Socialization of Women in the Industrial and PostIndustrial
Eras (London: Frank Cass, 1987), p. 90.

5. R. Buchanan, 'Sirens of the Outer. Football's Granny Pack, Age 19 March 1995, p.17.

EXAMPLE OF AN OXFORD REFERENCE LIST OR BIBLIOGRAPHY

The sources cited in the text should be numbered and then listed at the bottom of each page or chapter. They may then be
listed in alphabetical order at the end of the paper.

Buchanan, R., ‘Sirens of the Outer. Football’s Granny Pack’, Age 19 March 1995, p.17.

Crawford, R., ‘Moral and Manly: Girls and Games in Early Twentieth-Century Melbourne’, in J.A. Mangan and R.J. Park
(eds). From ‘Fair Sex’ to Feminism. Sport and the Socialization of Women in the Industrial and Post-Industrial Eras
(London: Frank Cass, 1987), p. 90.

Giddens, A., Politics, Sociology and Social Theory: Encounters with Classical and Contemporary Thought (Cambridge:
Polity Press, 1995) p.37.

McCrone, K. E., Playing the Game. Sport and the Physical Emancipation of English Women, 1870-1914 (Lexington:
University Press of Kentucky, 1998), p. 53.

Nauright, J., ‘Sports History and Social History: The Current State of Australian Sports History’, Sporting Traditions, vol.
11, no. 2 (May 1995), pp. 105-106.

Note that if there are two articles or books by the same author they are arranged by date of publication with the
earliest dated article or book listed first.
C:\Documents and Settings\staff\Desktop\oxford.doc
Created on 23 May 2007 – Last Updated: 31 May 2007
3/4
EXAMPLES OF FOOTNOTE SHORTCUTS

Rule Example
Always provide a full citation the first time you refer to a source in 1. J. Smith, We're Livin', Cambridge
a footnote. University Press, 1992, page 186.
If the very next reference is to a different page in the same 2. ibid., page 107.
source, use the ibid. shortcut.
To refer to a work cited in a previous footnote that isn't 3. Smith, op. cit., page 255.
immediately preceding, use the op. cit. shortcut.
To refer to the same page of a work cited in a previous footnote, 4. Smith, loc. cit.
use the loc. cit. shortcut.

Remember: you can't use ibid. unless it's immediately below a full citation. Whenever you can't use ibid., it's usually best to use
the author's name followed by op. cit. and the page number.

C:\Documents and Settings\staff\Desktop\oxford.doc

Created on 23 May 2007 – Last Updated: 31 May 2007
4/4