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When do I need to use referencing?

You need to provide references to the work and ideas of other people in most forms of writing you do as part of your course requirements. If referencing requirements are not made clear to you in your lectures, tutorials or course materials, then you should check with your lecturer.

References must be provided whenever you use someone else’s opinions, theories, data or methods of organising material. You need to reference information from books, journals, magazines, newspapers, videos, sound recordings, websites, lectures and personal communications – in fact any borrowed or adapted information, whichever medium it first occurs in.

A reference is required if you:

  • Quote (use someone else’s exact words)
  • Copy (use someone else's figures, pictures, diagrams, tables or structure)
  • Paraphrase or adapt (convert someone else’s ideas or artwork into your own words or design requirements)
  • Summarise (use a brief account of someone else’s ideas)