Skip to Main Content

Your Skills and Assignment Support

What is Referencing?

Referencing is acknowledging the source of your information, and is an important part of academic writing. For example, whenever you quote or paraphrase information from somewhere else to support your work, you should provide a reference. This allows the person reading or marking your work to check your sources. You can reference any kind of information source, from textbooks and websites, to images and videos, and more.

There are many different styles of referencing. Your tutor will tell you which style to use for your assignment. All FE (level 2 & 3) students are required to use the University of Lincoln Harvard style.

Referencing Tips

  • Keep a copy of your style's referencing guide to hand when writing your references. It will give you all the information you need to help you format your references correctly. You can view online copies of the guides in the next section.
  • Incorrect referencing or failing to reference can lead to accusations of plagiarism, which can have serious academic consequences.
  • Use a reference management tool like Refworks to help you organise your sources and generate citations/bibliographies. (see our section on Refworks)
  • Keep notes on which sources you have used as you conduct your research so you don't lose track.
  • If you get stuck or need a hand with your referencing, ask your Library Information Adviser. They're happy to help!

Referencing Guides

Reference Management Tools

Reference Management tools can help you organise and cite sources for your assignments. There are several free and paid versions available online to choose from.

We recommend using Refworks. This is a user-friendly reference management tool that can create, store, organise references, and generate citations and bibliographies. As a Lincoln College student you are entitled to a free account; simply sign up using your student email and begin organising your references.

refworks logo

Refworks User Guide

Please note! Reference Management Tools can support you with your referencing, but such tools may generate incorrect or incomplete references and citations. You should always double-check generated references to ensure they are accurate.

Featured Resources for Referencing

Book cover

Cite Them Right

Cite them right is renowned as the most comprehensive yet easy-to-use guide to referencing text available to students and authors. Academics and teachers rely on the advice in Cite them right to guide their students in the skills of identifying and referencing information sources and avoiding plagiarism. Comprehensive and accessible, it provides readers with detailed examples of print and electronic sources, business, government, technical and legal publications, works of art, images and much more.

Avoid Plagiarism

Need guidance on plagiarism and how to avoid it? Avoid Plagiarism makes understanding plagiarism simple, giving you the know-how to write confidently and independently. Get clear guidance on exactly what plagiarism is  Learn how to avoid unintentionally plagiarising the work of others Find out how to correctly credit your sources. 

Book cover

The Complete Guide to Referencing and Avoiding Plagiarism

"Demystifying the referencing process and providing essential guidance to make sure you are not committing plagiarism. It provides clear guidelines on why and when to reference as well as how to correctly cite from a huge range of sources."

Book cover

Referencing and understanding plagiarism

This guide explains why referencing is an essential part of good writing and shows how to do it. It explains what plagiarism is and how to avoid it. With clear explanations and examples, this handy, easy-to-read guide has engaging illustrations and an informal style.

Canvas Courses for 'How to Reference and Avoid Plagiarism'

Sharpen your referencing skills and learn more about plagiarism by completeing the following short courses on Canvas: