Referencing

Even short documents commonly include some kind of reference. This might be to cite another part of the text, or a separate document, website or email. It is important to be consistent in the way you style the text you reference.

In more complex reports and publications, you will need a comprehensive referencing system to cite the sources you used and help readers to look up the original material. This can quickly become complex – and at times daunting.

As a result, many of us pay too little attention to the styling of references while we write. This can lead to inconsistency and a great deal of editing work to tidy up the text later in the writing process. It can be particularly soul destroying if you are writing a long report on a tight deadline and you don't have a professional editor to help you.

Referencing really doesn’t need to become a chore, as long as you have your head around a few basic principles and apply them as you write. If you are working with a team, it is best to decide on the style you will apply at the outset.

Referencing system

Start by confirming which referencing system you will use, which in Australia is mostly either the:

• documentary note system
• author–date system.

Then bring yourself up to speed with contemporary style for formatting different kinds of publications: books, articles, legislation, reports and online sources.

Remember that acknowledging your intellectual property debts is more than just a legal obligation – it boosts your credibility and makes it easier for readers to find the supporting resources they need.

Evolving style

Bear in mind that referencing conventions have evolved alongside technology. We once used underlining to show a published title because typewriters could not do much else. The next trend was to italicise titles, but that presents difficulties for online reading. We have moved away from and then back to title case for publication titles.

So even if you are familiar with referencing, it is worth reviewing this part of the ASG to see what has changed.