What is referencing?

  • What is referencing?

    Referencing and citing are ways to acknowledge how other people’s ideas and work have contributed to yours. They also enable the reader to look up the sources you’ve used and find out more.  

    So, what are they?
    • Citations are where you mention the source (for example the name of a researcher or publication) within the body of what you’ve written.   

    • References are a list at the end of what you’ve written with details of exactly where this information can be found.   

    Both must be done in a certain way and there are different styles for different subjects. Most students at Manchester Met will use the Cite Them Right Harvard style, but please check which style you should use with your department.

    Referencing is expected in academic work and important to get right. But it doesn’t have to be complicated and we’re here to help. On this page you’ll find links to support for all the different referencing styles used at Manchester Met including Cite Them Right Harvard.

    For other referencing terminology, visit Cite Them Right’s glossary of referencing terms.

Referencing support

Cite Them Right

Cite Them Right Harvard

Your guide to Cite Them Right Harvard, the referencing style used by most departments at Manchester Met.

For guidance on how to use the Cite Them Right website for Cite Them Right Harvard style references, and for referencing tips, visit our guide. If you have any queries on using Cite Them Right Harvard, contact us on library@mmu.ac.uk.

MMU Harvard

MMU Harvard was the referencing style used by most departments at Manchester Met until August 2023. If you are currently using MMU Harvard, please note that support for this style will be withdrawn on 30 September 2024. Please check which referencing style you should be using with your tutor or by consulting your course/unit handbook.

School of Art Numeric Referencing

This is a numeric referencing style for students in the Manchester School of Art. If you wish to use this style, please note that it will not be supported after 30 September 2024.

Endnote

EndNote

Explore the software tool that helps you reference your work

User quote

Referencing is at the heart of critical writing - you can't get top marks if your referencing isn't right. The Library staff are the experts and their sessions work like magic for my students.
Dr Sehar Graham, Senior Lecturer in Events Management, Faculty of Business and Law