Guide to Plagiarism, Research and Referencing

OTHER REFERENCING SYSTEMS

While Harvard referencing is widely used and our preferred system, other styles are also common in different disciplines. This guide covers the key referencing styles, their uses, and formatting rules.

APA Referencing (American Psychological Association - 7th Edition)

Commonly Used In:

  • Psychology, Education, and Health Sciences.

Key Features:

  • Uses author-date in-text citations.

  • The reference list follows strict formatting with a hanging indent.

Example Citations:

In-Text Citation: (Smith, 2019) or Smith (2019) found that... Reference List Entry (Journal Article): Smith, J. A. (2019). The effects of enrichment on shelter animals. Journal of Animal Welfare, 23(4), 100-112. https://doi.org/xxxx

MLA Referencing (Modern Language Association - 9th Edition)

Commonly Used In:

  • Humanities, Literature, and Arts.

Key Features:

  • Uses author-page number in-text citations.

  • The reference list is called a Works Cited page.

Example Citations:

In-Text Citation: (Johnson 45) or Johnson argues that...

Works Cited Entry (Book): Johnson, Mark. A History of Animal Ethics. Cambridge University Press, 2018.

Chicago Referencing (Author-Date and Footnote Systems)

Commonly Used In:

  • History, Philosophy, and Fine Arts.

Key Features:

  • Uses either author-date in-text citations OR footnotes.

  • Full references are provided in a bibliography at the end.

Example Citations:

Author-Date In-Text Citation: (Brown 2017, 22)

Footnote Citation:

  1. Brown, Peter. Understanding Animal Cognition. Harvard University Press, 2017.

Vancouver Referencing (Numbered System)

Commonly Used In:

  • Medicine, Health Sciences, and Biomedical Research.

Key Features:

  • Uses numbers in-text that correspond to a reference list.

  • The reference list is ordered numerically rather than alphabetically.

Example Citations:

In-Text Citation: Animal therapy has shown positive effects (1).

Reference List Entry (Journal Article):

  1. Smith JA, Lee B. The impact of hydrotherapy on canine mobility. Vet Physiol J. 2020;45(3):212-25.

IEEE Referencing (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers)

Commonly Used In:

  • Engineering, IT, and Technical Fields.

Key Features:

  • Uses bracketed numbers for in-text citations.

  • Reference list is numbered and formatted differently from Harvard.

Example Citations:

In-Text Citation: Animal tracking technology has improved significantly [1].

Reference List Entry (Conference Paper): [1] J. Doe and M. Green, "Advancements in GPS collars for wildlife monitoring," in Proc. Int. Conf. Wildlife Tech., Sydney, Australia, 2019, pp. 12-19.

Choosing the Right Referencing Style

 

Discipline Preferred Referencing Style
Veterinary & Animal Science Harvard, APA
Psychology & Health Sciences APA, Vancouver
Humanities & Literature MLA, Chicago
History & Philosophy Chicago
Medicine & Biomedical Research Vancouver
Engineering & IT IEEE
 

Final Notes

  • Always check with your instructor or institution for preferred referencing styles.

  • Be consistent—do not mix different styles in the same document.

  • Use reference management tools like EndNote, Zotero, or Mendeley for accuracy.