Managing Your References: Citing & Referencing

It is vital that you acknowledge any information source you use. If you do not cite the source of your information (from a book, article, website), then you may be accused of plagiarism.

The University of Otago takes plagiarism seriously.  These resources will help you understand what plagiarism is and how to avoid it. 

A citation style is a standardised way of citing materials used in your research. Citing avoids plagiarism by giving you a way to correctly attribute credit to other authors or researchers.

Find the appropriate citation style for your subject on our Citation Styles guide.

Sometimes you will be required to use a less common citation style from a specific journal or organisation.  Reasons include:

• You want to publish in a specific journal 
• The style has been developed specifically for your department or discipline

Below are some examples of Citation Styles that you may be required to use. If you are unsure which style to use ask your lecturer or supervisor.

Journal abbreviations are often required for numbered referencing styles. Try the tools/lists below, before checking a recent journal issue to see how that journal name is abbreviated.

If you are unable to find journal title abbreviations via these sources, please ask your Subject Librarian.