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 If you do not cite the source of your information (from a book, article, website), then you may be accused of plagiarism.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:
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.
Use Library Search | Ketu on the library homepage to search for books on referencing and plagiarism.
Watch this short video on how to use Library Search | Ketu.
Need more help? Use this guide.
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.