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Referencing guides and generators
Find the style your course requires. Read the guide or create a reference with a free generator.
All styles, A to ZChoose your referencing style to open its guide or generator.
Compare referencing styles
Referencing styles differ in how they identify sources in your text and list them at the end of your work.
| System | In your text | Examples of styles |
|---|---|---|
| Author-date | The author’s surname and publication year. | Harvard, APA, ASA and Chicago (author-date). |
| Author-page | The author’s surname and, where available, a page number. | MLA. |
| Numbered | A citation number links to an entry in your reference list. | IEEE and Vancouver. |
| Footnotes | A superscript number links to a note containing the source details. | Chicago (notes and bibliography), MHRA and OSCOLA. |
Bibliography vs reference list: what is the difference?
A reference list gives full details of the sources you cite in your work. A bibliography may also include sources you read during your research but did not cite.
Follow your course instructions and referencing style: they determine which list you need, what to include and how to arrange it.
For examples, see our Harvard reference list and MHRA bibliography.
For help writing notes on each source, see our annotated bibliography guide, with examples and a template.
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