Referencing shows the breadth of your research and provides details of the sources that you have used to support your arguments and conclusions.
By acknowledging the sources used in your work, you will also avoid plagiarism.
All reference styles are made up of two parts - the in text citation and the full reference.
Depending on the style the citation may be the author's surname and date of publication or a number assigned to each source as it is used.
It is important to keep track of your sources as you research so you can show all the work you have done and acknowledge where you are using the ideas of others as evidence.
For most assignments, students studying Fashion courses will use Cite Them Right Harvard.
However, the referencing style can depend on the module. For example, if you are studying a law module you may be asked to use OSCOLA (a specialist law referencing style).
Before you start, always check your module handbook or ask your tutor.
Cite Them Right will help you to reference just about any source you might need to use and understand how to avoid plagiarism. It also includes a Referencing tutorial to help you develop your skills.
Cite them Right includes extensive guidance as well as examples of the Harvard, APA 7th edition, IEEE, OSCOLA, Vancouver and Chicago referencing styles. To see the correct format, just select the type of source you want to reference and then filter the results by referencing style.
You may need to log in with your usual GCU username and password to view the links below.
New to referencing? Watch this short video for an overview of how to reference using the Cite Them Right Harvard style. Use the chapter function to jump to the section you need.
Reference management software helps you to keep track of your research, create bibliographies or reference lists and share these with others. There are many different reference management products available, free and paid for.
GCU Library subscribes to and provides support for RefWorks.
The RefWorks pages on our website include help with setting up a RefWorks account and learning how to use RefWorks.
Please note: When generating a bibliography or reference list using RefWorks, make sure you choose the correct output style. For most students this will be Cite Them Right, 12th edition - Harvard. If you're not sure which style to use, check your module handbook.
For further help with using RefWorks contact a librarian.