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 Law will use OSCOLA (Oxford University Standard for Citation of Legal Authorities). This is the UK standard for referencing legal content.
However, the referencing style can depend on the module. For example, if you are studying a business management module you may be asked to use Cite Them Right Harvard.
Before you start, always check your module handbook or ask your tutor.