- Which referencing style should I use?
- How can I improve my referencing skills?
- What reference management software can I use?
- Endnote
- Mendeley
- Zotero
- Further_support
Which referencing style should I use?
Use the referencing style required by your school or subject area and apply it consistently throughout your work.
Find guidance in the Library SkillUP resource:
Referencing: style guidelines for your school or subject area
If you're unsure which style to use, check your assignment brief or speak to your tutor or Module Leader.
How can I improve my referencing skills?
The Referencing unit in Library SkillUP provides guidance on finding, using and referencing information for academic work.
Library SkillUP:
- is available to all registered students, postgraduate researchers and staff
- requires your University username and password
- can be added to your Canvas dashboard for quick access
What reference management software can I use?
If you're completing a dissertation, thesis or large research project, reference management software can help you:
- organise references
- store research sources
- create citations in your documents
- automatically generate bibliographies
The University supports and recommends several widely used tools.
Endnote
EndNote is a reference management tool developed by Clarivate.
EndNote Basic (Online)
The free online version is suitable for most undergraduate and taught postgraduate students.
Benefits include:
- storing and organising references
- creating citations in Microsoft Word
- continued use after leaving the University
Learn more in Library SkillUP: EndNote.
EndNote Desktop
The desktop version is designed for postgraduate researchers and staff who need to manage large collections of references over several years.
Benefits include:
- unlimited reference storage
- access to thousands of referencing styles
- Microsoft Word integration
- synchronisation with EndNote Online
- automatic PDF and full-text discovery tools
The University provides a site licence for EndNote Desktop.
Mendeley
Mendeley is a free reference manager developed by Elsevier.
Features include:
- desktop and web versions
- Microsoft Word and LibreOffice integration
- support for footnote-based styles such as Chicago
- tools for organising and managing references
Zotero
Zotero is a free, open-source reference manager.
Features include:
- Microsoft Word, LibreOffice and Google Docs integration
- reference collection and organisation tools
- support for a wide range of referencing styles
- strong compatibility with OSCOLA referencing
Zotero is a good option if you want free software that you can continue using after university.
Further support
For more information about reference management software, visit the Software to manage your references unit in Library SkillUP.