Library: Psychology and Counselling: Referencing guidance

Referencing Information

Referencing is the method used at University to enable the reader of your assignments to find and read the same information you have used in your assignments.

Students studying Psychology and Counselling will use the APA style of referencing

We have an online tool called Cite Them Right that will support you in referencing different sources of information in the correct way for the referencing style you need to use.

Accessing Cite Them Right Online

On campus: go to www.citethemrightonline.com
You will be automatically logged on.

Off campus: login to CTRO online with your University username and password.

You will also find Cite Them Right Online listed under C in the A-Z of resources

APA 7th Referencing

APA has updated to the new 7th edition. Staffordshire University will be using this style from September 2020 onwards. We have created a quick guide. This will help you gain an understanding of the basics of APA 7th.

We have also created a detailed guide that goes into the mechanics of APA a bit further. Both of these guides now link into the main APA 7th Style guide created by the APA..

For returning students. We have created a presentation highlighting the main changes from APA 6th to APA 7th.

Cite Them Right Online This link opens in a new window
Cite Them Right Online (CTRO) is a comprehensive referencing resource. It will help you to cite and reference just about any source. There is also information on the basics of referencing, top 10 referencing tips, understanding plagiarism and lots more.

Off campus access

APA 7th in Cite Them Right Online
This guide demonstrates how to use APA in Cite Them Right Online.

Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association by American Psychological Association The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, Seventh Edition is the official source for APA Style. With millions of copies sold worldwide in multiple languages, it is the style manual of choice for writers, researchers, editors, students, and educators in the social and behavioral sciences, natural sciences, nursing, communications, education, business, engineering, and other fields. Known for its authoritative, easy-to-use reference and citation system, the Publication Manual also offers guidance on choosing the headings, tables, figures, language, and tone that will result in powerful, concise, and elegant scholarly communication. It guides users through the scholarly writing process--from the ethics of authorship to reporting research through publication. The seventh edition is an indispensable resource for students and professionals to achieve excellence in writing and make an impact with their work. The seventh edition has been thoroughly revised and updated to reflect best practices in scholarly writing and publishing. All formats are in full color, with a new tabbed spiral version Improved ease of navigation, with many additional numbered sections to help users quickly locate answers to their questions Resources for students on writing and formatting annotated bibliographies, response papers, and other paper types as well as guidelines on citing course materials Dedicated chapter for new users of APA Style covering paper elements and format, including sample papers for both professional authors and student writers New chapter on journal article reporting standards that includes updates to reporting standards for quantitative research and the first-ever qualitative and mixed methods reporting standards in APA Style New chapter on bias-free language guidelines for writing about people with respect and inclusivity in areas including age, disability, gender, participation in research, race and ethnicity, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, and intersectionality More than 100 new reference examples covering periodicals, books, audiovisual media, social media, webpages and websites, and legal resources More than 40 new sample tables and figures Expanded guidance on ethical writing and publishing practices, including how to ensure the appropriate level of citation, avoid plagiarism and self-plagiarism, and navigate the publication process Guidelines that support accessibility for all users, including simplified reference, in-text citation, and heading formats as well as additional font options
ISBN: 143383216X
Publication Date: 2019-10-01

Setting up an APA 7th indent in Word 2016

Have a go at some quizzes around academic dishonesty, collusion and plagiarism

An APA Overview

This video gives you an understanding of referencing using the APA 7th Edition format. The video tells you why you should reference. It provides examples of using in-text citations. It also shows you how to quote using APA. The video explains about reference lists and also highlights tools you can use to help you organise your references.You might want to watch specific parts of this video it covers:

What is referencing: Gives you an introduction to referencing and how to avoid plagiarism
Citing your work: Gives you some examples of how to cite work with multiple authors
When to quote: Provides examples of how to quote using APA
Your reference list: Provides advice and examples of compiling a reference list including using reference management software

Reference Management Software

RefWorks allows users to create personal databases and use them for a variety of research activities. References are quickly and easily imported from text files or online databases. The databases can then be used to manage, store, and share the information. Users can automatically insert references from their database into their papers and generate formatted bibliographies and manuscripts in seconds. The university subscribes to RefWorks so you can use it with your university login and password. Find out more via https://libguides.staffs.ac.uk/newrefworks

Mendeley is also very similar to RefWorks. Mendeley is free to use and you are able to import references quickly and easily. You can sign up and use Mendeley yourself. Mendeley can also be used on a number of different mobile devices. Mendeley also has a dedicated help portal and this can be found at https://support.mendeley.com/. Mendeley also has a series of videos you can view available via https://community.mendeley.com/guides/videos

Tables & Appendices in APA

For help and advice around tables in APA 7th we would always recommend speaking to your tutor or your supervisor.

The APA does have these helpful guides:

Style and grammar guidelines: tables and figures

Style and grammar guidelines: tables and figures - sample tables

This video might help. The video looks at borders and shading in Word. So you need to know how to use that tool when setting up a table.

Creating Appendices

If you need help creating appendices using APA 7th - please look at this guide. Alternatively, you can look at the 7th edition APA Publication Manual which contains detailed information. Your tutors usually set out guidance using appendices in Blackboard, so check there and ask them if you are unsure about anything.

Essential referencing information

The Library has also created RefZone to bring together all the different types of referencing and support information into one handy guide.

Why do I need to reference?

Indicating the sources you have used in the text of your essay (citing) and creating a list of references of sources you've used is an important part of the assignment writing process.

Accurate referencing of all the sources you have used will help you avoid accusations of plagiarism. There are other advantages as well:

Referencing the sources you have used means your arguments will be clearly supported by evidence.
An accurate reference allows your reader to find the source you have used for themselves.
Your lecturer can see how widely you have read and whether you fully understand the work.
Including references means your work follows good academic practice.

When do I need to reference?

There are two places in your assignments where you will need to acknowledge when you have used someone else’s ideas, theories etc to support your research.

In the body of your work – called in-text referencing or citing.
This is when you refer to known theories and ideas to support your own work in the body of your assignment. This might be through a direct quotation (marked out the use of "....") or by paraphrasing the original author's words.
At the end of your work in your Reference List or Bibliography.
This is where you link the in-text references or citations included in the body of your assignment to a list of all the resources you have used at the end.

Reference List or Bibliography?

Understanding the difference between a Reference List and a Bibliography can be tricky as the terms can be used incorrectly.

A Reference List is a list of all the sources you have cited in your work
A Bibliography is a list of the sources you have read to help you write your assignment but not cited.

In most cases you will only need to create a Reference List, but remember to check with your tutor if you are not sure what is expected.

Many people use these terms Reference List and Bibliography interchangeably so, if you are unsure about whether you need to include a Bibliography as well as a Reference List, ask your tutor.

Reference List format

Your reference list appears at the end of your assignment and should always be in alphabetical order by author/editor/corporate author, no matter what the format of the source is (book, e-book, journal, website etc.).

A bibliography would be presented in the same way as your reference list and would be a separate list following your reference list.

What material do I need to reference?

All the information that you have used in your assignment which came from books, journals or websites will need to be acknowledged. This includes*:

Quotations: Using someone else’s written or spoken words.
Paraphrased text : Information converted from someone else’s ideas into your own words
Summaries: when you summarise someone else’s work or ideas
Theories or ideas
Statistics and other forms of data
Images pictures, graphs, multimedia, tables
Music
Designs or plans

* This list is not exhaustive and you may use different types of sources, so remember, if you use anything in your assignment which has been written by someone else, please acknowledge their work by referencing or citing them correctly

What do I not need to reference?

There are a few occasions when you do not need to add a reference:

When you express your own ideas, theories, arguments, or conclusions
Where surveys and experiments have been designed and carried out by you
When you are including very basic common knowledge: For example, London is the capital of England

But remember what is common knowledge for you, and others in your subject area, may not be common knowledge to everyone. Also, even basic statistical information such as in the following example, must also be cited:

"Birmingham is Britain's second city in terms of population with 1.074 million inhabitants." (source should be cited!)

Stuck with your referencing? Why not book a Referencing appointment? One of our team will help you get to grips with whichever style of referencing you need. Just click on the link below to see appointment availability and make a booking.

Psychology and Counselling

APA Style

Handouts and guides

Style and Grammar Guidelines

Tutorials and Webinars

Assignment essentials