How to Write a Bibliography: Referencing Formats and Their Importance

Table of contents

What is a dissertation and what does it include?

A dissertation is a culminating document required to be submitted by the students as the final stage of their academic cycle. However, a dissertation might seem like a simple document.

However, A dissertation can take months or even years to finish because of how long it is.

For an undergraduate dissertation, students must write between 5000 and 10,000 words, whereas, for a master’s dissertation, they must write between 15,000 and 20,000 words. Furthermore, 60,000–80,000 words, which is more than enough for a PhD dissertation. (Miller, 2020)

The main element of the Dissertation

A dissertation comprises many things, however, the most crucial part of a dissertation could easily be a bibliography and references. The reason behind this could be that the references and bibliography are used to offer credit to the work of any writer and also to catch piracy.

The bibliography is a compilation of all the citations in a dissertation that the author also suggests be read further. The section must include sufficient details about the source so that it can independently verify it

Each citation must include the following details: (Assistance, 2019)

  • the author’s name
  • the source’s title
  • the publisher’s name and the year of publication
  • the page number where the information is found.

What goes in a Bibliography?

What a bibliography can be learnt through any research proposal writing service however, what is important and is mostly missed by the students is how many references should a dissertation have and what is actually meant by referencing and bibliography?

What is the literal meaning of a bibliography?

How do you write a bibliography can be learnt by learning the literal meaning of referencing which is mentioning or suggesting someone or something either directly or indirectly.

References are widely used when research is conducted because even a minimum amount, but a little dissertation help is required from already published research on a similar topic and that is where the references take place i.e., where a particular idea has been taken from. Referencing is done to save the researcher from the accusation of stealing someone else’s content or plagiarism. (Campus, n.d.)

How to structure a bibliography?

Referencing Format

Furthermore, one important thing to keep in mind is to use the correct format for references.

Usually, to cite the references means declaring the author’s name, paper’s name, month and year of publication, and some other related information; a standard format i.e., American Psychological Association (APA) format is used which is easier and more convenient to understand for the reader than other formats that tend to be a little tricky to get.

Citation

There is another form of reference which is called in-text citation which means to give credit to the source of information within your text, however, it must be included in the references as well. In-text citation looks more formal and presentable and also the readers find the paper to be authentic if it contains citations and references. (Study.com, n.d.)

There is another form of reference which is called in-text citation which means to give credit to the source of information within your text, however, it must be included in the references as well. In-text citation looks more formal and presentable and also the readers find the paper to be authentic if it contains citations and references.

Example of sources:

  • Books
  • Articles
  • Blogs
  • Website
  • Research Papers
  • Journals

All of the above-mentioned fall under the category of sources where relevant and related data to the topic of research can be extracted, however, it is necessary to cite or mention where the information has been retrieved from.

How to write a Bibliography?

Typically, a reference page is designed to mention all the details of any ideas or help taken from someone else or data collection services. The reference page is inserted at the last of the writer’s assignment or research that lists all the sources that have been used to draft the paper. Also, one important thing to keep in mind is to use the correct format for references.

Usually, to cite the references means declaring the author’s name, paper’s name, month and year of publication, and some other related information; a standard format i.e., American Psychological Association (APA) format is used which is easier and more convenient to understand for the reader than other formats that tend to be a little tricky to get.

How to write a bibliography UK Style?

Bibliography and referencing vary from country to country and thus, for a writer it is necessary to learn the major referencing styles if not. Out of those important referencing styles, the UK one is the basic one whose details are as follows;

Referencing Styles

There are four major styles of referencing that can be used by the writer when composing an essay, assignment, research, or dissertation. They are; (Royal Literary, n.d.)

  • Modern Languages Association System (MLA)
  • American Psychological Association (APA)
  • The Harvard System is also known as Parenthetical Referencing
  • Modern Humanities Research Association (MHRA)

These are the types of references that are used around the globe and the tutor or the institution for whom the research is being conducted on an essay is being composed, mentions the type of referencing they prefer therefore, the writer has to abide by it.

Although all four referencing styles are parenthetical formats their usage differs which means not every referencing style is used for every kind of paper.

For Example: With the subtle difference between the style of citation Modern Languages Association System (MLA) I used for citing literature like paintings or books whereas the American Psychological Association (APA) format is used for more scientific and technical work like business reports or social and behavioural science-related work. The Harvard system on the other hand is entirely used for academic writing.

When to Put References?

Whenever you use an idea from another writer’s work, that includes the following; (UNSW, n.d.)

  • books and journal articles
  • newspapers and magazines
  • pamphlets or brochures
  • films, documentaries, television programs or advertisements
  • websites or electronic resources
  • letters, emails, online discussion forums
  • personal interviews
  • lecturers or tutors. (Not always necessary but check with your lecturer or tutor about their preferences before you draw on their ideas.)

Whenever a writer or student is taken help from any of the above-mentioned resources, they should cite the original author to make it clear where that idea originated from. The same procedure should be followed regardless of whether the writer has paraphrased, summarized or directly quoted their work.

In this manner, the writer would be free from the fear of plagiarism and can have a well-written piece of academic paper.

Harvard Style Referencing Overview

Another important referencing or bibliography style could be the Harvard style. As suggested so far, the purpose of referencing is to allow the reader to trace the source of information to increase the credibility of the paper.

That is why referencing is used and is widely recommended whenever writing a report. Citation or referencing has been proven a great dissertation help UK-wide.

However, the writer must not confuse the name of the reference style i.e., The Harvard style with the fact that it can be used around the globe and not just in the USA. The Harvard style of referencing is used in academics by students for their work to mention other people’s quotes, ideas, findings, and results without rupturing the rules or stealing someone else’s content.

As discussed above, the Harvard referencing style or even other referencing formats; have two major sub-types i.e., in-text citation and a reference page or list at the end of the assignment.

Where in-text citation mentions directly the name of the author and the year published of the paper in the main body of the essay, a reference page mentions all the citations from top to down in alphabetical order.

Why referencing is important?

As explained above in detail that references are sources of recognizing previous research writers for their commendable work, which is then used by junior writers to add relevant information to their dissertation because it helps to:

  • Make research evidence stronger
  • Support research argument
  • Prove the significance of research
  • Avoid plagiarism
  • Verify the information and its importance
  • Help readers identify research gaps

All of the points mentioned above, add value and significance to the paper and give reliability to the research. It is the fundamental, crucial and imperative part of any academic work that a student presents in their academic life which they must follow even if they are taking any assistance because it allows the reader to understand better the idea the researcher is trying to convey with the help of other relevant sources.

Why citation is important?

Citation is not only important but mandatory in research writing for the reason it includes ease for the readers. For example; (Mckillop, 2022)

  • Easy availability of the source to readers
  • Clearly explaining to the readers that the preceding ideas or words are not from the writers but from another source.
  • Relevant appreciation and credit were given to the original authors and researchers for their hard work and for their recognition too.