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CJBS Guide: Referencing Guide

The CJBS Guide is to help learners of the business school navigate key academic skills and support offered by the Information and Library Services team.

Referencing Style at CJBS

Referencing is an important part of avoiding plagiarism and maintaining academic integrity. As part of your assignments at CJBS you will be expected to cite and reference the sources you use, using the Harvard style of referencing. 

The Harvard style requires an in-text citation and an entry in an alphabetised list at the end of the work. If you haven't used Harvard before, Cite Them Right has a guide to the Harvard style which covers how to set out citations, what to include in your reference list, and other common referencing questions. 

Access the Cite Them Right Harvard Guidance

The University of Cambridge has detailed guidance surrounding plagiarism and academic misconduct on a dedicated webpage: https://www.plagiarism.admin.cam.ac.uk/

If you are stuck with referencing, contact the Library Team via email, live chat or in-person. 

Cite Them Right

Cite Them Right is a database with guidance on how to reference different types of sources. Cite Them Right demonstrates referencing in multiple styles, including the Harvard style used at CJBS. 

Why we love Cite Them Right:

  • It's available 24/7
  • It has guidance on how to cover most types of sources - from traditional academic sources such as book and journals through to social media posts, datasets and personal communications.
  • It includes examples of how write a full reference, as well as how in-text citations can be included in your writing. 

Access Cite Them Right

Our Referencing Top Tips

  • Start early: often mistakes are made when people leave their referencing until the last minute. 
  • Be consistent: don't be tempted to mix referencing styles - stick to Harvard.
  • Record all the info: make sure to document all information you need to make a complete reference when you are using a source - it can be hard to track it down later. 

Reference Managers

You may find reference management software useful for creating bibliographies. Reference managers usually consist of a piece of standalone software which acts as your reference library, a plug-in for your web browser of choice, and a word processor plug-in. 

There are many different reference managers, with the most popular three being: Zotero, Mendeley and EndNote.

 

Zotero EndNote * Mendeley
Zotero Quick Start Guide EndNote Support  Getting started with Mendeley

* EndNote is a paid service. Students studying at University of Cambridge can access a subsidised account for the duration of their studies. 

Our top tips for using reference managers:

  • See if they are right for you: reference managers have a learning curve. Take your time to learn how the software works and how it can fit into your work flow.

  • Start using them during your research, not at the end: a reference manager will be most effective when used as you research, as you can save your sources as you go.

  • Don't leave it until the last minute: All referencing takes time, and using a reference manager is no different. Starting to use a reference manager the night before a submission date is likely to stressful rather than beneficial.

Why do we reference?

Why is referencing an important academic skill?

  • Citing the sources you use to built your arguments helps to avoid plagiarism.
  • Shows the depth of your research and reading. Understanding, critiquing and synthesising the ideas and work of others is an important skill, and shows that you've interacted with the source beyond surface level. 
  • By accurately citing and referencing your sources you will help your reader find information to help continue their own reading and research.

 

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