Referencing is needed to:

• provide evidence of the reading completed during the research process
• find the original information sources used to research and develop the content
• acknowledge ideas and content created by other people.

You must acknowledge any ideas and content created by other people that you use in creating your own work. Including material from other people as if it were your own, without acknowledgement, is plagiarism. You might include material from other people by:

• quoting
• paraphrasing
• adopting or adapting an idea
• summarising.

Avoid plagiarism by referencing all the information sources you use in creating your own work.

By understanding citing and referencing you will:

• support your academic integrity
• give credibility to your own ideas and interpretations
• be able to find additional information sources to develop a wider knowledge of your topic.

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There are two parts to referencing:

1. Citations – Short pieces of text that direct the reader to the complete reference details located somewhere else in the document.
   Add a citation in your written work each time you quote, paraphrase, adopt, adapt, or summarise content from another information source. The format of the citation will depend on the referencing style you use. You might need to use brackets (...) within a sentence, or you might need to add a footnote.
    
2. References – Complete reference details that enable the reader to find the original information source.
   For each information source you cite you must include the complete reference details. Depending on the referencing style you use you might add this at the bottom of the page in a footnote, or at the end of your written work in a reference list or list of works cited. The details you include, and the format, for the complete reference depend on the referencing style you use. Each of your references must have one or more citations in your written work.

A bibliography is sometimes called a list of works consulted. A bibliography is different from a reference list or list of works cited. Be aware that some people use these terms interchangeably. If you get confused, ask for clarification.

During your research, or assignment preparation, you may use information sources to improve your understanding, or to help create your own thoughts and ideas. If you do not cite these sources in your written work they will not appear in your reference list, or list of works cited, but you should include them in a bibliography.

• Reference list, or list of works cited – List of complete reference details for only the information sources with citations in the written work. See How do I reference?
   
• Bibliography, or list of works consulted – Complete reference details of all the information sources used during the research process, typically listed alphabetically by author.
  Include all the information sources you cited in your written work, and all information sources you used during your research but did not cite in your written work. The details you include, and the format, for your bibliography depend on the referencing style you use.

Sometimes you might have a reference list for the information sources cited in the written work and a separate bibliography containing the information sources used during the research but not cited. The referencing style you use should specify if you need a separate bibliography, or you can ask your lecturer or supervisor if you need to create a separate bibliography.

An annotated bibliography includes a brief description of each information source as well as the complete reference details. Your lecturer or supervisor can tell you if you need to create an annotated bibliography. You might find it helpful to create an annotated bibliography to keep track of what you read during your research or assignment preparation.

Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools, such as ChatGPT for text generation, can be useful for your study and research if you use them appropriately. You might use AI to generate content such as text, text summaries, reference lists, translations, images, videos, audio files, or computer code. Be aware that using GenAI tools when it’s not permitted might breach the ethical standards of academic integrity and could also reduce your learning.

• Ask your lecturer or supervisor how you should use and acknowledge GenAI tools in your assignments and research projects.
• When preparing your research for publication, check with the publisher or conference organiser if it is appropriate to use, and how you should acknowledge your use of, GenAI tools.

Acknowledge your use of generative AI tools

Acknowledgement statement

If you use generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools in creating your work you should acknowledge that you used them. To maintain academic integrity you should state what tools you used, how you used them, and why you used them. You can include this acknowledgement statement in the introduction or methodology sections of your written work, or add a separate section to describe your use of GenAI. If you used GenAI tools to help understand the topic, develop your ideas, or improve your writing style, but you did not quote, paraphrase, adopt, adapt, or summarise any ideas from the AI-generated content into your own work, then an acknowledgement statement might be sufficient and referencing may be unnecessary.

Referencing

Most referencing styles are developing guidelines for how to acknowledge use of GenAI tools. These guidelines are likely to change as GenAI tools evolve. Keep checking for updates about the referencing style you use. Keep in mind that if you quote, paraphrase, adopt, adapt, or summarise any ideas from AI-generated content into your own work then you should probably insert citations and references.

One of the purposes of referencing is to enable readers to find the original information source. Content from GenAI tools is not reproducible so readers cannot find the original AI-generated content unless you provide a copy of it. You can provide a copy within your work, as an appendix to your work, or through a link to somewhere you store it online. When providing a copy be aware of privacy issues. Ask yourself: Does the content contain personal details? Is it safe to share the content? Should the content be stored online? What's the privacy policy of the online storage service provider?

• To include a GenAI tool in your references, check for specific guidelines for the referencing style you use. If there are no specific guidelines, acknowledge the GenAI tool in the same way you would acknowledge personal communications or correspondence, or alternatively as computer software. Select one option and use it consistently.
   
  Details you might need for a reference include:
  • tool name and version
  • date and time of usage
  • name of person entering prompt
  • content of initial prompt
  • content of AI-generated response
  • content of subsequent prompts and responses.
     
• In your reference management software, if available select the specific item type for GenAI tools, otherwise select the personal communications item type, or computer software item type. Select one option and use it consistently.

References created by generative AI

If you want to use references, or a reference list, created by an AI text generator, such as ChatGPT, you must check the details of each reference. AI text generators often create references to information sources that do not exist. Errors in the format of the complete reference details are also common.

Before copying a reference from AI-generated text you must:

• Find the original information source to confirm it is real. If you need help, contact your subject librarian.
• Verify that the ideas and opinions in the original source support your assignment or research project. Visit the Evaluate page on the Assignment Research Help library guide to learn how to critically assess your information sources.
• Copy the complete reference details from the original source and format them to match the referencing style you use.