Essay writers, particularly students, reference their work according to the referencing format their professors have assigned them with. While referencing, generally, is an act that must be exercised in all the essays the students have written, what sources are included and listed in the essay will depend on what the referencing format is. Since correct referencing is a very vital part that contributes to the overall grade of a student’s essay, students must take considerable precaution on the quality, verifiability and credibility of the references that they make. They have to remember that aside from preventing plagiarism, referencing must also assist readers from easily locating the sources they have used in case they wish to explore the topic further.
Generally, all information from the following must be referenced:
- Published or unpublished printed materials
- Published or unpublished electronic materials
- Journals and dissertations
- Multimedia materials
- Transcripts from the television, radio and films
- Interviews, surveys and questionnaires
What students will include in their references, however, will depend on the referencing format they are required to use. There are two kinds of references: a referencing list and a bibliography. A referencing list includes all the materials the students have only included in their essays as citations. A bibliography, on the other hand, lists all the materials the students have used, included or not, in the conduct of their research.
The reference formats that mostly call for a referencing list include the APA (American Psychological Association) and the Vancouver styles. The MLA (Modern Language Association) and the Chicago styles mostly require a bibliography.