Whenever you refer to another person's work in your own essay, dissertation or article you must acknowledge them and give full details of your source. You risk being accused of plagiarism if you fail to do so. See the 'Plagiarism' tab in this guide for more information on how to avoid this.
Referencing also...
For CIPPET programmes you can use either a numbered style (Vancouver) or an author-year style (Harvard). There is guidance below on both. Although your references must be clear but do not have to adhere to a specific institution format.
If you are new to referencing and not familiar with using the more advanced features of word processing software, we advise using the Harvard format for longer assignments as it is easier to keep track of the placement and order of your references. The numbered Vancouver style is useful for shorter assignments but can become impractical for longer ones (unless using a reference management system like EndNote).
If you are not confident with creating references manually then you could consider using a reference management system such as EndNote. This bibliographic management package can be used to store references, and then insert the citation in your Word document, automatically building the bibliography for you in the correct style (Harvard for Reading).
Find out more on our EndNote webpages:
For information on other options for electronic management of your references see our guide to Managing references:
The Harvard style is an author-date system. In-text citations include the author and year of the reference. The reference list at the end must be in alphabetical order by the author's surname.
For the Harvard style, your in-text citation should include:
There are two ways of including an in-text citation and you can use both depending on how you want to structure each sentence. You can include the citation with the author’s surname and date in brackets at the end of the sentence:
Medical systems need to be carefully considered and designed to reduce the likelihood of medication errors (Ferner, 2012).
Or, you can include the author’s surname as part of your sentence, in which case only the date is in brackets:
More recently, a paper by Ferner (2012) has suggested that...
List the sources chronologically, separated by semi-colons.
There are many studies that have examined the effect of alcohol on cognitive impairment (Brown, 2009; Smith, 2012; Hussein et al., 2017).
List both authors each time you reference the work.
A recent study by Morbey and Smith (2018) found that...
It has been shown previously (Morbey and Smith, 2018) that....
Use the first author's name followed by "et al.". Note: you will need to include all authors in the final reference list.
A recent study by Rang et al. (2015) found that...
It has been shown previously (Rang et al., 2015) that....
Note that you have include all the author names in the full reference at the end.
Differentiate them using letters.
Smith and Jones (2001a)... and Smith and Jones (2001b).
If you need to refer to two or more sources by the same author in different years, you do not need to keep repeating the author's surname in the citation. Include the surname and the oldest year first, then separate the other years by semicolons (;). The sources should be ordered by year of publication, with the oldest first.
(NHS, 2016; 2019; 2021)
You must include all of the sources separately in your reference list.
Many works by organisations do not have individually named authors. In this case, you can use the name of the organisation or company, such as Cancer Research UK or NICE, as the author. This is known as a corporate author. Note: in your final reference list, don't use the surname, first name style – write the organisation name as it appears.
1 in 20 people suffer from severe asthma (Asthma UK, 2015).
If no author is named on the item you are trying to reference use Anon in place of the author. Also think carefully about whether the source is suitable for use in your assignment, especially if it is a webpage.
(Anon, 2020)
If directly quoting from a work, you need to use single quotation marks. You also need to include a page number in the in-text citation. For example:
More recently, a paper by Walker et al. (2015) stated that 'student pharmacists are valuable and important to practice model transformation' (p.47).
You must include both authors, to show that you have not read the original article.
According to Ahmed (2014, as cited by Jones, 2016)...
This type of referencing is known as secondary referencing and should be avoided wherever possible, as the author citing the work may bring their own bias or misinterpretation. It is better to seek out the original reference (in this case, Ahmed’s) and cite it directly if it is useful. In the final reference list, you should only include the reference you have read yourself. See further guidance on secondary referencing below.
See our general guide to citing references for more help and examples in the Harvard style:
Include the following in your reference:
Use the text formatting and punctuation shown in this example:
Reference list:
Ritter, J.M., Flower, R.J., Henderson, G., Loke, Y.K., MacEwan, D. & Rang, H.P. (2020). Rang and Dale's pharmacology. 9th ed. Edinburgh: Elsevier.
In-text citation:
(Ritter et al., 2020)
Include the following in your reference:
Use the text formatting and punctuation shown in the example:
Reference list:
Singh, H., Khurana, L.K. and Singh, R. (2018). Pharmaceutical development. In: Vohora, D. & Singh, G. (eds.) Pharmaceutical medicine and translational clinical research. London: Academic Press, p.33-46.
In-text citation:
(Singh et al., 2018)
Include the following in your reference:
Use the text formatting and punctuation shown in the examples.
Example 1:
Reference list:
Fahrenkopf, A.M., Sectish, T.C., Barger, L.K., Sharek, P.J., Lewin, D., Chiang, V.W., Edwards, S., Wiedermann, B.L. & Landrigan, C.P. (2008). Rates of medication errors among depressed and burnt out residents: prospective cohort study. BMJ, 336(7642), 488-491.
In-text citation:
(Fahrenkopf et al., 2008)
Example 2:
Reference list:
Ferner, R.E. (2012). An agenda for UK clinical pharmacology: medication errors. British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, 73(6), 912-916.
In-text citation:
(Ferner, 2012)
Example 3:
Reference list:
Weingart, S.N., Zhang, L., Sweeney, M, & Hassett, M. (2018). Chemotherapy medication errors. The Lancet Oncology, 19(4), e191-e199.
In-text citation:
(Weingart et al., 2018)
Include the following in your reference:
Use the text formatting and punctuation shown in these examples.
Example 1:
Reference list:
DrugBank. (2019). Ranitidine. URL: https://www.drugbank.ca/drugs/DB00863 [28 November 2019]
In-text citation:
(DrugBank, 2019)
Example 2:
Reference list:
IUPHAR/BPS. (2019). Ibuprofen. URL: https://www.guidetopharmacology.org/GRAC/LigandDisplayForward?ligandId=2713 [20 November 2019]
In-text citation:
(IUPHAR/BPS, 2019)
Example 3:
Reference list:
Sport For All. (n.d.). Trampolining for the elderly. URL: http://www.sportforall/trampolining/elderly [12 December 2019].
In-text citation:
(Sport for All, n.d.)
Include the following in your reference:
Use the text formatting and punctuation shown in this example:
Reference list:
Joint Formulary Committee. (2021). British National Formulary (BNF). 81. London: BMJ Group and Pharmaceutical Press.
In-text citation;
(Joint Formulary Committee, 2021)
Include the following in your reference:
Use the text formatting and punctuation shown in this example:
Reference list:
Joint Formulary Committee. (2021). British National Formulary (BNF). 12 January 2021. URL: https://www.medicinescomplete.com [28 January 2021]
In-text citation:
(Joint Formulary Committee, 2021)
Include the following in your reference:
Use the text formatting and punctuation shown in this example. Make sure you check the date and edition of the version you are using.
Reference list:
Pediatric Formulary Committee. (2020). BNF for children. 2020-2021 ed. London: BMJ Group, Pharmaceutical Press and RCPCH Publications.
In-text citation:
(Pediatric Formulary Committee, 2020)
Include the following in your reference:
Use the text formatting and punctuation shown in the example. Make sure you check the date and edition (month and year) of the version you are using.
Reference list:
Pediatric Formulary Committee. (2021). BNF for children. 12 January 2021. URL: http://www.medicinescomplete.com [6 February 2021].
In-text citation:
(Pediatric Formulary Committee, 2021)
Include the following in your reference:
Use the text formatting and punctuation shown in this example:
Reference list:
British Pharmacopoeia Commission. (2019). British Pharmacopoeia. 2020. London: HMSO.
In-text citation:
(British Pharmacopoeia Commission, 2019)
Include the following in your reference:
Use the text formatting and punctuation shown in this example:
Reference list:
British Pharmacopoeia Commission. (2021). British Pharmacopoeia. Ph. Eur. 10.3 update. URL: https://www.pharmacopoeia.com [26 January 2021]
In-text citation:
(British Pharmacopoeia Commission, 2019)
Include the following in your reference:
Use the text formatting and punctuation shown in this example:
Reference list
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence [NICE]. (2009). Depression in adults: recognition and management [CG90]. URL: https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg90 [16 July 2020].
In-text citation:
(National Institute for Health and Care Excellence [NICE], 2009)
Local guidelines, although authored by individuals, should be ratified by a designated committee therefore are the work of the organisation.
Include the following in your reference:
Use the text formatting and punctuation shown in this example.
Reference list:
Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust. (2016). Non-medical prescribing policy. Version 3. London: Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust.
In-text citation:
(Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, 2016)
Include the following in your reference:
Use the text formatting and punctuation shown in this example.
Reference list:
North Central London Medicines Optimisation Network. (2016). Prescribing guidance. Version 12. URL: https://www.ncl-mon.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/pg_ncl_prescribing_guidance.pdf [9 February 2021]
In-text citation:
(North Central London Medicines Optimisation Network, 2016)
Include the following in your reference:
Use the text formatting and punctuation shown in this example.
Reference list:
Accord-UK Ltd. (2020). Aciclovir 400mg tablets summary of product characteristics. Electronic Medicines Compendium. URL: https://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/product/5692/smpc [6 January 2020].
In-text citation:
(Accord-UK Ltd., 2020)
Include the following in your reference:
Use the punctuation shown in this example.
Reference list:
Crowe, L., Chang, A., and Wallace, K. (2016). Instruments for assessing readiness to commence suck feeds in preterm infants: effects on time to establish full oral feeding and duration of hospitalisation. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. Issue 8. Art. No.: CD005586.
In-text citation:
(Crowe et al., 2016)
Although most references refer to the published paper as this details the results of the clinical trial, depending on the context of what you write you may need to reference the clinical trial itself.
Include the following in your reference:
Use the text formatting and punctuation shown in this example:
Reference list:
Morrow, S. (2019). Implementing improved asthma self-management as routine. ISRCTN: DOI 110.1186/ISRCTN15448074. URL: https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN15448074 [6 January 2021].
In-text citation:
(Morrow, 2019)
Where possible, you should always try to refer to the original or a published source but there may be information on a presentation or a document posted on Blackboard you wish to reference.
Include the following in your reference:
Use the text formatting and punctuation shown in this example:
Reference list:
Grant, D. (2020). Understanding medical notes slides. Blackboard site for Delivering Pharmacy Services (20/21). URL: https://www.bb.reading.ac.uk/bbcswebdav/pid-5231967-dt-content-rid-19167170_2/xid-19167170_2 [11 October 2020].
In-text citation:
(Grant, 2020)
Vancouver is a numbered style. Each piece of work cited should have a unique number, assigned in order (your first reference is 1, your second is 2 etc.). References must be listed at the end of your document in numerical order based on the order of citation. If you cite a piece of work more than once, the same citation number should be used.
When adding an in-text citation to your document you can write the number in brackets or as superscript. Whichever you choose, make sure that you are consistent throughout your work. For example:
Medical systems need to be carefully considered and designed to reduce the likelihood of medication errors (1).
or
Medical systems need to be carefully considered and designed to reduce the likelihood of medication errors1.
Include the citation number for each piece of work. Use a hyphen to link consecutive numbers. For example:
There are many studies that have examined the effect of alcohol on cognitive impairment (1,3, 4-7, 9).
List each author individually. If you are not including the authors' names in the text, the number alone is enough.
A recent study by Morbey and Smith (4) found that...
A recent study (4) found that...
Use the first author's name followed by "et al.". Again, if you are not using the authors' names directly in the text, the citation number is enough. Note: you will need to include all the authors in the final reference list.
A recent study by Rang et al. (2) found that...
A recent study (2) found that...
Many works by organisations do not have individually named authors, and in many cases the 'author' will be an organisation or company such as Cancer Research UK or NICE. This is known as a corporate author. In Vancouver, this will look the same as any other type of reference. Note: in your final reference list, you don't need to use the surname, first name style – write the organisation name as it appears.
One in 20 people suffer from severe asthma (6).
If no author is named on the item you are trying to reference, move the title to the start of the reference. Do not use Anon. or Anonymous unless the publication actually says that. Also think carefully about whether the source is suitable for use in your assignment, especially if it is a webpage.
As different articles will have different citation numbers, these are written as standard Vancouver references.
Smith and Jones (1)... and Smith and Jones (2).
If directly quoting from a work, you need to use single quotation marks. You also need to include a page number in the in-text citation. For example:
More recently, a paper by Walker et al. (3) stated that 'student pharmacists are valuable and important to practice model transformation' (p.47).
You need to include both authors' names in the body of your text to show that you have not read the original article.
According to Ahmed as cited by Jones (5)...
This type of referencing is known as secondary referencing and should be avoided wherever possible, as the author citing the work may have their own bias or misinterpretation. It is better to seek out the original reference (in this case, Ahmed’s) and cite it directly if it is useful. In the final reference list, you should only include the reference you have read yourself. See further guidance on secondary referencing below.
See the following guide for extra guidance and examples:
Include the following in your reference:
Use the punctuation shown in this example.
Example:
Include the following in your reference:
Use the punctuation shown in the example.
Example:
Include the following in your reference:
Use the punctuation shown in the examples.
Examples:
Include the following in your reference:
Use the punctuation shown in the examples.
Examples:
Include the following in your reference:
Use the punctuation shown in this example:
Include the following in your reference:
Use the punctuation shown in this example:
Include the following in your reference:
Use the punctuation shown in this example. Make sure you check the date and edition of the version you are using.
Include the following in your reference:
Use the text formatting and punctuation shown in the example. Make sure you check the date and edition (month and year) of the version you are using.
Include the following in your reference:
Use the punctuation shown in this example:
Include the following in your reference:
Use the punctuation shown in this example:
Include the following in your reference:
Use the punctuation shown in this example:
Local guidelines, although authored by individuals, should be ratified by a designated committee therefore are the work of the organisation.
Include the following in your reference:
Use the punctuation shown in this example.
Include the following in your reference:
Use the punctuation shown in this example.
Include the following in your reference:
Use the text formatting and punctuation shown in this example.
Include the following in your reference:
Use the punctuation shown in this example.
Although most references refer to the published paper as this details the results of the clinical trial, depending on the context of what you write you may need to reference the clinical trial itself.
Include the following in your reference:
Use the punctuation shown in this example:
Where possible, you should always try to refer to the original or a published source but there may be information on a presentation or a document posted on Blackboard you wish to reference.
Include the following in your reference:
Use the text formatting and punctuation shown in this example:
Grant D. Understanding medical notes slides. Blackboard site for Delivering Pharmacy Services (20/21). URL: hhttps://www.bb.reading.ac.uk/bbcswebdav/pid-5231967-dt-content-rid-19167170_2/xid-19167170_2 [11 October 2020].
A secondary reference is used when you are referring to a source which you have not read yourself, but have read about in another source. Where possible, you should always try to read the original of anything you wish to refer to; otherwise you are relying on the author who cited the reference to have interpreted it correctly and not taken it out of context. Use the reference list at the end of the source you are reading to find details of the reference and search for it using the search boxes below.
Find books using the Enterprise catalogue
Just type in the first author's surname and a few words from the title.
Find journal articles using Summon
Just type in the first author's surname and first part of the article title.
If you can't get hold of the original source you'll need to do a secondary reference and you should make clear that you are not using the original source. Only include the source you have used in your list of references following the guidance above on citing that type of publication.
Vancouver example
In-text citation:
According to France as cited by Weingart et al. (4), hospitals use internal reporting procedures to identify...
Reference:
4. Weingart, SN, Zhang L, Sweeney M, Hassett M. Chemotherapy medication errors. The Lancet Oncology, 2018; 19(4): e191-e199.
Harvard example
In-text citation:
According to France (2003, as cited by Weingart et al., 2018), hospitals use internal reporting procedures to identify...
Reference:
Weingart, S.N., Zhang, L., Sweeney, M, & Hassett, M. (2018) Chemotherapy medication errors. The Lancet Oncology, 19(4), e191-e199.
Avoid quoting large blocks of text:
The NICE guidance for hypertension (NICE, 2019) states the following:
Instead this could be paraphrased as:
NICE no longer recommend beta-blockers to be used as initial therapy for hypertension, although it is recognised that there may be circumstances in which younger patients may benefit from beta-blockers (NICE, 2019). In my practice I may review younger patients, therefore I will consider the recommendations from NICE on appropriate prescribing of beta-blockers, for example women of child-bearing age, patients with increased sympathetic drive or unable to take ACE inhibitors and angiotensin II receptor antagonists.
Images, graphs, tables, charts and diagrams that you have used from books, websites and other texts should be referenced in the same way that you would any other material.
Give the image a caption, with a figure number, title and a citation (name-year or number depending on the style you are using). The image on the right shows how this would look if you were referencing in Harvard style.
When you refer to it in your writing, use the figure number. Give a full citation in the bibliography or reference list for the source of the image.
Referring to figures in a sentence:
There are some interesting variations in recommended vitamin intakes between the USA, Germany, UK and The Netherlands (see Figure 4).
Full details for reference list (Harvard style):
Troesch, B., Hoeft, B., McBurney, M., Eggersdorfer, M. and Weber, P. (2012). Dietary surveys indicate vitamin intakes below recommendations are common in representative Western countries. British Journal of Nutrition, 108(4), 692–698.
Decorative imagesIf the image is purely decorative you should still acknowledge the creator and source but there is no need to include a full reference.
See the example on the right which includes the caption:
'Image: [creator] via [website image captured from]'.
If it is a picture you have taken use this format:
'Image by author'.
If you are taking information from multiple sources and compiling your own table you still need to acknowledge those sources.
The following link shows two ways of doing this. Although this is a guide to using the APA style the approaches can be adapted for use with Harvard and Vancouver.