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Citing references

Guidance on citing references for students at the University of Reading

Referencing styles in use in the University

Particular referencing styles are preferred by certain academic disciplines because they work better with the kind of texts that are most commonly used in that discipline. Your School/Department might recommend more than one style for use in different types of assignment. 

In this list we have compiled information about styles used in each department but please check your Departmental or Course handbook in case of any changes. Note that there might be local versions of these styles - check the guides for details.

School/Department Style(s) used Further information
Agriculture, Policy and Development Harvard APD citing references guide
Archaeology Harvard Archaeology citing references guide
Architecture Harvard (recommended) Architecture citing references guide
Art

Chicago

 Art citing references guide
Biological Sciences Harvard Biological Sciences citing references guide
Chemistry RSC Chemistry citing references guide
CIPPET Harvard
Vancouver		 CIPPET citing references guide
Classics

Harvard for modern sources
Oxford for ancient texts

 Classics citing references guide
Clinical Language Sciences

Choose from:

APA 6
APA 7
Vancouver

 Clinical Language Sciences citing references guide
Computer Science

APA (recommended)
Harvard

 Computer Science citing references guide
Construction Management and Engineering Harvard Construction Management citing references guide
Creative Enterprise (MACE) Varies by department Creative Enterprise citing references guide
Economics APA Economics citing references guide
Education APA 7 Education citing references guide
English Language and Applied Linguistics APA DELAL citing references guide
English Literature MHRA English Literature citing references guide
Film, Theatre and Television MHRA (author-date version) FTT citing references guide
Food and Nutritional Sciences Harvard FNS citing references guide
Geography and Environmental Science Harvard GES citing references guide
Henley Business School Harvard HBS citing references guide
History Oxford History citing references guide
ICMAC Harvard ICMAC citing references guide
International Study and Language Insititute APA Language Learning citing references guide
Languages and Cultures

Choose from:

Harvard
MHRA (footnote version)
Oxford

 Languages and Cultures citing references guide
Law OSCOLA Law citing references guide
Mathematics and Statistics Name-date system such as Harvard Maths and Stats citing references guide
Meteorology AMS Meteorology citing references guide
Museum Studies Harvard Museum Studies citing references guide
Pharmacology Harvard
Vancouver		 Pharmacology citing references guide
Pharmacy Harvard
Vancouver		 Pharmacy citing references guide
Philosophy No style specified Philosophy citing references guide
Physician associates Harvard
Vancouver		 Physician Associates citing references guide
Politics and International Relations Any adequate system especially: Harvard or Oxford Politics citing references guide
Psychology

APA
Vancouver

 Psychology citing references guide
Real Estate and Planning Harvard REAP citing references guide
Typography and Graphic Communication No style specified Typography citing references guide