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.
For detailed information regarding the department's preferred format, consult the style sheet for referencing and citations in the Programme Handbook, available on Blackboard.
For help with citing specific types of publication contact your librarian (details below).
For general information on referencing, including an explanation of different citation systems, and guidance on citing specific types of publication, see our Citing references guide.
For advice on using references in your work, and how to use them to support your arguments, consult the guidance on the Study Advice website or make an appointment with them.
If you are a student who began studying during or before 2023/24 please continue to use the 3rd edition guidance you have been using throughout your degree.
If you are beginning your studies during 2024/25 please use the new 4th edition guidance.
Film, Theatre and Television prefers the Author-Date version of MHRA referencing.
In-text citations are brief (including author, year and page number where appropriate) and placed in brackets in the body of the text NOT in footnotes. Full details (including editions and translation details if appropriate) are listed in the Bibliography, alphabetically by author / editor's surname. Films, TV programmes are listed separately in a Filmography and Teleography.
See the examples on the tabs across the top of this box for how to reference specific types of material.
For more information (but always check your course handbook first!):
Chapter 11, section 4 (for the Author-Date system), MHRA style guide (Modern Humanities Research Association)
MHRA Style Guide. a Handbook for Authors and Editors. 3rd Edition by Book:
In-text: (Author surname Year: page)
In bibliography: Author Surname, Author Firstname. Year. Title of book (Place of publication: Publisher)
Example:
In Text: (Nieland 2012: 38)
In Bibliography: Nieland, Justus. 2012. David Lynch (Urbana: University of Illinois Press)
In-text: (Author surname Year: page)
In bibliography: Chapter Author Surname, Chapter Author Firstname. Year. 'Title of chapter', in Title of book, ed. by Editor Name Editor Surname (Place of publication: Publisher), pp. page-page
Example:
In-text: (Hark 1992: 158)
In bibliography: Hark, Ina Rae. 1992. 'Animals or Romans: Looking at masculinity in Spartacus', in Screening the Male: Exploring Masculinities in Hollywood Cinema, ed. by Steven Cohan and Ina Rae Hark (London: Routledge), pp. 151-172.
In-text: (Author surname Year: page)
In bibliography: Author Surname, Author Firstname. Year. 'Title of article', Title of journal, Volume: page-page
Example:
In-text: (Rushing 2008: 162)
In Bibliography: Rushing, Robert A. 2008. 'Gentlemen prefer Hercules: desire, identification, beefcake', Camera Obscura, 69: 158-191
In-text: (Author surname Year)
In bibliography: Author surname, Author firstname. (Year) Title of website or webpage, <url> [accessed Date Month Year].
Example:
In-text: (Beard 2011)
In Bibliography: Beard, Mary. 2011. The Fall of the Roman Republic, <http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/romans/fallofromanrepublic_article_01.shtml> [accessed 20 June 2012].
Films should be listed separately to other references in a Filmography.
You'll probably be mentioning the name / title of the film in the text of your sentence, and in this circumstance just put the year in brackets;
In-text: (Year)
In bibliography: Title of the film, dir. by Director's name (Distributor*, Year).
*it's not always necessary to include this
Example:
In-text: Title of film in sentence (1940)
In bibliography: The Grapes of Wrath, dir. by John Ford (20th Century Fox, 1940).
Television programmes should be listed seperately to other references in a teleography
In-text: Programme title (Channel, Year-Year)
In telography: 'Episode title', Programme title, Channel, Date Month Year.
Example:
In-text: 'A study in pink', Sherlock (BBC 1, 2010-)
In telography: 'A study in pink', Sherlock, BBC 1, 25 July 2010.
Underneath your film / television still, or any kind of image, you need;
Your caption should describe the image - so perhaps describe the scene / actors / characters / lighting depending on what your analysis discusses (but keep it short, you can put your full analysis in your paragraph of text and refer to the Figure number there.) You should also include the full reference to the source of your image in your Filmography, Teleography, or Bibliography.
Example:
Paragraph of text analysing the film drawing specific reference to what you are illustrating with the film still – say what you want to say about it (Figure 1.)
Figure 1 Vertigo Sea uses footage of nature, human exploitation and migration in an ecopolitical
examination of our relationship with the ocean (2015).
Filmography
Vertigo Sea, dir. by John Akomfrah (2015).
Note – my example is not on general release, but if your film has a known distributor (eg 20th Century Fox, Universal Pictures, Warner Bothers etc) then you should include the distributor before the year in the full reference in the Filmography, eg The Grapes of Wrath, dir. by John Ford (20th Century Fox, 1940).
These should be listed separately to other references in a performance list.
In-text:(Author surname Year)
In bibliography: Author surname, Author firstname, Play title, Place of publication: Publisher, Year of publication of the edition used. First performance: company name, directed by Director firstname Director surname, at Venue, Date Month Year. (see the front of the printed copy for this information).
Example:
In-text:(Churchill 1979)
In bibliography: Churchill, Caryl, Cloud Nine, London: Methuen, 1979. First performance: Joint Stock Theatre Group, directed by Max Stafford-Clark, at Darlington College of Arts, 14 February 1979.
In-text: (Author or Creator surname Year)
In bibliography: Author or Creator surname, Author or creator firstname. (Year) Title of video, online video recording, YouTube, DD Month it was posted, <url> [accessed DD Month Year].
Example:
In-text: (Steppenwolf Theatre Company 2017)
In Bibliography: Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Antoinette Nwandu on PASS OVER, online video recording, YouTube, 20 April, <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XW_FHrzzq_c&feature=emb_logo> [accessed 15 March 2024].
In-text: (Author surname Year: page)
In bibliography: Author Surname, Author Firstname. Year. 'Title of thesis' (unpublished doctoral thesis, University name)
Example:
In-text: (Knox 2005: 89)
In bibliography: Knox, Simone. 2005. 'Text and theory : reading postmodern critical discourses and contemporary film and television' (unpublished doctoral thesis, University of Reading)
If the thesis you consulted is online, you should include a URL and access date in the bibliography entry;
In bibliography: Ghosh, Shweta. 2021. ‘We make film : filmmaking and creative expression by people with disabilities in contemporary urban India’ (unpublished doctoral thesis, University of Reading) <https://centaur.reading.ac.uk/105309/> [accessed 18 April 2024]
Film, Theatre and Television prefers the Author-Date version of MHRA referencing.
In-text citations are brief (including author, year and page number where appropriate) and placed in brackets in the body of the text NOT in footnotes, like this (Guest 2022: 85). Full details (including editions and translation details if appropriate) are listed in the Bibliography, alphabetically by author / editor's surname, like this;
Bibliography
Guest, Natalie. 2022. How to do MHRA author-date referencing. (Useful Press)
Films, TV programmes are listed separately in a Filmography and Teleography.
See the examples on the tabs across the top of this box for how to reference specific types of material.
For more information (but always check your course handbook first!):
Chapter 7.13 & 8.4 (for the Author-Date system). Chapters 7 shows examples of different reference types, and what information to include in them but laid out for footnote referencing - remember to change the layout of these examples to author-date style in your bibliography, by reversing the author's name to surname, firstname and move the date immediately after the author's name as explained in chapter 8.4. MHRA style guide.
Book:
In-text: (Author surname Year: page)
In bibliography: Author Surname, Author Firstname. Year. Title of book (Publisher)
Example:
In Text: (Nieland 2012: 38)
In Bibliography: Nieland, Justus. 2012. David Lynch (University of Illinois Press)
Example of a subsequent edition of a book
Add details of the edition after the title in the format 2nd edn
In Text: (Mayes 2022: 42)
In Bibliography: Mayes, Sean and Sarah Whitfield. 2022. An Inconvenient Black History of British Musical Theatre: 1900-1950, 3rd edn (Methuen Drama)
Book with two authors / editors:
In-text: (Author surname and Author Surname Year: page)
In bibliography: Author Surname, Author Firstname and Author Firstname Author Surname. Year. Title of book (Publisher)
Example:
In Text: (Dwyer and Patel 2002: 79)
In Bibliography: Dwyer, Rachel and Divia Patel. 2002. Cinema India: The Visual Culture of Hindi Film (Reaktion)
Book with three authors / editors:
In-text: (Author surname, Author Surname and Author Surname Year: page)
In bibliography: Author Surname, Author Firstname, Author Firstname Author Surname and Author Firstname Author Surname. Year. Title of book (Publisher)
Example:
In Text: (Cardwell, Bignell and Donaldson 2023: 145)
In Bibliography: Cardwell, Sarah, Jonathan Bignell and Lucy Fife Donaldson (eds). 2023. Epic/Everyday: Moments in Television (Manchester University Press)
Book with four or more authors / editors:
In-text: (Author surname, and others Year: page)
In bibliography: Author Surname, Author Firstname and others. Year. Title of book (Publisher)
Example:
In Text: (Baer and others 2019: 89)
In Bibliography: Baer, Nicholas, and others (eds). 2019. Unwatchable (Rutgers University Press)
In-text: (Author surname Year: page)
In bibliography: Chapter Author Surname, Chapter Author Firstname. Year. 'Title of Chapter', in Title of book, ed. by Editor Name Editor Surname (Publisher), pp. page–page
Example:
In-text: (Hark 1992: 158)
In bibliography: Hark, Ina Rae. 1992. 'Animals or Romans: Looking at Masculinity in Spartacus', in Screening the Male: Exploring Masculinities in Hollywood Cinema, ed. by Steven Cohan and Ina Rae Hark (Routledge), pp. 151–172.
Journal article:
In-text: (Author surname Year: page)
In bibliography: Author Surname, Author Firstname. Year. 'Title of Article', Title of Journal, Volume.Part: pp. page–page, doi:doi number
Example:
In-text: (Bucciferro 2021: 179)
In Bibliography: Bucciferro, Claudia. 2021. 'Representations of Gender and Race in Ryan Coogler's Film Black Panther: Disrupting Hollywood Tropes', Critical Studies in Media Communication, 38.2: pp. 169–82, doi:10.1080/15295036.2021.1889012
Example of a journal where there is only a volume number, and no part / issue number:
In-text: (Rushing 2008: 162)
In Bibliography: Rushing, Robert A. 2008. 'Gentlemen Prefer Hercules: Desire, Identification, Beefcake', Camera Obscura, 69: pp. 158–191, doi:10.1215/02705346-2008-011
In-text: (Author surname Year)
In bibliography: Author surname, Author firstname. Year. 'Title of Webpage or Article', Platform or publisher / website name, Day Month of publication <url> [accessed DD Month Year].
Example:
In-text: (Williams 2023)
In Bibliography: Williams, Holly. 2023. 'Noel Coward: The Dark Side of the Quintessential Englishman', BBC Culture, 5 June <https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20230602-noel-coward-the-dark-side-of-the-quintessential-englishman> [accessed 4 June 2024]
Films
Films should be listed separately to other references in a Filmography.
You'll probably be mentioning the name / title of the film in the text of your sentence, and in this circumstance just put the year in brackets;
In-text: (Year)
In bibliography: Director Surname, Director Firstname, dir. Year. Title of the film (Country)
Example:
In-text: (1982)
In bibliography: Scott, Ridley, dir. 1982. Blade Runner (USA)
Television programmes
TV programmes should be listed separately to other references in a teleography.
Episode of TV programme
In-text: 'Episode Title' (Year)
In telography: 'Episode title'. Year. Programme Title (Channel or Streaming Service, Year–Year), series/season number, episode number.
Example:
In-text: 'A study in pink' (2010)
In telography: 'A study in pink'. 2010. Sherlock (BBC 1, 2010–17), series 1, episode 1.
Whole TV programme
In-text: Programme title (Year–Year)
In telography: Programme Title. Year–Year (Channel or Streaming Service)
Example:
In-text: Stranger Things (2016–)
In telography: Stranger Things. 2016– (Netflix)
There is no guidance in MHRA for play performances - we could engineer something that includes the details of the performance and theatre group as below? Do we need some examples of recorded performances eg Digital Theatre + ?
These should be listed separately to other references in a performance list.
In-text: Play Title (Director surname, dir. Year)
In bibliography: Director surname, Director firstname, dir. Year. Play Title (Theatre company: Theatre name, Day Month Year–Day Month Year performance ran)
Example:
In-text:(Lloyd, dir. 2012)
In bibliography: Lloyd, Phyllida, dir. 2012. Julius Caesar (Donmar Warehouse: Donmar King's Cross, 4 December 2012–9 February 2013)
In-text: (Author or Creator surname Year)
In bibliography: Author or Creator surname, Author or creator firstname. Year. 'Title of video', Platform name, DD Month it was posted, <url> [accessed DD Month Year].
Example:
In-text: (Steppenwolf Theatre Company 2017)
In Bibliography: Steppenwolf Theatre Company. 2017. 'Antoinette Nwandu on PASS OVER', YouTube, 20 April <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XW_FHrzzq_c&feature=emb_logo> [accessed 15 March 2024].
Underneath your film / television still, or any kind of image, you need a short caption with the following;
Your caption should describe the image - so perhaps describe the scene / actors / characters / lighting depending on what your analysis discusses (but keep it short, you can put your full analysis in your paragraph of text and refer to the Figure number there.) You should also include the full reference to the source of your image in your Filmography, Teleography, or Bibliography.
Example:
Paragraph of text analysing the film drawing specific reference to what you are illustrating with the film still – say what you want to say about it (Figure 1.)
FIG. 1 Vertigo Sea (2015), dir. John Akomfrah, uses footage of nature, human exploitation and
migration in an ecopolitical examination of our relationship with the ocean.
Filmography
Akomfrah, John, dir. 2015. Vertigo Sea.
Note – my example is not on general release, but if your film is you should include the country of production in your full reference in the Filmography, eg Ford, John dir. 1940. The Grapes of Wrath (USA)
In-text: (Author surname Year: page)
In bibliography: Author Surname, Author Firstname. Year. 'Title of Thesis' (unpublished doctoral thesis, University name)
Example:
In-text: (Knox 2005: 89)
In bibliography: Knox, Simone. 2005. 'Text and Theory : Reading Postmodern Critical Discourses and Contemporary Film and Television' (unpublished doctoral thesis, University of Reading)
If the thesis you consulted is online, you should include a URL and access date in the bibliography entry;
In bibliography: Ghosh, Shweta. 2021. ‘We Make Film : Filmmaking and Creative Expression by People with Disabilities in Contemporary Urban India’ (unpublished doctoral thesis, University of Reading) <https://centaur.reading.ac.uk/105309/> [accessed 18 April 2024]
When you do your dissertation you could consider using EndNote to manage your references. 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.
Find out more on our EndNote webpages:
For information on other options for electronic management of your references see our guide to Managing references:
