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 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 an overview of options for managing references electronically, see our guide to Managing references.
For help with citing specific types of publication contact the LRC Team.
For advice on using references in your work, and how to use them to support your arguments, consult the guidance on the Study Advice webpages or make an appointment.
The Oxford University Standard for Citation of Legal Authorities (OSCOLA) is a citation scheme for referencing legal materials used widely in law schools and by journal and book publishers in the UK.
It is the favoured scheme of the School of Law School at Reading and you may be required to use it for your essays and assignments. Where this is the case, you should follow any specific direction given by the School on its usage, with guidance for undergraduates provided in Legal Skills: a Guide.
The OSCOLA website contains a range of guidance and support, including online tutorials and style files for referencing management software. For convenience, links through to the official OSCOLA Manual, a reference guide for the most commonly cited legal materials and a frequently asked questions page (FAQs) are provided below:
For international law sources there is an additional guide:
Add guidance on which style to use. This can be detailed or simple with links to further help. It might include the following:
Cite Them Right. 12th ed.
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The LRC Team are here to support you to find and use information in your subject, and reference it correctly.