Dear Colleagues

Margo, in her attached report, mentions a survey I did of 
referencing systems within HE. The first wave of responses 
(16) via LDHEN/JISCMAIL  produced 16 results, and I later 
broadened the range of possible respondents by inviting HE 
librarians, via their discussion JISCMAIL, to complete the 
questionnaire. This produced a total of 26 responses from 
different UKHE institutions. The second wave of responses, 
however, tended to confirm the findings from the first: 
that the author/date (Harvard Style) was predominant, with 
around 75-80 % of Schools or Departments asking their 
students to use this, with the Numbered-note Style 
(superscript numbers, linked to footnotes or endnotes), or 
Vancouver-numeric, (using numbers in brackets in the text & 
linking these with a list of references at the end), as the
two other styles currently in use, particularly in the 
arts & humanities. Law Schools had adopted a mixture of 
styles, but based on numbering & footnotes, but with 
Harvard Style applied too, for the more discursive style of 
writing. Combined Studies students were casualties, when 
the different departments involved had adopted different 
styles, and there is certainly a role for learning support 
departments in universities to be advocates for change in 
this situation. I intend to publish these findings in the 
near future, and in the first instance the results will go 
on to the new LearnHigher referencing website, the first 
stage of which will be open & accessible to all students by 
September this year (hopefully). A local computer 
programmer is commissioned to build the site and has begun 
work on it.

Here at Bradford, the referencing systems in use reflect 
this apparent national picture.  I work at the School of 
Management as their Effective Learning Officer and have 
just finished amending our booklet for the School on the 
topic of referencing & bibliographies.  This is attached, 
and will form the foundation for the new LearnHigher site. 

In it, as you will see, I try to explain the rationale for 
referencing, describe the four styles of referencing 
commonly in use in the UK and the principles that underpin 
these, when to reference, when it is not necessary, talk 
about plagiarism, include a FAQ section, offer examples of 
referencing linked to Harvard, which the Management School 
adopts, includes a quiz and two sample assignments that 
show referencing in action. It also suggests other sites to
visit, which includes Bournemouth, which offers, in my 
view, excellent & easily accessible information on 
referencing to students. 

My guide is a rather lengthy document, running to 60+ 
pages,  but this will be given to all new students here 
when they arrive and will complement the workshops on 
referencing I run at the School.

regards

Colin Neville
Effective Learning Officer
School of Management, University of Bradford
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C Neville
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