QUT cite tool
The following reference styles are in use at QUT
APA
The following types of media are available for APA
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Types of
- Getting started
- Book formats
- Article formats
- Internet source formats
- Creative work formats
- Government and corporate documents
- Data
- Maps/diagrams etc.
- QUT Resources and personal communications
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Example for
DOIs
DOIs provide publication details for electronic sources.
What is a DOI?
A Digital Object identifier (DOI) is a unique code, which provides a permanent link to an online source. The most common sources to include a DOI are electronic journal articles.
How do I add the DOI to my reference?
There are three acceptable ways to add a DOI:
- separately, e.g. doi:10.1037/rmh0000008
- as a url, e.g. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/rmh0000008
- as a secure url, e.g. https://doi.org/10.1037/rmh0000008.
You may want to check if your lecturer has a preference.
How do I find the DOI?
A DOI is usually printed on the first page of an online journal article or ebook. You can also check the database record. Alternatively, you can search for your article on the CrossRef database. If a DOI exists for your article, it will be recorded in this database.
What if a source doesn't have a DOI?
If the source is:
- an electronic article, available in online databases - do a quick web search to locate the home page of the journal/magazine/publisher and provide this URL instead of a DOI, e.g. Retrieved from http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1111/(ISSN)1939-1668
- a webpage, pdf, online document - provide the URL or the URL where you accessed the online document (whichever is easier)
- only available in a particular database or archive - use the database URL or the name of the database and accession number, e.g. Retrieved from ERIC database (ED498566).
More information
For more information on DOIs:
Publication details
No date of publication
Use 'n.d.' for the year in the citation and reference list.
Like this…
Resources not yet published
Substitute 'in press' for the year in the citation and reference list.
Like this…
Approximate date
Precede the year with the contraction for circa.
Like this…
Dates for magazine, newspaper or internet message board resources
Be as specific as needed about the publication date.
Like this…
Place of publication
For places in Australia or the United States: Follow the place of publication by the postal abbreviation for the state.
For other places: Use the name (or abbreviation) of the country.
Like this…
No place of publication
Only required for printed materials that are not journals.
If a book does not have a place of publication, use 'n.p.' to indicate no place.
Like this…
Author the same as the publisher
Replace the publisher information with the word author:
Like this…
Unusual Resource
For non-routine items, such as kindle book, brochures, pamphlets, posters; indicate the type of resource in square brackets after the title.
Like this…
Page, volume, issue
When to cite page numbers
Previously, APA referencing required page numbers (or other location references) only for a direct quotation from another source. However, the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (6th ed.) states:
To cite a specific part of a source, indicate the page, chapter, figure, table, or equation at the appropriate point in text. Always give page numbers for quotations. (p. 179)
When paraphrasing or referring to an idea contained in another work, you are encouraged to provide a page or paragraph number, especially when it would help an interested reader locate the relevant passage in a long or complex text. (p. 171)
Therefore, it is best to check with your lecturer as to her/his preferences in this matter.
No page numbers
For electronic sources that do not provide page numbers, use the paragraph number preceded by the abbreviation 'para. ':
Like this…
(Warr & Ellison, 2000, para. 4)
If neither paragraph nor page numbers are visible, cite the heading and the number of the paragraphs following it to direct the reader to the location of the material:
(Warr & Ellison, 2000, The consequences of fear, para. 4)
Volume and issue numbers
If each issue of a journal starts with page 1, then include the issue number (in parentheses) after the volume number. It is not necessary to include the issue number if the journal uses continuous pagination.
Volume numbers are italicised. Issue numbers are not.
Like this…
Journal paginated separately by issue:
Author. (Year). Article title. Journal Title, 4(3), 73-82.
Continuous pagination:
Author. (Year). Article title. Journal Title, 4, 73-82.
Build your own
QUT cite|write does not provide examples of every possible type of reference - sometimes you need to create your own.
For an APA reference, the four basic elements are separated by a full stop:
Who. (When). What. Where.
Who is responsible for creating the work?
- author(s)
- organisations
- directors
- artists
When was the work created?
- year
- in press
- year, month date (if continually updated)
What is the work called?
- title
- journal title
- book and chapter title
- website title
Where can you find the work?
- where it was published
- journal volume, issues, and pages
- DOI
- website of report or journal
If you need style information for something we don't cover refer to:
- Concise rules of APA style
- Publication manual of the American Psychological Association
- APA Online
- The APA Blog is a terrific resource with the answers to lots of questions about unusual resources and references.
Harvard
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Types of
- Getting started
- Book formats
- Article formats
- Internet source formats
- Creative work formats
- Government and corporate document formats
- Data formats
- Maps/
diagrams etc. formats - QUT resources and personal communications formats
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Example for
DOIs
DOIs provide publication details for electronic resources.
What is a DOI?
A Digital Object identifier (DOI) is a unique code, which provides a permanent link to an online resource. The most common resources to include a DOI are electronic journal articles.
How do I find a DOI for my reference list?
A DOI is usually printed on the first page of an online journal article or e-book. You can also check the database record. Alternatively, you can search for your article on the CrossRef database (http://www.crossref.org). If a DOI exists for your article, it will be recorded in this database.
What if a resource doesn't have a DOI?
If it is a webpage, pdf, online document: provide the URL or the URL where you accessed the online document (whichever is easier). Refer to the example in electronic journal articles.
Publication details
No date of publication
Substitute (n.d.) for the year in the citation and reference list.
Like this…
Author n.d. Title. Place of publication: Publisher.
Resources not yet published
Substitute (in press) for the year in the citation and reference list.
Approximate date
Precede the year with the contraction for circa. (ca. 1986)
No place of publication
This information is only required for printed materials that are not journals.
e.g. If a book does not have a city of publication, use n.p. to indicate no place in the reference list.
Like this…
Author Year. Title. n.p.: Publisher.
Page, volume, issue
In text citations should include the number of the page where you found the information.
For works without pagination, include a chapter or paragraph number (if available), a section heading, or a descriptive phrase that follows the divisions of the work.
In citations of shorter electronic works, presented as a single searchable document, such locators may be unnecessary.
Summaries of information/sources do not require page numbers for the in-text citation if the information comes from many pages.
Build your own
QUT cite|write is not comprehensive. Sometimes building your own is needed.
Steps to build a reference
A reference list entry consists of:
- Elements: the elements of information required to identify a source without confusion
- Order: the placement of the elements in a consistent conventional order
- Formatting: the separating punctuation, quotation marks, parentheses, italics, and spaces.
Steps to build a reference, or to proof your drafted references:
- Glean, collect and save all the information needed / Check that all required elements are there.
- Place them in the appropriate order, or check that they are.
- Apply / check the appropriate formatting and spacing.
Generally, the elements consist of information as it is copied from the source used, or the location of that source. However, the information when placed in a reference, should then be formatted according to Harvard style, rather than the style found in the source. This ensures consistency for the reader.
Further information
Chicago has two style options, the 'Notes and bibliography' style is described in chapter 14, and the 'Author-date' style is in chapter 15. Harvard at QUT uses the author-date style. However, chapter 15 outlines only what is different from chapter 14, so chapter 14 is still a source to be referred to.
Harvard is based on The Chicago Manual of Style
Legal
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Types of
- General rules
- Book formats
- Journal article formats
- Legislative material formats
- Case formats
- Report formats
- Looseleaf service/
Commentary formats - Legal dictionary formats
- Legal encyclopedia formats
- Newspaper article formats
- Internet source formats
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Example for
Vancouver
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Types of
- Getting started
- Book formats
- Article formats
- Internet source formats
- Creative works formats
- Government and corporate document formats
- Data formats
- Maps/diagrams etc. formats
- QUT Resources and personal communication formats
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Example for
Publication details
No place of publication
Substitute [place unknown]
How do I format the place of publication?
When referencing Australian cities, follow the place of publication with the three-letter Australian state code, e.g. Melbourne (VIC).
When referencing cities in the United States or Canada, follow the place of publication with the postal abbreviation for the state.
For other places, follow the place of publication with the name (or abbreviation) of the country.
No publisher
Substitute [publisher unknown]
No date of publication, but a copyright date?
If a copyright date (identified by the symbol ©) exists, use this date preceded by the letter 'c'. e.g. c2010.
No date of publication or copyright date
If neither a date of publication nor a date of copyright can be found, use the date cited, e.g. [cited 2016 Oct 27].
Resources not yet published
Substitute 'Forthcoming xxxx' for the year of publication, e.g. Forthcoming 2018.
Author the same as the Publisher
Repeat the name of the author as the publisher.
Unusual Resource
For non-routine items such as brochures and pamphlets, indicate the type of resource in square brackets after the title, e.g. Expo '88 [brochure].
Publisher abbreviations
Abbreviate commonly used words in publisher names, if preferred. E.g. Ltd. For Limited/ Univ. for University.
Follow all abbreviated words with a full stop.
See the NLM Style Guide for more examples of commonly abbreviated English words.
DOIs
What is a DOI?
DOIs (Digital Object Identifiers) are provided for electronic resources.
A DOI is a unique code which provides a permanent link to an online resource and looks similar to this - 10.1038/nrclinonc.2016.209. The most common types of resources to include a DOI are electronic journal articles and ebooks.
The DOIs for more recent electronic journal articles will be displayed as permanent URLs which will look similar to this - https://doi.org/10.1038/s41551-016-0004. Both formats are acceptable - use the format as it appears in your source.
DOIs should be provided in your reference when available, along with the URL.
How do I find a DOI?
A DOI is usually printed on the first page of an electronic journal article or ebook. You can also check the database record. Alternatively, you can search for your article on the CrossRef database (www.crossref.org). If a DOI exists for your article, it will be recorded in this database.
What if a resource does not have a DOI?
Provide the URL located at the top of the screen in the address box.
Some URLs are very long, be sure to provide the full URL by using the copy and paste function. You can break a URL at a slash if necessary.
Page numbers
What if there are no page numbers?
This will usually relate to electronic sources.
For individual documents (e.g. PDF documents) count the approximate number of pages, precede this count total with “about” and place in square brackets. e.g. [about 35 p.].
If your source is in an unpaginated format such as HTML or XML, count the approximate number of screens, paragraphs or lines, whichever is most practical. Precede with 'about' and place it in square brackets, e.g. [about 8 paragraphs].
Build your own
QUT cite|write does not provide examples of every possible type of reference - sometimes you need to create your own.
For a reference in Vancouver style, the following elements are needed:
Who. What. When: Where.
Who is responsible for creating the work?
- author(s)
- organisations
What is the work called?
- title
- journal title
- book and chapter title
- website title
When was the work created?
- year
- in press
- year, month date (if continually updated)
Where can you find the work?
- where it was published
- journal volume, issues, and pages
- DOI
- website of report or journal
The Vancouver style in QUT cite|write is based upon the U.S. National Library of Medicine’s style guide for citing medicine. If you are building your own references or seeking example and fuller explanations of resources not covered in QUT cite|write, consult the following resources:
- Citing Medicine: The NLM Style Guide for Authors, Editors, and Publishers
- ICMJE Recommendations: Sample References
It is from these that we have developed the templates and examples in QUT cite|write.
