Identification and knowledge of different referencing styles are essential for any dissertation work. In this respect, referencing adds to the context within the study and enables a smooth demonstration through an in-depth conduction of the study. Referencing style is a manner of acknowledging other authors’ contributions towards the chosen study area that has been borrowed for the dissertation. Hence, University regulations entail appropriate citations of ideas, data and information from external sources. Moreover, correctly listing the citations at the end of the work allows the reader to know about the sources and access the same if required. It can be a suitable method of consultation by a reader between the dissertation work and its aligned ideas.
In the context of the mentioned significance of referencing in the dissertation, several approaches and norms exist for effective referencing based on the particular referencing style used. However, referencing styles for dissertations can be distinguished among three categories: Harvard or the author-date system; Vancouver, which follows the numeric referencing system; and the MHRA system, which includes notes and bibliography patterns of referencing styles. These different approaches are associated with varying versions of referencing styles, several of which are specific to the discipline in which the study is conducted.
Among the three border categories of referencing styles mentioned above, sub-categories are under each referencing style. For instance, there are several methods through which a dissertation work can be supported with Harvard or Vancouver referencing styles. Certain referencing styles are discipline or subject-area-specific. For instance, the APA referencing style of the author-date system is often specific to Psychology. In contrast, the OSCOLA referencing style that uses notes and a bibliographies system of citations is used in law-specific dissertation works. Given the different referencing styles, consistency in complying with the norm of one particular referencing style becomes important. In consideration of the choice of referencing styles, the following points are significant:
Manner of selecting the referencing style
Several Universities have their preferred referencing style to conduct a dissertation, which must be followed throughout the work. Moreover, certain referencing styles are University-specific; for instance, Harvard referencing styles can differ for Dundalk Institute of Technology and London South Bank University. Similarly, the same referencing style can have different editions; for example, the APA referencing style can be in the 6th or 7th version. No matter the criteria, compiling to one specific style based on university guidelines for departmental approval and maintaining its consistency throughout the dissertation writing.
Understanding different dissertation and citation styles for dissertation
Specific referencing styles are always preferred for presenting better work by academic disciplines. In this regard, major referencing styles used in dissertation writing are:
- Harvard
This referencing style is also referred to as the ‘author-date’ style, which consists of in-text citations in the body and the remaining text in footnotes with the author’s surname, publication date, and page number. Full details are included in the reference list. Several universities issued Harvard guidelines that make this referencing style subjective to variation, for instance, the Harvard referencing style for Anglia Ruskin University.
- APA (American Psychological Association)
The APA referencing style is a close variant of the Harvard referencing style. Major conventions between the two referencing styles remain the same with author date mentioned within the brackets and providing total citations in the reference list. The latest version of the APA referencing style is the 7th version that was published in 2019. Different Universities have established different guidelines for the 7th version APA referencing style that are different guidelines for Purdue, Huddersfield Universities, etc.
- OSCOLA ( Oxford Standard for the Citation of Legal Authorities)
OSCOla is a particular referencing style widely used in subjects specific to the discipline of law. The referencing style is associated with different reading rules related to the sources students use by citing examples of cases, statutes and related papers related to law. OSCOLA referencing style is associated with footnotes, in-text citations, and a formal list of abbreviations for major sources used in the study. Punctuations are minimised in this reference
- Chicago
Chicago referencing style is associated with note and bibliography inclusion in a numbered format corresponding to the footnote or endnote and complete reference. Chicago is associated with author-date references that had the briefing on author-date citations that are mentioned in parentheses format. Moreover, along with different guidelines of Universities, the Chicago referencing style can be different for other departments, so it is necessary to focus on the specific pattern.
- Vancouver
Vancouver is a numeric referencing style corresponding to the order in which the references appear within the text body. In this referencing style, the same sources used repetitively are denoted by the same numbers. The reference list at the end consists of a single list of citations with full details. Vancouver style differs based on the University, e.g. Vancouver style for Imperial College London and individual departments like the Pharmacy department Vancouver referencing style guidance.