Introduction > Reviewing Literature > Acknowledging Sources > Why You Must Cite and Reference

Why You Must Cite and Reference There are several reasons why you should cite and reference others' work. For example, those reading your work may want further information about a topic you have cited but not discussed in detail, and they can gain this information by going back to the original reference. It also gives you credibility and shows that you have thoroughly read about a subject and that you have considered the ideas and arguments of others. Failure to reference adequately your sources is a form of plagiarism, which is generally viewed as serious academic misconduct. There are many ways in which you can structure your citations and references; the most common of these are the Harvard or Numerical systems. Be aware, however, that your University/research supervisor/lecturer may expect you to conform to a different style. You should make sure that for every citation there's a full reference and vice versa. Your examiner/marker is likely to check that they match up. Exercise Here's an excerpt from a literature review with an accompanying references section. Can you identify mistakes with either the citations or the references?

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