The Fundamentals of Oxford Referencing Style

Citing and referencing the external sources of information in the paper often feel extremely tedious for students.

While the process itself is a bit complicated, memorizing all the major citation styles and their guidelines are next to impossible. However, you can learn the basics of Oxford referencing if you spare a moment to read this blog.

1. The Footnote citation:

Oxford style of referencing uses footnotes while citing the sources of information. It is different from the MLA referencing style, which uses in-text citations. Within the text, you need to insert a superscript number at the point where the information is used.

At the bottom of the same page, you need to mention the superscript number and write the full detail of the cited source next to the superscript. You must start the footnote numbering from 1 and continue the sequence throughout the paper.

2. Citing a quote:

If you have used a direct quote of 30 or fewer words in the content, it should be enclosed in single inverted commas. Also, you need to write a superscript next to the quotes. The number will refer to a footnote at the bottom of the page. Long quotations over 30 words should be indented in Oxford referencing style.

3. Creating the reference list:

The reference list should be written in a separate page, at the end of the paper. It should be titled "Reference List". You need to arrange the list alphabetically by author surname. Here are some other details that you need to know while putting the details on the reference list:

In the footnotes, the author's given name comes before the surname (H. Lewis), while in the reference list, the surname comes first (Lee, J.)
If the source has no author, you should use the first substantive word in the title (not The or A) while putting the list in the alphabetical sequence.
If information from certain pages of a source document has been used, you should mention the page number in the reference list with the entry. For the entire book, page numbers are not needed.

Even though the name "reference list" and "bibliography" are often used interchangeably, they are not exactly the same. So, students should get clarity about this issue, before using an online tool for Oxford referencing.

Source: https://anynote.co/read-blog/67_the-fundamentals-of-oxford-referencing-style.html