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Citation Style Guide

• McGill 9th edition
• APA 7th edition
• MLA 9th edition
• Chicago 17th edition
• Vancouver 2nd edition
• CSE 8th edition
• What is McGill Style - Rich Text Draft

Books on McGill Citation

Online guides, acknowledgements.

• Indigenous citation styles
• Citing artificial intelligence (AI)
• Citation management

McGill Citation Style

Canadian Guide to Uniform Legal Citation (aka The McGill Guide) was created in 1986 to establish a uniform bilingual standard for legal citation in Canada. It has been published by the McGill Law Journal and is now in its ninth edition. Most Canadian law journals, law schools, and many courts have adopted this standard.

It is intended to serve as a reference and a guide to citing legislation, jurisprudence, government documents, and secondary sources such as books and journals . Although designed specifically for Canadian legal materials, the Guide also includes short sections on foreign (e.g. U.S. and U.K.) and international law sources. The McGill Guide rules apply only to footnote citations, in-text citations, and bibliographies. 

Creating footnotes in McGill Style:

Journal article.

Charles Toad, "Warty Law: Toad Law in a Frog's World" (2015) 76:3 UTLJ 288 at 290. Journal titles are abbreviated in footnotes.

Frances Ribbiton, Why Toads Make Poor Lawyers (Halifax, NS: Dalhousie Fictional Frog Press, 2014) at 25.

Case with Neutral Citation

Frog v Toad , 2015 SCC 48 at para 12 . 

Name of the case. Neutral Citation.

Amphibious Criminal Code, RSC 1985, c C-46, s 356.

Statute Volume and Jurisdiction. Chapter. Section Pinpoint.

Case with Print Reporter

Toadie v Frogger , [2004] 2 SCR 201, 145 DLR (4th) 6.

For more information on how to cite different formats (such as multiple authors, videos, etc) in McGill style, check out the link to Canadian Guide to Uniform Legal Citation 9th edition.

For more information on how to create footnotes in Microsoft word, please see the footnotes section of the Chicago page of the Citation Style Guide!

In-text Citations with McGill

In legal writing the rule is to use footnotes; however, in a legal memorandum or factum citations are included in the main text. All works cited in the text or footnotes should be included in the bibliography. 

Memorandum – – Reference is added immediately after the text, in parentheses.

"...that it offends the court's sense of decency" ( Ribbit v Flies of Toronto , 2020 SCC 6 at para 196 [Ribbit])

Factum – –  Reference is added at the end of paragraph.

...and exceptionally abusive behavior by an insurance company. 

Ribbit v Flies of Toronto , 2020 SCC 6 at para 196.

For more information on memorandums and Factums please take a look at the Canadian Guide to Uniform Legal Citation 9th edition.

The following examples are real examples of bibliographic entries from the 8th Edition of the McGill Guidebook. While the fictional narrative of Frogs and Toads is amusing elsewhere, it ran the risk of being overly confusing amongst all the legal terminology.

Bibliography Page with McGill

In the McGill citation format, citations are grouped by material types and then in alphabetical order. In the case of authors' names, put the last name first.

Legislation

Anti-terrorism Act, SC 2001, c 41.

Jurisprudence

Nova Scotia (Worker's Compensation Board) vs Martin, 2003 SCC 54, [2003] 2 SCR 504.

Secondary Materials: Monographs

Smith, Graham JH , Internet Law and Regulation , 3rd ed (London, UK: Sweet and Maxwell, 2002).

Secondary Materials: Articles

Borrows, John , "With or Without You: First Nations Law (in Canada)" (1999) 41 : 3 McGill LJ 629.

All examples are from McGill Guide, 9th ed, "1. General Rules", E-4.

Thanks to David Michels for help creating the content for this page.

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The Canadian Guide to Uniform Legal Citation

Establishing a uniform system of legal citation allows for the efficient and reliable recognition of legal sources, an important requirement for the advancement of legal scholarship. In an effort to achieve reliability in referencing, the editors of the  McGill Law Journal  released the first edition of the Canadian Guide to Uniform Legal Citation – the Cite Guide – in 1986.

Today, the Canadian Guide to Uniform Legal Citation, 10 th  Edition is published by Thomson/Carswell. Over the years the  McGill Law Journal  has worked with jurists, scholars, and a variety of advisors to compile the Cite Guide. A new edition is released every four years in order to remain abreast with the dynamic and ever evolving legal profession. In June 2023, the 10 th  Edition was released under Robyn Otto, Citations Editor, Volume 68.

The Cite Guide provides instructions on how to cite a variety of sources including:

• Indigenous Constitutions
• PDF Documents
• Online Video and Video Aggregators
• Arbitration Cases
• Various International Materials

The Cite Guide is an indispensable tool for legal writing and is widely used by practitioners, judges, academics and law students across Canada. It is the standard reference guide for most Canadian law journals as well as for many courts (see list below). A large number of Canadian law faculties also use it as a primary tool in teaching legal methodology. The Guide can be purchased either in  hardbound format  or in  spiral bound format .

An online version of the Guide is available at WestlawNext Canada  here .

You may also visit our website at  mcgill-guide.ca

For McGill Students – Office Hours:

Do you feel overwhelmed when using the Cite Guide? Are you having difficulty citing a particular source? For these and other questions related to citations, please feel free to MLJ Citations Committee our virtual office hours! Questions on both French and English citation styles are welcomed.

Fall 2021 Hours of Operation (via Zoom):  Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 1:30 pm to 2:30 pm

During these times, you can speak with a member of the Citations Committee about any questions you may have about citing your work. Zoom links can be found each week in the ASC THE SAO newsletter.

Citations questions can also be directed by email to  [email protected] .

• Name *  
• Français (Canada)

eISSN: 1920-6356,  print ISSN: 0024-9041 

Canadian Guide to Uniform Legal Citation

The 10TH EDITION OF THE Canadian Guide to Uniform Legal Citation is now available IN BOTH HARDBOUND FORMAT AND SPIRAL BOUND FORMAT on the Thomson Reuters website.

Access the McGill Guide Online

Hosted on Westlaw Canada, the online version of  Canadian Guide to Uniform Legal Citation, Tenth Edition  makes citations accessible anytime, anywhere.

Purchase the physical copy of this important tool for legal research and writing.

Easily navigate through this online version of the McGill Guide to find the citation that you are looking for.

“ Now, armed with the guidance laid out in these pages, the legal community is better equipped to join the effort towards uniformity ”

– The Honourable Ian Binnie CC QC

Former Justice at the Supreme Court of Canada

[email protected]

Legal Citation

• About this Guide

About the McGill Guide

Electronic access to the mcgill guide, print access to the mcgill guide.

• Understanding McGill Citation
• Zotero for Legal Citation
• More Citation Styles

The Canadian Guide to Uniform Legal Citation, commonly called the McGill Guide, is the most commonly used guide for legal citation in Canada. It provides a uniform approach to citation of case law, legislation, periodicals, books, online sources, government documents, and other secondary materials across all jurisdictions. This guide has been officially adopted by various courts and major law reviews across the country, establishing itself as an important tool for legal research and writing. The McGill Guide is a bilingual and bijuridical guide to citation of legal materials.

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• Last Updated: Aug 22, 2024 4:51 PM
• URL: https://learn.library.torontomu.ca/legalcitation

Cite legal materials with McGill Guide

Accessing the guide.

• Select McGill Guide in the Browse .
• Select Canadian Guide to Uniform Legal Citation within Finding Tools .
• Select Canadian Guide to Uniform Legal Citation   within My Subscriptions .
• Select Canadian Guide to Uniform Legal Citation in Related Resources   from the LawSource Home page or case law document. 

Browsing the guide content

• You may access the Table of Contents.
• Select your preferred language.
• Continue through the headings to find the document you want.

Searching the guide content

• Enter keywords into the search box.
• Use the checkboxes to further narrow your search by specific subtopics.

Document page

• Information regarding the resource is provided along with a sample citation. Longer documents include jump links to the various sections within the document.
• Use the navigation arrows to jump from document to document.
• Access the Table of Contents.
• Print, email and download the document. 
• Select Appendix within the document to navigate to the Appendix document.
• Use Search Text to keyword search the document. 
• When searching for a specific abbreviation for a journal, you can search for that specific journal instead of scrolling through the list.

This article applies to:

• Product: Westlaw Edge Canada
• Subject: Citations,Documents,Research,Search

TRU Law McGill Guide

The Thompson Rivers University Handbook for using the Canadian Guide to Legal Citation

Ibid & Supra – Prior and Subsequent References to a Citation

Refer to  E-1.4 of the McGill Guide.

The full citation is only used the first time you refer to a source. Subsequent citations use a short form, and  ibid and  supra to refer back to that initial citation.

General: Establishing a Short Form

When to create a short form: where a particular reference is used more than once in the work.

When a short form is not needed:  1) Where a reference is only used once in the work, do not create a short form. 2) If the title of a source is short (around three words or less), the full title may be used in all subsequent references (note exceptions to this general rule in sections below).

Placement: Whether in-text citations or footnotes, the first time you cite a particular source, place the italicized  short title in brackets directly after the citation but before any parenthetical information and case history. Do not  italicize the brackets.

For subsequent references : use the short title and appropriate cross-referencing signals ( supra ,  ibid ) to direct the reader back to the footnote containing the full citation (see i bid   and  supra  categories below for more information on when to use them)

1   Fisher v Fisher , 2008 ONCA 11 at paras 52-59 [ Fisher ] .

2   Income Tax Act , RSC 1985, c 1 (5th Supp).

3   Rosas v Toca , 2018 BCCA 191 at para 3.

19 Fisher ,  supra  note 1 at para 30.

20 Income Tax Act ,  supra  note 2, s 4(1).

note:  do not include the short form in the bibliography or table of authorities of your work (unless, of course, its the official short title of a piece of legislation).

Short Form for Legislation

if a statute has an official short title, use only this short title in the initial citation. if the short title is brief, it may also be used in subsequent references.

Greater Vancouver Sewerage and Drainage District Act , SBC 1956, c 59.

note: for this example, the full title is An Act to Incorporate the Greater Vancouver Sewerage and Drainage District.

if a statute has no official short title, or if the official short title is too long for subsequent references, create a distinctive short title and indicate it in brackets at the end of the citation in italics . the brackets are not  italicized .

Armoured Vehicle and After-Market Compartment Control Act , SBC 2010, c 8, s 12(5)[ Armoured Vehicle Act ].

well-recognized abbreviations may also be used.

Canada Business Corporations Act , RSC 1985, c C-44 [ CBCA ].

Note: abbreviations of codes such as CCQ are not considered short forms, and thus should not be italicised.

Short Form for Cases

Create a short form by choosing one of the parties’ surnames or a distinctive part of the style of cause

Rosas v Toca , 2018 BCCA 191 at para 3 [ Rosas ].

if appropriate, you may use other elements to identify the case:

• a more widely known style of cause from a lower court
• the name of a ship in admiralty cases (e.g. the  Wagon Mound No 2 )
• the name of the drug in pharmaceutical patent litigation (e.g.  Viagra )

Where there are multiple cases with the same name:  include the date of the decision for clarity. note that the date is not italicized .

R v Morgentaler , [1993] 3 SCR 462, 1993 CanLII 158 [ Morgentaler 1993 ].

Where there are multiple decisions from the same case: use the court level abbreviations found in Appendix B-2 of the  McGill Guide. note that the court abbreviation is not italicized .

Pappajohn v R , [1980] 2 SCR 120, 1980 CanLII 13 [ Pappajohn SCC ]. R v Pappajohn (1978), 45 CCC (2d) 67, [1979] 1 WWR 562 (BCCA) [ Pappajohn CA ].

Where the initial citation includes more than one source but contains no pinpoint reference: indicate the reporter to which subsequent pinpoint references will be made by including ‘cited to’ followed by the abbreviation of the reporter. This is done so that, in future citations of the same source that contain pinpoints, the reader knows which source you are pinpointing. Where the first citation contains a neutral citation or a pinpoint, do not do this.

5 R v Van der Peet , [1996] 2 SCR 507, 1996 CanLII 216 [ Van der Peet cited to SCR ]

future citations will look like this:

10 Van der Peet cited to SCR,  supra  note 5 at para 321.

Short Forms for Secondary Materials

General:  Do not create a short form at the end of the first reference to the source. Only use the author’s surname in subsequent references to the source

1 Lynn A Idling, “In a Poor State: The Long Road to Human Rights Protection on the Basis of Social Condition” (2003) 41:2 Alta LR 513.

3 Idling ,  supra note 1 at 521.

Where you cite two or more authors with the same last name: include an initial for each, or several if appropriate.

Where more than one work by the same author is cited : create a short form consisting of the author’s name and a shortened form of the title of the work. In the short form of the title, maintain the same formatting as the full title-italics for books and quotation marks for articles.

Chris Hunt, “Wilkinson v Downton Revisited” (2015) 74:3 Cambridge LJ 392 at 340 [Hunt, “Downton Revisited”] .

Chris Hunt, “Good Faith Performance in Canadian Contract Law” (2015) 74:1 Cambridge LJ 4 [Hunt, “Good Faith Performance Canada”] .

Where two or more essays from the same collection : apply the same rules to create a short form for the collection, and then use that form in the first citation of each additional essay.

Ibid is an abbreviation of the Latin word ibidem , meaning “in the same place”. Use ibid to direct the reader to the immediately preceding reference. Do not provide the number of the footnote in which the preceding reference appears.

5 Chris Hunt, “Wilkinson v Downton Revisited” (2015) 74:3 Cambridge LJ 392.

Where ibid may be used : Ibid may be used after a full citation, after a supra or even after another ibid .

Where there is more than one reference in the previous footnote: use supra instead of ibid as it may be confusing to the reader as to which reference you are referring.

An ibid used without a pinpoint reference refers to the same pinpoint as in the previous footnote. To cite the source as a whole, where the previous reference includes a pinpoint, use supra.

5 Chris Hunt, “Wilkinson v Downton Revisited” (2015) 74:3 Cambridge LJ 392 at 393.

Here, the  ibid  includes the pinpoint at page 393.

6  Hunt, Supra .

Here, footnote 6 does not include the pinpoint used in footnote 5.

To refer to the previous source within the same footnote, use ibid in parentheses.

27  For a more detailed analysis, see Union des employés de service, Local 298 v Bibeault , [1988] 2 SCR 1048, 95 NR 161 [ Bibeault cited to SCR] . The Court cited a “patently unreasonable” standard of review ( ibid at 1084—85).

here, the  ibid  refers to the case highlighted in red.

Supra is the Latin word for “above”. Use the short form in combination with supra to refer to the footnote containing the original, full citation. Do not use supra to refer to either an ibid or another supra .

10  Hunt, supra note 5 .

Unlike ibid , supra always refers to the source alone and never implies reference to a pinpoint. Accordingly, reiterate the pinpoint even if the supra cites to the same passage as the original reference.

10  Hunt, supra note 5 at 393.

If the source is clearly identified in the main text, it is unnecessary to re-identify that source in the footnote.

Body paragraph:

Rosas v Toca 5 is a special case.

5  Supra  note 3 at para 3.

To refer to both a previous footnote and the main text to which that footnote relates, use supra note # and accompanying text (see note 60). To refer only to the main text (rather than a footnote), use above rather than supra (section 1.4.4).

60  See also Faraggi , supra note 24 and accompanying text.

Above and Below

Use the words above and below to direct the reader to a portion of the main text and not to the footnotes.

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• McGill Guide: Introduction

The Canadian Guide to Uniform Legal Citation (McGill Guide): Introduction

Video resources.

Introduction to the McGill Guide

How to use Ibid and Supra

How to cite Bills: Part one

How to cite Bills: Part two

How to cite Jurisprudence

How to cite government documents

How to cite journal articles

How to cite edited books

How to cite international documents

How to cite online course material

The  Canadian Guide to Uniform Legal Citation , 9th Edition, provides all the rules for citing (or referencing) legal information (legislation, jurisprudence, secondary materials) in your essays and assignments.

The  McGill Guide  citation style is used mainly in legal studies and the humanities where the citation of legal cases, legislation, legal decisions, etc. is required.  Used mainly for citing legal cases, a citation serves two main purposes: 1) it allows the reader to find the decision, and 2) it conveys valuable information about the case such as the year it was handed down, court level, jurisdiction, and case history (if included).  A citation will only achieve these purposes for the reader if it is  accurate .  Accurate citations direct the reader where to locate the law.

Follow the  McGill Guide  when you are required to cite legal information in your essays and assignments. Check your assignment rubric or with your professor and/or TA as to citing non-legal information; they may require an additional citation style such as   APA   or   CMoS .

For more McGill support, read the tip sheets on   McGill Citations for various sources   and   Using the Canadian Guide for Legal Citations.

The  McGill Guide  requires the following:

In legal writing, footnotes are the most common way of citing (referencing) material. There are two types of footnotes: textual and citation. Textual footnotes reference material or research of related interest to the subject, but which does not directly impact the focus of the paper. Citation footnotes cite the source of the argument or quotation used. A single footnote can contain both textual and citation information.

In the body of your paper, footnotes are indicated by superscripted numbers. When paraphrasing, place the footnote at the end of the sentence after the punctuation. 1   If citing just one word, 2  the footnote number is placed directly after the word.  When quoting from a source (and writing in English), place the footnote after “the quotation marks” 3  and/or “the punctuation”. 4  (See the McGill Guide for the applicable French rule).

In-text citations

In legal writing, the standard is to use footnotes to cite all materials. There are exceptions to this rule for certain types of documents, namely Memorandum and Factum.

Include the reference immediately after the text, in parentheses.

Follow the rule for footnotes when referencing material the first time. Should a reference be repeated in the text, include a short form after the first citation.

The short form of the reference should be used each subsequent time the reference appears in the text and should include the pinpoint reference information (McGill Guide section 3.6.1).

Use   ibid   (McGill Guide section 1.4.2) and   supra   (McGill Guide section 1.4.3) as appropriate.

Use the short form in parentheses immediately after the text.

Write out the complete reference at the end of the paragraph. This reference must be indented from both margins and use a smaller font than the font used for the body of the text.

References should be organized in the order in which they appear in the text.

Use   supra   rules (McGill Guide 1.4.3); do not used   ibid   or   infra   in a factum.

Short forms

Provide a short form for a source if you will be referencing it multiple times, especially if the source is longer than three words.

Place the short form of the source in square brackets at the end of the first note for the source. Italicize the short form, but not the square brackets.

If appropriate, use the author's last name for subsequent references, unless you have multiple sources by the same author, where a short form would be useful. Indicate the date of the decision if multiple cases with the same name are cited.

Case: Rodriguez v British Columbia   (AG), [1993] 3 SCR 519 at para 12 [ Rodriguez ].

      Note:   Subsequent citations would simply be “ Rodriguez ,   supra   note #.”

Author: Murray D Segal, The 2018 Annotated Ontario Highway Traffic Act (Toronto: Carswell, 2018) at s 130.

Pinpoint citations

To properly credit other sources, one might identify the precise page, paragraph, or section number of the source, called a  pinpoint ,  within a footnote.

To refer the reader to a specific part of a source, such as a page, paragraph (use para or paras for singular or plural), section (s or ss for singular or plural), etc. The pinpoint comes after the citation—i.e., “...at para. #.”

Separate consecutive pinpoints with an em dash (—) and non-consecutive pinpoints with a comma (e.g., at 260, 263 means at page 260  and  263; at 260—263 refers to pages 260  through to   263. 

Examples of Commonly Cited Materials

1) legislation, such as statutes and bills (mcgill guide section 2), statutes (s 2.1):.

Title,   | statue volume | jurisdiction | year, | chapter, | other indexing elements, | (session or supplement), | pinpoint.

Example (McGill Guide s 2.1.1):

Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms , CQLR c C-12, s 10.

Tip:  Additionally, if the statue is revised or re-enacted, indicate using   RS . For annual volumes, abbreviate statutes to   S .

Annual Volume Example:

Canadian Bill of Rights,   SC 1960, c 54, s 2.

Revised Statues Example:

Children’s Law Reform Act , RSO 1990, c C.12.

Constitutional Statutes (s 2.2):

It is important to note that pinpoint references for the   Constitutional Act ,   1982   and the   Canadian Charter   appear directly after the title; otherwise, they follow the format of:   Legislation: Statues .

Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms , s 7, Part I of the Constitution Act, 1982, being Schedule B to the   Canada Act 1982   (UK), 1982, c 11.

Bills (s 2.4):

Number, |   title , | session, | legislature, | jurisdiction, | year, | pinpoint | (additional information).

Federal Bill Example:

Bill C-26,   An Act to Establish the Canada Border Services Agency , 1st Sess, 38th Parl, 2005, cl 5(1)(e) (as passed by the House of Commons 13 June 2005).

Provincial Bill Example:

Bill 21,   An Act to Regulate Retirement Homes , 2nd Sess, 39th Leg, Ontario, 2010.

Tip:   When providing the number, add a   C-   for bills coming from the House of Commons and   S-   for bills coming from the Senate.

2) Jurisprudence or cases (McGill Guide section 3)

Most courts assign a   neutral citation   to a decision indicating the year of the decision, the court/tribunal, and a decision/ordinal number. A neutral citation identifies a particular case independent of whatever an official reporter or other (electronic) source published at a later point. When available, a neutral citation should always be the main citation (as in the R v Law example below) because it holds the highest authoritativeness. However, if a neutral citation is not available, include a parallel citation to the official case reporter.

Style of cause , | main citation | pinpoint, | parallel citation | [ short form ].

R v Law , 2002 SCC 10 at para 25 [ Law ].

R v Oakes , [1986] 1 SCR 103 at paras 12-14, 26 DLR (4th) 200 [ Oakes ].

       For the above citation,   26 DLR (4 th ) 200   is the parallel citation, and   1 SCR 103   is the neutral citation.

Online database services (s 3.8):

When citing a published judgment (in a printed report) or a judgment with a neutral citation, use the following format:

Study of Case , | main citation | pinpoint, | parallel citation with online database or (electronic service).

Caisse populaire de Maniwaki v Giroux , [1993] 1 SCR 282, 1993 CanLII 151.

       This source notes “1 SCR 282” as the neutral citation, and “1993 CanLII 151” as the parallel citation to                the online database, CanLII.

R v Askov , [1990] 2 SCR 1199, [1990] SCJ 106 (QL).

       This source notes “2 SCR 1199” as the neutral citation, and “SCJ 106 (QL)” as the parallel citation with the                electronic source in parentheses because the online database or provider was not obviously found.

Tip:   A list of abbreviations for online database services can be found in Appendix C-2 (with printed reports) and Appendix E (for various services) of the McGill Guide.

3) Secondary sources and other materials (McGill Guide section 6)

Journal article (s 6.1):.

Author(s), | “Title of Article” | (year) | volume: | issue | abbreviation of journal | first page # | pinpoint | (electronic source or database).

Roderick A Macdonald, “The Fridge-Door Statute” (2001) 47 McGill LJ 11 at para 51 (QL). 

Tip:  Keep this information in mind while creating journal article citations:

For two or three authors, separate them using an ampersand   (&) .

e.g., Author First and Last Name & Author First and Last Name,

e.g., Author Name, Author Name, & Author Name,

For more than three authors, cite the first author’s name and et al.

e.g., Author Name et al,

If the author has a title (such as The Honourable, Madam Justice, etc.), include them in the citation. You must also include name suffixes (such as Jr or IV).

In Appendix D of the McGill Guide, a list of periodical abbreviations is available. If the periodical cannot be found, follow the abbreviation rules that can be found in section 6.1.6.

Books (s 6.2):

Author(s), |   Title of book , | edition | other elements | (place of publication: | publisher) | pinpoint | (electronic service).

Angela Swan, Jakub Adamski & Annie Y Na,   Canadian Contract Law , 4th ed (Markham: LexisNexis Canada, 2018) at 43. 

Tip:   If necessary, other elements are where you would indicate information such as the name of the translator, number of volumes, volume title, loose-leaf or other necessary information regarding the book. You only need to include the electronic service if you retrieve the book from an online source.

Editor or revisor of the text or author (e.g., textbooks; s 6.2.2.3):

For books that include editors and no author, use the following format:

Editor(s), | ed(s), |   title , | edition | (publication information).

Christine Boyle & David R Percy, eds,   Contracts: Cases and Commentaries , 6th ed (Toronto: Carswell, 1999).

For books that contain both authors and editors, the following format should be used:

Author(s) |   title , | edition | ed(s) by | Editor(s) | (publication information).

SA De Smith,   Judicial Review of Administrative Action , 5th ed by Lord Woolf & Jeffery Jowell (London, UK: Sweet & Maxwell, 1995).

Bibliography

In legal writing, bibliographies are divided into sections: Legislation, Jurisprudence, and Secondary Materials. The Secondary Materials section may be further divided into subsections by type and the materials themselves divided into Domestic Sources and Foreign Sources.

Within each section, list your entries in alphabetical order. Legislation is to be sorted by title, jurisprudence by style of cause and secondary materials by surname of author. The  McGill Guide   provides specific rules for each section, including formatting requirements.

The Ontario Tech University library has reference copies under the call letters KE259.C35 2018; a quick guide is also available online on   the Library's citation and writing web page .

More information about the journal and cite guide can be found in the   McGill Law Journal . 

McGill Law Journal, Canadian   Guide to Uniform Legal Citation, 9 th  edition, Toronto: Thomson Reuters, 2018). Queen’s University,  Legal Research   Manual  (May 17, 2022), online:  http://library.queensu.ca/law/lederman/legalcitation .

Ontario Tech University, "McGill Citation Style: Your Quick Guide to Citing Legal Sources based on Canadian Guide to Uniform Legal Citation The"McGill Guide" McGill Law Journal, 9th Edition (2018)" (December 2019), online:  Ontario Tech Library Citation  < https://guides.library.ontariotechu.ca/citation

For more McGill support, read the two tip sheets:   McGill Citation for Various Sources   and   Using the Canadian Guide to Uniform Legal Citation . 

• Français
• Learning Modules
• Introduction
• 1.1 What is Uniform Legal Citation?
• 1.2 Content + Form = Function
• 1.3 Citing Legal Sources: General Rules
• 1.4 Citing Legal Sources: Footnotes
• 1.5 Secondary Source Citations
• 1.6 Legal Encyclopedia Citations
• 1.7 Periodical Abbreviations
• 1.8 Legal Periodical Citations
• 1.9 Government Document Citations: Non-parliamentary government documents
• 1.10 Legal Dictionary Citations
• 1.11 Bill Citations
• 1.12 Statute Citations
• 1.13 Federal Regulations
• 1.14 Provincial Regulations Citations
• 1.15 Case Citations
• 1.16 The Style of Cause
• 1.17 The Neutral Citation
• 1.18 The Core Citation or Printed Reporter
• 1.19 The Parallel Citation
• 1.20 Putting the Components of Case Citation Together
• Review and Conclusion

Legal Citations – Legal Encyclopedic Digests ( McGill Guide , 6.5)

The general form for common law encyclopedic digests includes the following elements:

"Contracts," in American Jurisprudence , vol 17A, 2nd ed by Jeanne Benioff (Rochester, NY: Lawyer'sCooperative, 1991) § 97.

NOTE: The rule for the Canadian Encyclopedic Digest (or CED) and Halisbury's Laws of Canada are different. For the CED, in addition to the edition, you should indicate the series (Ontario or Western), in parentheses after the title, when citing the print version or an online version that has been divided into Ontario or Western. Preference is given to the online version when citing the CED.

CED (Ont 4th), vol 1, title 2 at § 10.

CED 4th (online), Actions (Ont), "Forms and Classes of Action: Penal Actions: General" (II.5.(a)) at § 3.

Halisbury's Laws of Canada, vol 2, Business Corporations (Markham, Ont: LexisNexis Canada, 2008) at HBC-298 "Focus on Interests" (Cum Supp Release 4).

Halisbury's Laws of Canada (Online), Business Corporations , "Shareholder Remedies: The Oppression Remedy: Meaning of Oppression" (XIII.2.(2)) at HBC-298 "Focus on Interests" (Cum Supp Release 4).

If you would like to give us your feedback on the Principles of Legal Research website, you can reach us through our contact us page.

Principles of Legal Research © University of Ottawa – Brian Dickson Law Library, 2011

• Queen's University Library
• Research Guides

Legal Citation with the 10th edition of the McGill Guide

Citing books.

• Introduction
• Which Citation Pattern Should I Choose?
• How to Cite a Case - Pattern #1 (With Neutral Citation)
• How to Cite a Case - Pattern #2 (With CanLII Citation)
• How to Cite a Case - Pattern #3 (With Other Sources)
• Citing Decisions of Administrative Bodies and Tribunals
• Citing Unreported Cases
• How to Include a Case History
• How to Cite Statutes
• How to Cite Regulations
• How to Cite Indigenous Legislative Documents
• Citing Journal Articles
• Citing Online Resources
• Finding Abbreviations to Law Reports and Journals
• Other Guidance on Citing Indigenous Sources

This is the citation pattern for books:

author(s), title, edition (if needed), place of publication, publisher, year of publication, pinpoint (if needed).

Jamie Chai Yun Liew & Donald Galloway,  Immigration Law , 2nd ed (Toronto: Irwin Law, 2015). 

Citation Breakdown:

A. author's name.

• initial(s) or first name (as it appears in the book), then last name
• use an ampersand (&) to connect two authors

B. Book Title

• the title should be in italics

C. Edition Number

• include if this is not the first edition (do not superscript st, nd, rd or th following the number)

D. Place of Publication

• the city name is followed by a colon and contained in parentheses along with the publisher name and year of publication 

E. Publisher

• write the name of the publisher as it appears on the title page

F. Year of Publication

• indicate the year of the current edition

G. Pinpoint

Pinpoint to a page or section. See the following examples:

Jamie Chai Yun Liew & Donald Galloway,  Immigration Law , 2nd ed (Toronto: Irwin Law, 2015)  at 73.

RJ Delisle, Evidence: Principles and Problems (Toronto: Carswell, 1984) at 129.

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Libraries & Cultural Resources

Research guides, law legal citation (mcgill guide) quick reference.

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Secondary Materials

• Abbreviations
• Law Library Home This link opens in a new window

General Information

Chapter 1 "General Rules" in the McGill Guide explains the basic rules and practices used in legal citation. Although Footnotes are customary for academic writing, shorter documents such as memorandum and factums use in-text citations. Sections include:

• Bibliographies, including a suggested example (Rule 1.1)
• In-text References for Memorandum and Factum (Rule 1.2)
• Rules for Footnotes, including when to footnote, formatting, and parenthetical information (Rule 1.3) and Quotations (Rule 1.8)
• Prior and subsequent references, including short forms, Ibid, and Supra (See below)
• Pinpoints - used to cite to a particular page, paragraph, section, number, etc. (Rule 1.5; See below)
• Online resources, including Internet sources, parallel citations, and Digital Object Identifier (DOI) (Rule 1.6)

Short forms, Ibid & Supra (Rule 1.4)

The McGill Guide section called "Prior and Subsequent References to a Citation" (Rule 1.4.1) includes directions and examples to establish a Short Form, or short title for a piece of legislation, case name, or secondary source. This is a useful practice to help with long titles. Once you define the Short Form using square brackets, you can use that throughout your text and subsequent footnotes.

Treaty example from Legislation:

United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change , 9 May 1992, 1771 UNTS 107, art 1, 31 ILM 849 [ UNFCCC ].

Ibid (Rule 1.4.2) - Used to refer to a source in the immediately preceding footnote without needing to provide repeat the complete reference. Use Ibid . alone if referring to the same page as referenced in the immediately preceding footnote but include a pinpoint citation if referring to other pages (Example: Ibid at 34.). There is no need to include the footnote number. The following example shows three sequential footnotes to the same source, the last being to a different article in the international treaty. 

[5] United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change , 9 May 1992, 1771 UNTS 107, art 1, 31 ILM 849. [6] Ibid . [7] Ibid , art 8.

Supra (Rule 1.4.3) - Used to refer to a previously cited source, specifically to the footnote containing the full citation of that source without needing to repeat the complete reference. Include a pinpoint citation to the relevant page(s), if different than for the previous footnote. The following example shows a full reference to a case and statute followed by subsequent footnotes to portions of the same references. 

[1] 2015 SCC 5, [2015] 1 SCR 331 [ Carter ]. [2] Criminal Code of Canada , RSC 1985, c C-46, ss 14, 241(b). [3] Carter , supra note 1 at paras 123, 127, 147. [8] Criminal Code , supra note 2.

Pinpoint Citations (Rule 1.5)

Pinpoint citation is used in legal citation to cite to a specific passage or page of text. Examples can be found in the McGill Guide (Rule 1.5) to cite to specific pages, paragraphs, sections, articles, chapters, footnotes, or numbers.

Primary Materials

Case Example if paragraphs are numbered: 

R v Cole , 2012 SCC 53 at para 67.

Statute Example:

Territorial Lands Act , RSC 1985, c T-7, s 3.

Book Example:

Philip H Osborne, The Law of Torts, 3rd ed (Toronto: Irwin Law, 2007) at 44.

Article Example:

Steven A Kennett, Arlene J Kwasniak & Alastair R Lucas, “Property Rights and the Legal Framework for Carbon Sequestration on Agricultural Land” (2005-2006) 37 Ottawa L Rev 171 at 176-78.

Loose-leaf Example:

Peter W Hogg, Constitutional Law of Canada 5th ed (Toronto: Carswell, 2007) (loose-leaf updated 2013, release 1), ch 30 at 30-3.

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Libraries & Cultural Resources

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McGill Guide to legal citation

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• In-text Citations and Footnotes

McGill guide In-text Citations and Footnotes

The McGill Style guide uses two in-text citation styles depending on the document being written: in-text citations for memorandum and factum and footnotes for other legal writings (General Rules, 1.2).

In most cases of student writing it would be appropriate to use McGill in-text citations. However, instructors may also be asking students to use APA 7th ed. style to format their papers so their may be an acceptable "blending" of citation styles. Please consult with your instructor as to which in-text citation style you should use. See the APA 7th Citation Guide for more information on APA in-text citations.

For specific details on using McGill in-text citations and footnotes we recommend consulting UBC's Law--Legal Citation Research Guide, specifically the In-Text References & Footnotes page .

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Citation guides.

Have a look at our Citation guides !

• Citation styles by style
• Life sciences citation style guide
• Management and business sources citation style guide

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McGill students and staff may download EndNote free of charge onto their personal computers at home or at the university. To do so, select your operating system on the left-side menu and follow the instructions. 

McGill faculty and students can use Zotero , an open-source, web-based citation management program, for free.

citations.library [at] mcgill.ca (Email the Citations Committee)

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Cite a Website in MCGILL-EN

Don't let plagiarism errors spoil your paper, consider your source's credibility. ask these questions:, contributor/author.

• Has the author written several articles on the topic, and do they have the credentials to be an expert in their field?
• Can you contact them? Do they have social media profiles?
• Have other credible individuals referenced this source or author?
• Book: What have reviews said about it?
• What do you know about the publisher/sponsor? Are they well-respected?
• Do they take responsibility for the content? Are they selective about what they publish?
• Take a look at their other content. Do these other articles generally appear credible?
• Does the author or the organization have a bias? Does bias make sense in relation to your argument?
• Is the purpose of the content to inform, entertain, or to spread an agenda? Is there commercial intent?
• Are there ads?
• When was the source published or updated? Is there a date shown?
• Does the publication date make sense in relation to the information presented to your argument?
• Does the source even have a date?
• Was it reproduced? If so, from where?
• If it was reproduced, was it done so with permission? Copyright/disclaimer included?
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Writing and Presenting Guide

• Citing Your Sources

What is MLA Style?

MLA Style, currently in its  8th edition , is a citation protocol established by the Modern Language Association.  MLA is most often used in the Humanities disciplines including, but not limited to:

• English Language & Literature
• Comparative Literature
• Cultural Studies
• Foreign Languages
• Other areas in the humanities

Be sure to check with your professor as to what citation style is required for each assignment!

What does MLA Style Include?

• the format & page layout of your paper
• stylistic technicalities (e.g. abbreviations, footnotes, quotations)
• how you cite other authors within the body of your paper
• how you compile a references page at the end of your paper

Citing Sources in MLA: Books & Web Resources

The library provides access to resources like books, eBooks, and websites that can help you cite sources in MLA style. Please visit our  Citing Your Sources  guide or explore the books and web resources listed below for help. You may also want to contact the  Wolak Learning Center  (Campus Students) or  Academic Support Center  (Online Students) for additional information about citing sources in MLA Style.

Helpful Books from the Library

To find more books and eBooks on citing sources in MLA Style, please search the Multi-Search or the  Online Library Catalog .

Helpful Web Resources

• MLA Style Center
• MLA Style Center: Works Cited: A Quick Guide
• MLA Style Center: Formatting a Research Paper
• Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL): MLA Formatting & Style Guide
• Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL): MLA Overview & Workshop
• Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL): MLA Sample Paper
• MLA Citation Style (Cornell University Library)

These web resources may be helpful if you need assistance citing sources in MLA Style. However, be sure to evaluate any sources you use--the Shapiro Library cannot vouch for the accuracy of information provided on external websites.

Citing Sources in MLA: Video Tutorials

Via the  Hoonuit  database, currently enrolled SNHU students, faculty, and staff can access video tutorials that can help you cite sources in MLA style. When you click on a link below you will be prompted to log in. Please log in using your mySNHU credentials.

MLA Full Playlist (Hoonuit)

• MLA (8th Ed.) Research Paper Basics (Hoonuit)

Examples of Sources Cited in MLA

Visit these links to see examples of citing sources in MLA. Check out the OWL at Purdue website for more examples of MLA style formatting. 

• Books (Shapiro Library MLA Guide)
• Journal Articles (Shapiro Library MLA Guide)
• Magazines (Shapiro Library MLA Guide)
• Newspapers (Shapiro Library MLA Guide)
• Websites (Shapiro Library MLA Guide)
• Images (Shapiro Library MLA Guide)
• Film & Video (Shapiro Library MLA Guide)
• In-Text Citations (Shapiro Library MLA Guide)

More Help Citing Sources in MLA

Campus students.

To access academic support, visit your Brightspace course and select “Tutoring and Mentoring” from the Academic Support pulldown menu.

Online Students

To access help with citation and more, visit Academic Support via modules in Brightspace:

• The Complete Guide to Using Academic Support via Brightspace This link opens in a new window
• Accessing Writing STEM Help This link opens in a new window
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How to Reference in an Essay: a Quick Guide to Referencing Books, Websites, Images, PDFs and More

Referencing doesn’t need to be the bane of your life when you submit assignments. 

One of the biggest shifts in studying when you head to university is the importance of referencing when you write assignments. You’re expected to show where you find the answers to your work, how you formed arguments and how you got to your conclusions. It’s also a way of showing that you have read around the subject and appreciate the context rather than just offering your own opinion. 

But why we reference is one thing. HOW you reference… well that’s a whole new chapter (no pun intended).

Nothing is ever simple right? And referencing really does love to throw a spanner in the works – different universities, and even different subjects WITHIN the same university use a variety of referencing styles. Some types of referencing works better for certain subjects than others do, so it is very dependent on what your course wants to use. 

To break it down, we’ve put together this quick reference guide to cover the basics of different styles of referencing, including websites, images, journals and books, in some of the more popular referencing styles. It’s not everything, but it’s a good starting point. Need more tips on your uni work? Check out our best revision techniques.

In this article:

How to reference a website

How to reference a book, how to reference an image, how to reference a pdf, how to reference a journal article, citation generators, what’s the most popular referencing style.

You might find that websites are one of the most commonly referenced sources these days, especially with how many open source publications out there now. We’ve gathered some of the most popular referencing styles to make it that little bit easier.

The difference between referencing a book and a website is that books have all the printed information you need for citations – but websites can vary. So while we’ve included examples for the different referencing styles, you may need to tweak based on the website. It’s super important to make sure you’re sourcing from a reliable source, but if you find that a website doesn’t have an author, or doesn’t have a year, then amend to suit. 

Referencing a website in Harvard style

Format: Author surname, first name initial. (Year) Page Title . Available at: URL (Accessed: Day Month Year).

Example: Bartlett, M. (2024) Freshers Guide 2024: What You Need To Know About Freshers & Student Life. Available at: https://www.studentbeans.com/blog/uk/advice/freshers-guide/ (Accessed: 11 September 2024).

Referencing a website in APA style

Format: Author surname, first name initial. (Year). Page Title . Retrieved from URL 

Example: Kah-Pavlou, L. (2024). 10 Fun Alternatives To Alcohol & Drinking During Freshers’ Week. Retrieved from: https://www.studentbeans.com/blog/uk/10-fun-alternatives-to-drinking-during-freshers/  

Referencing a website in OSCOLA style

Format: Author first name initial surname, ‘Entry Title’ ( Blog Name , publication date) <URL> accessed date.

Example: K Moody, ‘Best Revision Techniques’ ( Student Beans Blog, 15 February 2024) < https://www.studentbeans.com/blog/uk/the-best-revision-techniques/ > accessed 11 September 2024.

Referencing a website in MLA style

Format: Author surname, first name. “Title.” Website name , URL. Accessed day month year

Example: Moody, Keith. “Using Mind Maps for Revision – The Ultimate Guide for Students.” Student Beans Blog, https://www.studentbeans.com/blog/uk/students-guide-to-creating-and-using-mind-maps-for-revision/ . 11 September 2024

Referencing a website in Vancouver/AMA style

Format: Author surname, first name initial. Title [Internet]. Year published [cited Date Accessed]. Available from: URL

Example: Howarth, E. Your Must-Have Uni Essentials Checklist [Internet]. 2024 [cited 11 September 2024]. Available from: https://www.studentbeans.com/blog/uk/student-essentials-list-university-checklist/  

Referencing a website in IEEE style

Format: First initial, surname, “Page title.” Website Title. URL (accessed date, month, year).

Example: E. Howarth, “The Essential Uni Food Shopping List.” Student Beans Blog.  https://www.studentbeans.com/blog/uk/essential-student-food-shopping-list-cheap-living/ (accessed 11 Sept, 2024).

If you prefer to study with a paper and pen, you’ll probably spend a lot of time in the library exploring textbooks and anthologies to support your assignments. It can be a little simpler to cite a book, as you’ll have all the information you need printed inside, which is a relief if you’re scrambling to find an author on a website! 

But each major referencing style has subtle differences between them, so check out how to reference books (and chapters within books) below. 

Referencing a book in Harvard style

Format: Author surname, first name initial. (Year) Book Title . Edition if application. Place of Publication: Publisher

Example: Thwaite, A. (1985). Poetry Today: A Critical Guide to British Poetry 1960-1984. London: Longman.

Referencing a book in APA style

Format: Author surname, first name initial. (Year). Page Title . Publisher. 

Example: Thwaite, A. (1985). Poetry Today: A Critical Guide to British Poetry 1960-1984 . Longman.

Referencing a book in OSCOLA style

Format: Author surname first initial, Title (Publisher, Year).

Example: Thwaite A, Poetry Today: A Critical Guide to British Poetry 1960-1984 (London, 1985).

Referencing a book in MLA style

Format: Author surname, first name. Title. Publisher, Year.

Example: Thwaite, Anthony. Poetry Today: A Critical Guide to British Poetry 1960-1984. Longman, 1985.

Referencing a book in Vancouver/AMA style

Format: Author surname first name initial. Title. Location of publication: Publisher; Year.

Example: Thwaite A. Poetry Today: A Critical Guide to British Poetry 1960-1984 . London: Longman; 1985.

Referencing a book in IEEE style

Format: First initial. Surname, Title . Location of publication: Publisher, Year.

Example: A. Thwaite, Poetry Today: A Critical Guide to British Poetry 1960-1984. London: Longman, 1985.

If you’re an art student, you’ll be writing a lot about your inspirations, emulations, crediting artists from all over the world, present day and past. It’s probably not the most creative thing you thought you’d be doing during your time at uni – but it’s still an important part of your work.

Referencing an image in Harvard style

Format: Artist/photographer surname, first name initial. (Year) Name of piece. Available at: URL (Accessed Day Month Year). 

Example: van Gogh, V. (1890). Portrait of Adeline Ravoux, the Innkeeper’s Daughter. Available at: https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/vincent-van-gogh-portrait-of-adeline-ravoux-the-innkeeper-s-daughter (Accessed 13 September 2024). 

Referencing an image in APA style

Format: Artist/photographer surname, first name initial. (Year) Name of piece. [Format]. Site or Museum, Location. URL.

Example: van Gogh, V. (1890). Portrait of Adeline Ravoux, the Innkeeper’s Daughter. [Painting]. National Gallery, London. https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/vincent-van-gogh-portrait-of-adeline-ravoux-the-innkeeper-s-daughter  

Reference an image in OSCOLA style

Format: Author/Creator, ‘Title of image’ ( Name of website, Date published) <URL> Access date

Example: Vincent Van Gogh, ‘Portrait of Adeline Ravoux, the Innkeeper’s Daughter’ ( National Gallery) < https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/vincent-van-gogh-portrait-of-adeline-ravoux-the-innkeeper-s-daughter > Accessed 16 September 2024.

Referencing an image in MLA style

Format: Artist surname, First Name. Image Title. Year Created. Website Name, Numbers (if applicable), URL.

Example: van Gogh, Vincent. Portrait of Adeline Ravoux, the Innkeeper’s Daughter. 1890. National Gallery, https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/vincent-van-gogh-portrait-of-adeline-ravoux-the-innkeeper-s-daughter . 

So many publications, from ebooks to journals to poetry, are now available online in PDF formats. So if you struggle to get to the library, or find something in a pinch in your research, then PDFs can be a useful alternative.

Referencing a PDF in Harvard style

Format: Author(s) or Organisation (Year). Title of Document . Available at: URL [Accessed Day Month Year].

Example: Student Beans (2024). Freshers Prediction Report 2024. Available at: https://www.studentbeans.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/StudentBeans-Freshers-Predictions-Report-2024.pdf [Accessed 16 September 2024].

Referencing a PDF in APA style

Format: Title of document . (Year). Organisation. URL

Example: Freshers Prediction Report 2024. (2024). Student Beans.  https://www.studentbeans.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/StudentBeans-Freshers-Predictions-Report-2024.pdf  

Referencing a PDF in OSCALA

Format: ‘Title’ (Organisation, Publication date) <URL> accessed day month year

Example: ‘Freshers Prediction Report 2024’ (Student Beans, 15 August 2024) < https://www.studentbeans.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/StudentBeans-Freshers-Predictions-Report-2024.pdf > accessed 15 September 2024. 

Referencing a PDF in MLA

Format: Author Surname, Author Forename. Title . Publisher, Year Published. Website Name , date page was published if known, URL. PDF download.

Example: Freshers Prediction Report 2024 . Student Beans, 2024. Student Beans , 15 August 2024, https://www.studentbeans.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/StudentBeans-Freshers-Predictions-Report-2024.pdf . PDF download.

Referencing a PDF in Vancouver/AMA style

Format: Title [Internet]. City: Publisher; Year Published [cited Date Accessed]. Available from: http://Website URL

Example: Freshers Prediction Report 2024 [Internet]. London: Student Beans; 2024 [16 September 2024]. Available from: https://www.studentbeans.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/StudentBeans-Freshers-Predictions-Report-2024.pdf

Referencing a PDF in IEEE style

Format: “Title,” website title. URL (accessed day month year).

Example: “Freshers Prediction Report 2024,” studentbeans.com. https://www.studentbeans.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/StudentBeans-Freshers-Predictions-Report-2024.pdf (accessed 16 Sept 2024).

Journal articles will be your bread and butter when it comes to your assignments. You’ll find so much information in journal articles, and luckily most are available online these days, so it’s one of the more simpler ways to reference.

Referencing a journal article in Harvard style

Format: Author surname, first name initial. (Year). ‘Journal article title’, Journal name, Vol.(Issue number), doi: . 

Example: Huang, H., Tan, Y., Zou, X. (2024). ‘Genetically determined metabolites in allergic conjunctivitis: A Mendelian randomization study’, World Allergy Organization Journal, Vol.17(4), doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.waojou.2024.100894.

Referencing a journal article in APA style

Format: Author surname, first name initial. (Year). Journal article title. Journal name, Vol.(Issue number), doi: . 

Example: Huang, H., Tan, Y. & Zou, X. (2024). Genetically determined metabolites in allergic conjunctivitis: A Mendelian randomization study. World Allergy Organization Journal, Vol.17(4), doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.waojou.2024.100894.

Referencing a journal article using OSCALA

Format: Author first name last name, ‘Journal article title’ (Year) Vol(Issue) Journal name <URL> accessed day month year. 

Example: Xuyan Zou, Haiyan Huang, Yao Tan, ‘Genetically determined metabolites in allergic conjunctivitis: A Mendelian randomization study’ (2024) 17(4) World Allergy Organization Journal < https://doi.org/10.1016/j.waojou.2024.100894 > accessed 16 September 2024.

Referencing a journal article in MLA style

Format: Author surname, first name, et al. “Journal article title.” Journal name, vol. X no. X, Year. doi URL.

Example: Zou, Xuyan, et al. “Genetically determined metabolites in allergic conjunctivitis: A Mendelian randomization study.” World Allergy Organization Journal, vol.17, no.4, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.waojou.2024.100894

Referencing a journal article in Vancouver/AMA style

Format: Author surname first name initials. Journal article name. Journal name. Year;(issue). Accessed day month year. doi URL. 

Example: Zou X, Huang H, Tan Y. Genetically determined metabolites in allergic conjunctivitis: A Mendelian randomization study. World Allergy Organization Journal. 2024;(4). Accessed 16 September 2024. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.waojou.2024.100894 .

Referencing a journal article in IEEE style

Format: Author first name initial., surname, “Journal article name,” Journal name, vol. X, no. X, Year. Accessed on: day month year. [Online]. Available: doi URL

Example: X. Zou, H. Huang and Y. Tan, “Genetically determined metabolites in allergic conjunctivitis: A Mendelian randomization study,” World Allergy Organization Journal , vol. 17, no. 4, 2024. Accessed on: Sept. 16, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.waojou.2024.100894  

You can find lots of citation and reference generators online, and your own university will likely have a referencing guide document online or in the library in case you’re not sure. 

If you’re using an online referencing generator, it’s always a good idea to cross reference with your university guide – just in case there are any errors. Just like your university essays, proofreading is a really key part of submitting an assignment, which includes your bibliography.

Harvard referencing is one of the most popular and common referencing style in the UK as it covers a lot of different subjects at university. Different subjects tend to rely on different styles of referencing as it suits the subtle nuance between a variety of topics and requirements.

If you’re trying to get prepared for uni, then don’t miss our freshers guide and our uni essentials checklist to make sure you have everything you need. Feel ultra prepared by signing up to Student Beans for the best student discounts .

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