How to Cite in Oxford Referencing Style - Complete Guide

What Is Oxford Referencing?

The Oxford referencing style, initially designed for law students, includes specific rules that shape how you format your paper. It's sometimes called the documentary-note style. 

It's composed of two parts: footnotes at the bottom of the page and a reference list at the end of the paper.

While it shares similarities with the Chicago style due to the use of footnotes, it has its unique style and format for various source types.

In the sections below, we'll delve into the key aspects of Oxford referencing.

How to do Oxford Referencing Style?

Oxford referencing style provides a structured and organized way to give proper credit to the sources you use in your research and academic papers. 

If you're new to Oxford referencing, don't worry. We'll walk you through the key components and steps to follow:

1. Understanding the Two Parts 

Oxford referencing comprises two main components: footnotes and a reference list.

• Footnotes: In the text of your paper, use superscript numbers (like this^1) to indicate when you've used information from a source. These superscript numbers correspond to footnotes placed at the bottom of the same page or at the end of each chapter. In the footnote, you provide full details of the source, including the author's name, title, publication details, and page numbers.
• Reference List: At the end of your document or paper, compile a list of all the sources you've cited. This list should follow a specific format and include all the necessary details for each source.

2. Citing Books

When citing a book using Oxford referencing, note the following format:

• Author's First Name 
• Last Name
• Title (Publication Place: Publisher, Year)
• page number.

3. Citing Journal Articles

When citing a journal article, use the following format:

• Author's First Name
• Last Name, 
• "Title of the Article," 
• Journal Name volume,
• no. (Year): page number.

4. Citing Websites

Citing websites is slightly different. You need to include the author (if available), the title of the web page, the full URL, and the access date. The format is:

• Author's First Name 
• Last Name, 
• "Title of the Web Page," 
• Website Name, 
• publication date or access date,
• URL.

5. Consistency is Key

Maintain consistency throughout your paper. Make sure your footnotes and reference list entries follow the same format and style.

6. Use Citation Software

To simplify the process, consider using citation management software such as EndNote or Zotero. These tools can help you automatically format your citations in the Oxford style.

Oxford Citation Style Rules and Guidelines

The Oxford citation style, developed by the University of Oxford, is precise and structured. Here are the essential rules:

• Use superscript numbers in the text for footnotes, indicating sources.
  
• Footnotes contain full details, including author, title, publication info, and page numbers.
  
• Compile a reference list at the document's end, following a specific format.
  
• For website citations, include author, web page title, website name, publication date or access date, and URL.
  
• Maintain a uniform citation style throughout your work.
  
• Verify all details for accuracy, including authors' names and publication years.
  
• Utilize oxford referencing generators like EndNote or Zotero for automated, error-free citations.
  

Oxford In-Text Referencing

Instead of in-text citations, footnotes are used in an Oxford-style paper. While typing, a superscript number is added with the word or phrase you are picking from any other source. This number is added in a footnote at the bottom of the page the phrase is mentioned on. 

The sentence "In recent years, there has been a growing concern about the impact of climate change on global agriculture^3" showcases the Oxford in-text citation style, where the superscript number "3" is appropriately positioned after the statement. This in-text citation is typically followed by a corresponding entry in the footnote or endnote section of the paper, providing more detailed source information.

Oxford Referencing Website

The Oxford referencing style is not limited to books and articles; it also extends to citing online sources, including websites. 

Here's how to correctly cite websites in the Oxford referencing style:

• Author's Name: If available, provide the author's first name and last name.
• Title of the Web Page: Enclose the title in single quotation marks or apostrophes.
• Website Name: Mention the name of the website where the web page is located.
• Publication Date or Access Date: If there's a publication date on the web page, include it. If not, use the date you accessed the website.
• URL: Include the full web address (URL) of the page.

Check out the footnote oxford referencing style example website pattern:

After adding the footnote, you will need to add its bibliographic reference in the bibliography list. However, the pattern is different from the footnote.

In Case of Two to Three Writers

These works usually include research works and research articles. When citing works from two or three writers, the last name is separated with an ampersand. In case of adding a footnote, follow the below pattern:

In Case of More than Three Authors

In the case of multiple writers, add the last name of the first writer and add ‘et al’ after it. In such a case, format the footnote in the following style:

Organizations or Group Authors

Besides independent and individual writers, various organizations and government agencies also publish their various publications. The elements added in the footnotes and bibliography are the same. The difference is that the footnote includes the page number of the book or the journal and the superscripted number.

For example:

For the bibliography:

When there is No Writer

The footnote starts with the title of the work and moves forward with the publisher. It also includes the date on which the source is accessed and whether it is printed or online.

When making the footnote, follow the below style:

When making the bibliography entry of such an in-text, mention the writer as ‘Anon’ or ‘Anonymous’.

Source without the Date of Publication

Is no date available with the source? Citing sources without publication dates becomes troublesome, but there is a way of doing it.

If the source is without a publication date, then use the copyright date. If no date is available, then add n.d. instead of it.

When preparing the footnote of such a source, follow the below method:

To prepare the bibliography of the source, use the following format:

Citing the Secondary Sources

Secondary sources are those sources that the student has not read himself but are rather cited by another author. It is like the student is referring to someone who has been referred by another author.

To make the footnote of this kind of source, please follow the below format:

When making the footnote, mention both the writers. Mention the writer of the secondary source first, followed by the primary author, whose work has been cited.

When creating the full bibliographic entry of the footnote, mention the secondary work that you have read-only, for example:

Citing Multiple Works by the Same Author

It is not uncommon for students to find multiple works by the same author while working on a research paper. However, this does not mean that these sources cannot be cited.

When trying to cite these types of sources, simply add ‘ibid’, ‘op. Cit.,’ or ‘loc. cit.,’ followed by the author's name in the footnotes when citing multiple works by one writer. This shows that the source being cited is from the same author as the previously cited source.

However, if you are citing multiple works by the same author that were published in different years, then you will need to include the year of publication for each work being cited. For example:

Oxford Style Referencing Bibliography 

In Oxford referencing, the bibliography is a list of all sources consulted, whether directly cited or not. It covers books, articles, reports, and more. 

A reference list, on the other hand, includes only the sources explicitly cited in your work. 

Entries are alphabetically arranged by the author's last name, followed by initials, and indented for clarity.

Usually, a bibliography is not divided into subsections. But sometimes, teachers may ask you to do it and divide it into primary and secondary sources.

Like the APA and MLA style, all the bibliography entries are arranged alphabetically. 

For example:

Oxford Referencing Book

Besides online sources, students and teachers prefer using print books as they are considered more credible than online sources. When adding or citing a print book, remember the below points:

• All the editions numbers will be added in the footnotes and bibliography, except the first edition
  
• If possible and relevant to the work, you will need to add the names of the editors and translators also

When making the oxford referencing footnotes for a print book:

When creating the bibliography, follow the following format or pattern:

For eBooks 

These eBooks are used by students of all academic levels when they are working on their research papers. 

While on making the footnotes and bibliography of the eBooks, take care of the following things:

• Add the information like the source of the book, online eBook in this case, after the title of the book
• Rather than adding lengthy URLs, add the URL of the homepage
• Avoid adding the URL of the source if it is accessed through an online electronic database
• Add the name of the online database along with the medium
• In case the book does not have the page numbers, add other reference material like the paragraph or the title.

When preparing footnotes for ebooks, follow this format:

When making the bibliography for an ebook, make it like this:

Citing a Chapter in an Edited Book:

Citing a chapter in an edited book is different from citing a chapter in the first edition book. When making the citation, the number of the edition is also added after the main title of the book and its author. This is followed by the date of publication.

When making the footnote of such a source, follow the following format:

When making the bibliography of the footnote, make sure that you have added all the details as per the following pattern:

Article in a Print Journal 

The page range is added in the citation so that the reader knows which pages were used in the research work.

Article Available Online or on an Online Database 

When citing an article that is available online or on an online database, you must consider the following things:

• Mention the journal’s volume and issue number, and the date of publication
• Add the medium of the article in brackets like so (online)
• Citing the main homepage URL instead of any lengthy URLs

When making the footnote for an online article source in oxford referencing system, follow the below pattern:

When creating the bibliography of the online source, follow the below pattern:

Besides online articles from websites, articles from official databases are also used in professional and academic research work. When citing an article available on a database, remember the following things:

• Place the online database in brackets in front of the name of the database
• Including the URL of even a well-known site is necessary

To make the footnote for an online source in oxford referencing style, use this pattern:

To make the bibliography for an online source in oxford referencing style, check out this pattern:

For an Online Newspaper Article 

Online databases contain hundreds of newspapers that you can skim through and use in your academic work. These newspaper articles are credible sources that can be used for multiple purposes, including studies and research.

Making the footnotes of the an online newspaper source follows this oxford footnote style:

After making the footnote, use the format shown below to create a bibliography entry for an online newspaper article in oxford referencing style:

Other than the newspaper articles available on websites, news articles are available in online databases as well. When trying to cite an article from an online database, make its footnote as per the below pattern:

To make its bibliography entry, format the details in the following way:

Oxford Style Footnotes

In Oxford style, footnotes are essential for acknowledging sources and elaborating on content without disrupting the flow of the main text. 

Here's how to create Oxford-style footnotes:

Format for Footnotes 

• Placement: Place footnotes at the bottom of the page where the citation or additional information is needed or at the end of each chapter.
• Numbering: Use sequential numbers in superscript format (e.g., ¹, ², ³) within your text to signal the presence of a corresponding footnote.
• Content: In the footnote, include the following information, generally in this order:

1. Author's first name and last name (if available).
2. Title of the source in single quotation marks or italics.
3. Place of publication.
4. Publisher.
5. Publication year.
6. Page number(s) where the information is found.

Example: A typical Oxford-style footnote might look like this:

Use Cases for Footnotes

Footnotes serve various purposes in academic writing:

• Citing sources to give proper credit.
• Providing additional context, explanations, or elaborations.
• Clarifying points that might confuse readers.
• Offering translations or citing foreign terms.
• Noting copyright permissions or acknowledgments.

How to do Oxford Referencing on Microsoft Word 

If you want to know how to use Oxford style citations in microsoft word follow these simple steps:

• Open Microsoft Word.
• In the top menu, select "Tools" and then "References."
• A new window will open with a list of available referencing styles.
• Scroll down to the "Oxford" style and double-click on it.
• A new window will open with instructions on how to use Oxford referencing in word. Follow the instructions to add citations and a reference list to your document.

Oxford Referencing Example

The Oxford citation style sample added below will help and guide you to write your respective style paper in less time.

In summary,

Learning Oxford referencing is important for students and researchers alike. This guide has given you the guidelines and examples to make accurate citations. 

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