How should my references look?

No matter how diligent you are about citing every source you consult, if your references aren't presented in a systematic, consistent way, the people reading your work are going to become frustrated when trying to track down the sources you have used.

The trick is to adopt a suitable citation style, for the citations in the text and for the list at the end, and use it throughout your piece of work. There is no one ‘right’ style – many publishers and organisations have come up with rules which dictate how the references in the text and in the list at the end are presented.