What are References in Assignment?
What Is the Importance of Citation and Referencing in Assignment?

- Showing respect for original authors and their work.
- Strengthening the credibility of your assignment and your academic value.
- Helping other readers to verify sources.
- Preventing plagiarism and maintaining academic integrity.
- Demonstrating your research depth and knowledge of the subject.
Referencing Styles for Assignment
- Styles differ on how you write your in-text citations, bibliographies, or assignment reference list, like author name, page, date, and others.
- The assignment citation examples also differ in the punctuation used and the order of information.
- Common citation styles include APA, MLA, Chicago, and Harvard.
- Always remember to follow the guidelines as stated by your university and the assessment criteria.
APA (American Psychological Association) Referencing Style
APA citation assignment is the most common referencing style used in social science subjects such as psychology, education, sociology, and such others. The key feature is the in-text citation, which includes the author’s last name and year of publication.
MLA (Modern Language Association) Referencing Style
The MLA referencing style is most common in humanities subjects such as literature, history, language, art, and others. Here, the in-text citation includes the author’s last name and the page number from where you have used the information.
Chicago Referencing Style
Chicago Referencing Style comes in two major variants: notes & bibliography, commonly used in humanities and history, and the author-date styles, mostly used in social sciences. The author-date style is similar to the APA referencing style with its in-text citations.
Harvard Referencing Style
Harvard Referencing Style is also widely popular and author-based, used in multiple academic disciplines such as business, management, social sciences, and more. In this assignment citation style, the reference list is made alphabetically.
How to Write References in Assignment?
APA Style Examples
- Book: Smith, J. (2020). Psychology in daily life. New York: Academic Press.
- Journal: Brown, L. & Green, P. (2019). The effects of stress. Journal of Psychology, 45(2), 123-135.
MLA Style Examples
- Book: Smith, John. Psychology in Daily Life. Academic Press, 2020.
- Journal: Brown, Lisa, and Paul Green. "The Effects of Stress." Journal of Psychology, vol. 45, no. 2, 2019, pp. 123-135.
Chicago Style Examples
- Book (Notes & Bibliography): John Smith, Psychology in Daily Life (New York: Academic Press, 2020).
- Journal (Author-Date): Brown, Lisa, and Paul Green. 2019. "The Effects of Stress." Journal of Psychology 45 (2): 123-135.
Harvard Style Examples
- Book: Smith, J., 2020. Psychology in Daily Life. Academic Press, New York.
- Journal: Brown, L. & Green, P., 2019. The effects of stress. Journal of Psychology, 45(2), pp.123-135.
Where Should You Write a Reference in a Written Assignment?
You should place references in the assignment at the end of your work. The section is generally titled “references,” or “bibliography,” or “Works Cited,” depending on the citation style you are using. There should be a full list of all the sources that you have used.
Conclusion
References in an assignment are an essential part of your academic journey that you must master. Do let us know if you feel more confident about using referencing styles correctly. Was this blog helpful? We would love to hear your feedback and opinions. If there is any more information you want to know about, please leave your thoughts in the comments below.
Frequently Asked Questions
Depending on the citation styles, write the author’s name, year, book title, edition (if any), publisher, and place of publication in your referencing style.
Use the popular assignment reference examples such as APA, MLA, Harvard, or Chicago, and create a full list of all the sources used at the end of your assignment.
To write website reference in assignment, include the author, year, title of webpage or article, website name, URL, and access date formatted correctly according to your referencing style.