# Welcome to SMIRK Unit 5
OSCOLA referencing for other publications

- What is OSCOLA?
- Why do I need to cite?
- Books
- Multiple authors
- Edited books and encyclopaedias
- Journal articles
- How to abbreviate journal articles
- Pinpointing text
- eJournal articles
- Government publications
- Hansard
- Newspaper articles
- Web sites and blogs
- Correspondence
- Conclusion
- Back to main index

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SMIRK - OSCOLA referencing by Cathie Jackson, Ian Bradley, Matthew Davies and Lynn Goodhew, Information Services, Cardiff University adapted by Marion Kelt Glasgow Caledonian University is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Based on a work at https://ilrb.cf.ac.uk/citingreferences/oscola/tutorial/.

# What is OSCOLA?

The following pages will show you how to:

- refer to ‘secondary’ sources such as books, journals and government reports in your work
- cite using OSCOLA, the Oxford Standard for Citation of Legal Authorities, fourth edition.

We have another section which shows you how to cite cases and legislation, ( the ‘primary’ sources of law), in the accepted way.

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SMIRK - OSCOLA referencing by Cathie Jackson, Ian Bradley, Matthew Davies and Lynn Goodhew, Information Services, Cardiff University adapted by Marion Kelt Glasgow Caledonian University is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Based on a work at https://ilrb.cf.ac.uk/citingreferences/oscola/tutorial/

# Why do I need to cite?

Being able to accurately cite the source you have used in your work is an important academic skill.
Including citations in your work:

- Provides the relevant legal authority to support your work.
- Enables the reader to find the sources you have used.
- Helps you to avoid plagiarism as you are acknowledging where you have used other people's work or ideas.
- Demonstrates the range of research and variety of sources you used while preparing your work.
- Strengthens and supports your arguments by providing evidence from reliable and trustworthy resources.

Whenever you paraphrase or quote a source or use the ideas of another person, you need to cite.

- Insert a footnote marker after the full stop at the end of the sentence or after the word or phrase to which it relates.
- At the bottom of the page, note the footnote number and give the full citation.
- End the footnote with a full stop.

Number your footnotes continuously through your document, starting at 1.

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SMIRK - OSCOLA referencing by Cathie Jackson, Ian Bradley, Matthew Davies and Lynn Goodhew, Information Services, Cardiff University adapted by Marion Kelt Glasgow Caledonian University is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Based on a work at https://ilrb.cf.ac.uk/citingreferences/oscola/tutorial/

# Books

Include the following information in a footnote for a book:

Author, Book title (Edition, Publisher Year)

Example:

- D Miers, Regulating Commercial Gambling: Past Present and Future (OUP 2004)

If there is more than one author insert an 'and' before the last author's name. The edition should be included where the book is in its second edition or beyond. If citing information from a specific page, add the page number directly after the reference.

Example: N Lowe and G Douglas, Bromley's Family Law (10th edn, OUP 2007) 47

Tips All the information you need to reference a book is usually on the title page. This is one of the first pages of the book and has the copyright information on the back. Where there are more than three authors, note the first author followed by 'and others'. The next page has more examples of citations with multiple authors. Use commas only to prevent words running together, for example between multiple authors or between edition and publisher.

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SMIRK - OSCOLA referencing by Cathie Jackson, Ian Bradley, Matthew Davies and Lynn Goodhew, Information Services, Cardiff University adapted by Marion Kelt Glasgow Caledonian University is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Based on a work at https://ilrb.cf.ac.uk/citingreferences/oscola/tutorial/

# Multiple authors

If there are fewer than four authors insert 'and' before the last author's name in the footnote. If there are more than three authors cite the first author followed by 'and others'.

Examples:

- N Lacey, C Wells and O Quick, Reconstructing Criminal Law: Texts and Materials (LexisNexis UK, 2003)
- S Gardiner and others, Sports Law (3rd edn, Cavendish, 2006)

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SMIRK - OSCOLA referencing by Cathie Jackson, Ian Bradley, Matthew Davies and Lynn Goodhew, Information Services, Cardiff University adapted by Marion Kelt Glasgow Caledonian University is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Based on a work at https://ilrb.cf.ac.uk/citingreferences/oscola/tutorial/

# Edited books and encyclopaedias

#### Edited Books

Sometimes books contain collections of chapters which are written by different authors and collated by an editor or editors. To reference a chapter in an edited book you need to record the following details:

Chapter author, 'Title of chapter' in Book Editor (ed), Book title (Publisher Year)

Example:

- PA Thomas and A Rees, 'Law Students - Getting In and Getting On' in PA Thomas (ed),Discriminating Lawyers (Cavendish 2000)

Tips If there are either two or three editors insert 'and' before the last editor's name followed by (eds). If there are four or more editors cite the first editor followed by 'and others (eds)'. Use single inverted commas around the title of the chapter. You do not need to give the pages of the chapter. You only need to note the page number if you are citing information from a specific page or pages.

#### Encyclopaedias

Cite an encyclopedia much as you would a book, but exclude any overseeing authors, editors and the publisher. The edition and year of issue or reissue should be included in your citation.

Example:

- Sweet & Maxwell's Encyclopedia of Employment Law, para 6J-601 (R 70 April 2009)
- Halsbury's Laws (5th edn, 2010) vol 57, para 53, Noter Up Issue 454 April 2011

Tips When citing from an encyclopedia's supplement, add these details to the end of the reference. For looseleaf services, include authors' names where they have become part of the title. If pinpointing within a looseleaf service, give the volume (if appropriate) and note the paragraph rather than the page. Then add the release number and/or date of issue. You will find the release number or date of issue at the foot of each page.

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SMIRK - OSCOLA referencing by Cathie Jackson, Ian Bradley, Matthew Davies and Lynn Goodhew, Information Services, Cardiff University adapted by Marion Kelt Glasgow Caledonian University is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Based on a work at https://ilrb.cf.ac.uk/citingreferences/oscola/tutorial/

# Journal articles

To cite a journal article you will need to record the following information:

Author, 'Article Title' (Date) Volume number Abbreviated journal title First page of article

Example: J Young, 'The Constitutional Limits of Judicial Activism: Judicial Conduct of International Relations and Child Abduction' (2003) 66 MLR 823

Only include the issue number if every issue of the journal starts at page 1. If this is the case write the issue number in brackets next to the volume number e.g. 23(2). The following page contains more information on how to abbreviate journal titles.

Tips The volume number and date of the journal is usually written at the very top or bottom of the article. Give the publication date in square brackets if the date is needed to identify the correct volume, for example [1995] PL 599. Usually you will use round brackets, as most journals number their volumes consecutively. Where citing or quoting a particular piece of information, add a comma after the first page of the article, and note the page where the information is to be found. We have a separate page with more examples of pinpointing text.

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SMIRK - OSCOLA referencing by Cathie Jackson, Ian Bradley, Matthew Davies and Lynn Goodhew, Information Services, Cardiff University adapted by Marion Kelt Glasgow Caledonian University is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Based on a work at https://ilrb.cf.ac.uk/citingreferences/oscola/tutorial/

# How to abbreviate journal articles

When citing a journal article, abbreviate the journal title. Use its preferred abbreviation, as found on the journal itself or in the Cardiff Index to Legal Abbreviations but remove any full stops. If there is no preferred abbreviation, use:

Criminal | Crim
European | Eur
International | Intl
Journal | J
Law | L
Quarterly | Q
Report(s) | Rep
Review | Rev
University | U
Yearbook | Ybk

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SMIRK - OSCOLA referencing by Cathie Jackson, Ian Bradley, Matthew Davies and Lynn Goodhew, Information Services, Cardiff University adapted by Marion Kelt Glasgow Caledonian University is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Based on a work at https://ilrb.cf.ac.uk/citingreferences/oscola/tutorial/

# Pinpointing text

To pinpoint means to identify where, within the document you are citing, you found the information. At the end of the citation, indicate where to find the passage on which you are relying. The pinpoint is usually to a page number, but if a case has numbered paragraphs, use the paragraph number instead. Paragraph numbers should be indicated by square brackets, except for EU cases.

- J Young, 'The Constitutional Limits of Judicial Activism: Judicial Conduct of International Relations and Child Abduction' (2003) 66 MLR 823, 825
- Case C-176/03 Commission v Council [2005] ECR I-7879, paras 47-48
- Nikken Kosakusho Works v Pioneer Trading Co [2005] EWCA Civ 906, [2006] FSR 4 [13]-[19]

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SMIRK - OSCOLA referencing by Cathie Jackson, Ian Bradley, Matthew Davies and Lynn Goodhew, Information Services, Cardiff University adapted by Marion Kelt Glasgow Caledonian University is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Based on a work at https://ilrb.cf.ac.uk/citingreferences/oscola/tutorial/

# eJournal articles

If the journal article is also available in paper format, reference it as you would a print journal article.

For journals that are only published electronically, you will need to add the website address and the most recent date of access, in the form:

Author, 'Article Title' (Year) Volume number (Issue) Abbreviated journal title <URL> date accessed

Example:

- G Greenleaf, 'The Global Development of Free Access to Legal Information' (2010) 1(1) EJLT <http://ejlt.org/article/view/17> accessed 6 May 2011

Tip: Purely electronic publications may not have page numbers or may use a system of numbered paragraphs. Follow whatever style they use. To note a paragraph number, put the number in square brackets.

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SMIRK - OSCOLA referencing by Cathie Jackson, Ian Bradley, Matthew Davies and Lynn Goodhew, Information Services, Cardiff University adapted by Marion Kelt Glasgow Caledonian University is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Based on a work at https://ilrb.cf.ac.uk/citingreferences/oscola/tutorial/

# Government publications

Here are a few examples of commonly cited sources.

#### Law Commission reports

Cite by name and Law Commission report number and the year of publication. If citing a specific section, give the paragraph number(s)

Example: Law Commission, Evidence of Bad Character in Criminal Proceedings (Law Com No 273, 2001) para 2.89

#### Command papers

Cite Command papers by author, title, command paper number and year of publication in brackets. Be careful to note the abbreviation for a Command paper as shown on its title page as there have been six series of Command Papers since 1833. Each series has its own unique abbreviation. These include Cm, Cmnd and Cmd.

Example: Secretary of State for the Home Department, Identity Cards: The Next Steps (Cm 6020, 2003)

Tip: You do not need to include publisher details.

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SMIRK - OSCOLA referencing by Cathie Jackson, Ian Bradley, Matthew Davies and Lynn Goodhew, Information Services, Cardiff University adapted by Marion Kelt Glasgow Caledonian University is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Based on a work at https://ilrb.cf.ac.uk/citingreferences/oscola/tutorial/

# Hansard

Here are a few examples of commonly cited sources.

#### Parliamentary debates

Note whether House of Commons (HC) or House of Lords (HL) Hansard, followed by 'Deb' for a debate, then the full date, volume and column number.
Each printed page consists of two columns. Place a 'W' after the column number in HC debates or 'WA' before the column number in HL debates to indicate a Written Answer. If you are using Hansard online cite it in the same way that you would the printed version.

Example: HC Deb 3 February 1977, vol 389, cols 973-76

#### Select Committees

Cite reports of parliamentary Select Committees by the committee name, the report name (if there is one in italics) and then in brackets HC or HL, the years of the parliamentary session and the serial number of the report which you will find on the bottom of its title page. If pinpointing paragraphs use 'para' or 'paras' before the numbers.

Example: Defence Select Committee, Iraq: An Initial Assessment of Post-conflict Operations (HC 2004-05, 65-I) paras 85-91

Tip: The W suffix has only been added to the column number for written answers since 2000.

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SMIRK - OSCOLA referencing by Cathie Jackson, Ian Bradley, Matthew Davies and Lynn Goodhew, Information Services, Cardiff University adapted by Marion Kelt Glasgow Caledonian University is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Based on a work at https://ilrb.cf.ac.uk/citingreferences/oscola/tutorial/

# Newspaper articles

Cite a newspaper article in the order:

Author, 'Title' Newspaper (City of publication, Full date) page number

Example:

- F Gibb, 'Prison is not the right place for minor criminals' The Times (London, 11 May 2006) 7

Tips If the author is not named, insert two joined em dashes (--) instead. Where the reference is to an editorial, the author is cited as Editorial. Add the country of publication after the city, if it is not obvious. If the article is sourced from the web and there is no page number available, provide the website address and date of access

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SMIRK - OSCOLA referencing by Cathie Jackson, Ian Bradley, Matthew Davies and Lynn Goodhew, Information Services, Cardiff University adapted by Marion Kelt Glasgow Caledonian University is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Based on a work at https://ilrb.cf.ac.uk/citingreferences/oscola/tutorial/

# Web sites and blogs

To cite information from a website that is in a form not covered by other guidance in OSCOLA, include the following in the reference:

Author, 'Web page title' (Website, Full Date) <URL> accessed Date

Example: Simon Myerson, 'Applying yourself to pupillage' (LawCareers.Net, 5 April 2011) <http://www.lawcareers.net/Information/Features/Detail.aspx?r=1355> accessed 12 April 2011

#### Blogs

To cite information from a blog include the following in the reference:

Author, 'Entry Title' (Blog Name, Full date) <URL> accessed Date

Example: R Moorhead, 'Solicitors First' (Lawyer Watch, 25 March 2011) <http://lawyerwatch.wordpress.com/2011/03/25/solicitors-first/> accessed 13 April 2011

Tips If no personal author is identifiable, insert the organisation responsible for the web page instead. If no person or organisation can be identified as being responsible for the website, begin your citation with the title of the web page. A good web site should have sufficient ownership information to enable you to cite. Detective work may be needed, but in cases where no ownership can be found, you should question whether the source is of sufficient quality to cite in support of your research. If you source a publication online which is also available in print, cite the print version.

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SMIRK - OSCOLA referencing by Cathie Jackson, Ian Bradley, Matthew Davies and Lynn Goodhew, Information Services, Cardiff University adapted by Marion Kelt Glasgow Caledonian University is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Based on a work at https://ilrb.cf.ac.uk/citingreferences/oscola/tutorial/

# Correspondence

Letters and emails
Cite letters and emails by the type of communication, along with the author, recipient and full date.

Examples:

- Letter from Gordon Brown to Lady Ashton (20 November 2009)
- Email from Amazon.co.uk to author (16 December 2008)

Conversations
Informal conversations can also be cited - change the first part of the citation to 'Conversation between'.

Example: Conversation between author and Joe Bloggs (27 April 2011)

Interviews
When citing an interview you conducted yourself, give the name, position and institution (as relevant) of the interviewee, and the location and full date of the interview. If the interview was conducted by someone else, the interviewer's name should appear at the beginning of the citation.

Examples:

- Interview with Irene Kull, Assistant Dean, Faculty of Law, Tartu University (Tartu, Estonia, 4 August 2003)
- Timothy Endicott and John Gardner, Interview with Tony Honoré, Emeritus Regius Professor of Civil Law, University of Oxford (Oxford, 17 July 20)

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SMIRK - OSCOLA referencing by Cathie Jackson, Ian Bradley, Matthew Davies and Lynn Goodhew, Information Services, Cardiff University adapted by Marion Kelt Glasgow Caledonian University is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Based on a work at https://ilrb.cf.ac.uk/citingreferences/oscola/tutorial/

# Conclusion

That is the end of our section on OSCOLA referencing. If you need further help, contact your librarian.

OSCOLA is the main system of referencing used by the Law Department. There are other systems of numerical referencing, such as Chicago. Always check your module handbook for instructions on which system to use!

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SMIRK - OSCOLA referencing by Cathie Jackson, Ian Bradley, Matthew Davies and Lynn Goodhew, Information Services, Cardiff University adapted by Marion Kelt Glasgow Caledonian University is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Based on a work at https://ilrb.cf.ac.uk/citingreferences/oscola/tutorial/