Library Guide for Sociology

As you write your essays, it's important that you acknowledge the books, journal articles, and any other sources you consult in the course of your research. You do this to show your lecturers what you've read, and most importantly to respectfully nod to the work and ideas of other people; this is a matter of academic integrity. Failure to acknowledge your sources implies a) that you haven't done any background reading or research, and b) that all of the ideas you put forward are your own. If you consult sources and draw on the ideas of other people but don't acknowledge them, it's plagiarism. Learn more about when and how to cite and reference your sources in this video:

Cite Them Right Online

Cite Them Right online is a referencing tool that can be accessed via the A-Z Databases tab on the library homepage. 

It is essentially a style guide that shows you how to lay out your citations and references using the most up to date and accurate information available. It offers support for most of the well-known referencing styles and includes a guide to citing and referencing in APA style and in Harvard style. 

Using Cite Them Right you can:

1. Create citations and reference lists for a wide range of sources
2. Build accurate references by following the on-screen examples
3. Cut and paste the references you create into your assignment

This visual guide from apa.org breaks down how to reference a journal article, a book and a chapter in an edited book. Get an even better sense of how APA style works in practice with the short video below. Here you'll learn how to cite and reference a section from a chapter in an edited book.

There are different versions of Harvard Referencing Style in use worldwide. The version recommended by DCU Library follows the guidelines laid out in Cite Them Right. If your school or faculty provides you with their own Harvard style guide, refer to this guide first. If you haven't been provided with a school guide, or if you're seeking further clarification on how to cite and reference a particular source, refer to Cite Them Right. See our short video below for a demonstration of how to cite and reference a journal article in Harvard Style, using Cite Them Right as your style guide.