Write for the Subject

Introductions to writing for psychology and managing research projects

• Help with APA Style - gives access to help on writing using the APA's (American Psychological Association) style, including a free tutorial covering the basics
• Referencing @ Portsmouth Guide - This useful guide authored by the University of Portsmouth Library, provides users with an interactive referencing guide which follows various styles, one of which you can select is Harvard APA style. This style is based on the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association. This resource also provides guidance on referencing material which is not covered in the manual, but which is based on general APA principles. Users can select from the interactive guide the type of material they wish to reference, and then see an example/s of how that material should be cited.

The following items are available in the Arts and Social Sciences Library:

Citing References in your work

There is no single way of writing references. The two most common styles are the Harvard system and the Numeric system. You will need to use the style specified by your department or by the body or journal to which you are submitting your work. If there are no guidelines specified, you should make sure that you write your references in a consistent way.

It is important that any sources you use in preparing your written work are acknowledged and accurately cited. This allows anyone reading your work, to find the sources you have used for your ideas, arguments and findings and also to verify any quotations you have made. It is also important to use a clear and consistent style of citation.

Always check with your tutor or supervisor which style they wish to use before you start writing, this information may also be given in your programme or course handbook.

The Journal title abbreviations in psychology page gives advice on how you can ascertain journal title abbreviations to be used in your reference list.

How to avoid plagiarism in your work

The Plagiarism: information and advice for students page explains what plagiarism is, how to avoid it and the consequences of plagiarism and includes these sections:

• Other abbreviations used in references including ibid, op. cit. and et al.
• Citing references correctly - answers the question 'Why must I cite references in my work?'
• What style should I cite references in? - there is no single style
• Online guides to how to cite literature references
• Printed guides to how to cite literature references
• Software packages and websites for managing sets of references