Proper Referencing Styles

Proper referencing of academic write ups which include, term papers, proposals, research write-ups, projects, dissertations and case study analyses is germane for obtaining good grades, and being free from the penalty associated with plagiarism. Plagiarism is an offense when you lift or copy a passage or whole of an author's work without proper referencing. There are grave consequences for plagiarism, which include low grades, demotion, failing a course, or expulsion or termination of studentship.
There are four basic referencing styles that are commonly used. These include MLA, Harvard, Chicago, and APA (note that the referencing styles are more than the aforementioned). The not too common one is Oxford referencing style, among others.
Modern Language Association (MLA) is a new referencing style, whereby in the in-text referencing the page being referenced is continually stated in a bracket.
E.g. According to Smiths "the biological trace of human behavior is traceable to cohabiting with other species" (p.6)
In the reference list referencing for MLA, it is similar to Harvard. The Author's surname followed by his or her other names, year of publication, title of the article or book, place of publication, publishers.
E.g. for a text book:
Smiths Adam (2008), The Biological Behaviour Of Man, New York: Apple Base Publishers

American Pychological Association (APA) referencing style is commonly used mostly in contemporary times.
The in-text referencing, sites the author’s surname in bracket quotes the year and page being quoted.
e.g. "the biological trace of human behaviour is traceable to cohabiting with other species" (Smiths, 2008, pg. 6).
The same reference listing applies, where it should be arranged alphabetically. however, note that the APA styles comes indifferent editions, with slight modifications to the referencing styles.
For Harvard referencing styles, it has the same style with APA, but with no page number in the in-text referencing.
e.g. According to Smiths (2008) "the biological trace of human behaviour is traceable to cohabiting with other species"
In the reference list we have:
Smiths Adam (2008), The Biological Behaviour Of Man, New York: Apple Base Publishers, p 6.

In Kate Turabian or Chicago referencing style we have the identification of each reference with numbers that starts with 1, 2....and so on.
e.g.
"The biological trace of human behaviour is traceable to cohabiting with other species" 1
Reference list:
1. Smiths Adam (2008), the Biological Behaviour Of Man, New York: Apple Base Publishers

Note, this is just a bird‘s eye view on referencing. In other subsequent postings, I will share how to reference different academic materials, comprising journals, textbooks, newspapers articles, internet materials etc.
Culled from www.paul-excellentwriting.blogspot.com
Paul Arhewe.