
Advertisement
HowStuffWorks has everything you need to look great through every phase of your life. We know that your style changes as your life changes and we've got tips on hair, makeup, accessories and fashion that will help you look your best and always look like you.

How Do You Measure Your Ring Size?
The Hope Diamond Probably Isn't Cursed, After All
5 Essential Summer Accessories Women Should Have
Ridiculous History: Nike's Very First Shoes Were Made With a Waffle Iron
Guide to Finding the Best Shoes for Skinny Jeans
Mix and Match or Matchy-Match: Purse and Shoes
What's the difference between old and vintage?
How much is too much when it comes to cologne?
How much is too much when it comes to perfume?
How to Measure Your Inseam
The Fashion Industry Is a Huge Polluter. These 10 Brands Want to Change That
Corduroy: The Vintage Fabric That Always Makes a Comeback
From Ancient Greece to 'Tiger King': The Hilarious History of the Mullet
Awesome Hair Takes Over Atlanta at Bronner Bros. Hair Show
Barbers Across the Globe Are Using Fire to Style Hair
Microblading Is the Secret to Faking Full Eyebrows
Clean Out Your Makeup, Like Right Now!
Concealers are a Girl's Best Friend
How Shapewear Works
How Long Should You Really Go Without Washing Your Jeans?
Should You Always Bet On Black?
How to Buy Clothes Online
Easy Guide to Makeup Primers
10 Must-have Accessories for Vacation
Eyelash Strips vs. Individual Lashes: Which is right for me?
Nobody wants a tailor up in their crotch taking personal measurements. But why would you when you can learn how to measure your inseam instead?
By Kristen Hall-Geisler
If your eyebrows have seen better days, maybe microblading is just what they need to look thicker and fuller.
By Cherise Threewitt
You better measure it before you put a ring on it. At least that's what Beyoncé said, and she got herself an 18-carat stunner.
By Sharise Cunningham
The apparel industry is one of the most profound polluters in the world, but there are some companies trying to make up for it and create a sustainable fashion future. Here are 10 of the good guys.
By Jeremy Glass
Ah, the mullet. From ancient Greek spearmen to Joe Exotic, America's most notorious big cat owner, the mullet seems destined to stick around and around and around, forever.
By Michelle Konstantinovsky
It's had a bumpy history over the past 100 years, going in and out fashion. But some folks never tire of its warmth.
By Carrie Whitney, Ph.D.
It's time to rethink everything you know about wearing wool. It's not just for warm clothes anymore. It's also ideal for swimwear.
From the itty-bitty bikini to that must-have Hermès Birkin bag, these fashion favorites have names that are as iconic as the people and places that inspired them.
It probably won't surprise you to learn this product was developed by four guys in their 20s.
By Nathan Chandler
Fashion's most controversial garment has undergone a most fortunate evolution.
By Alia Hoyt
When was the last time you refreshed your cosmetics bag? If it wasn't in the last few months, chances are some of that stuff has gone bad.
Men's garments are made with deep, plentiful pockets, while women are forced to stash their keys in their bra. What's wrong with this picture?
By Jesslyn Shields
The biggest and brightest in the world of hair and beauty got their stab at the spotlight as the Bronner Brothers hosted their bi-annual hair and beauty show in Atlanta.
By Khiry Clements
Pantone has been influencing our color choices for decades — and its color of the year is just part of that philosophy.
As Alanis Morissette might have said, we've got one hand in our pocket — and the other is digging into our purse. Why does women's clothing often lack pockets that can hold anything?
By Melanie Radzicki McManus
The enormous blue diamond is famed for its size and its tendency to bring bad luck. But its tragic history has been overblown, thanks to a few embellished stories.
By Kate Kershner
You buy the right size but your shirt still bunches up. What gives?
Denim pants have gone from mining camps and ranches to the White House. How did they get so popular and why are sales shrinking now?
By Kathryn Whitbourne
After the celebrity struts down the red carpet in her borrowed designer gown, must she return it? And what does the designer do with it?
By Dave Roos
Finding clothes that fit when you're a tall woman is a hassle — but it's better than it used to be.
From Pakistan to Palestine and from Ipanema to Illinois, what's up with barbers applying open flames to their clients' coiffures?
By Chris Opfer
Squeezing into a tight pair of Spanx can make you look better, if not feel better. But where did all your extra disappear to temporarily?
By Meisa Salaita
A new survey says many disabled people don't attend events because they can't find appropriate clothing. But some companies are working to change that.
The brief-style swimsuit has never caught on in puritanical America like around the world. But as baggy shorts become more popular, is this body image, or just fashion?
Which kind of makes you wonder: What's stopping someone from taking your cells, growing your flesh and doing anything they please with it?
By Robert Lamb
Starting a Business
- Business Plans
- Real Estate
- Business Models
- Business Ideas
- Side Hustle
- Fundraising
Growing a Business
- Business Process
- Operations & Logistics
- Employee Experience & Recruiting
- Collaboration
- Business Culture
- Thought Leaders
Business News
Science & technology.
- Social Media
- Business Solutions
- Data & Recovery
Money & Finance
- Debt / Loans / Refinancing
- Cryptocurrency / Blockchain
- Buying / Investing in Business
- Personal Finance
- Health & Wellness
- Productivity
- Celebrity Entrepreneurs
- Resumes & Interviewing
- Making a Change
- Franchise Advisors
- Franchise 500 Annual Ranking
- Featured Opportunities
- Find a Franchise
- Franchise Suppliers
- Buy a Franchise
- Grow Your Franchise
- Franchise Your Business
- Franchise News
Green Entrepreneur
- Find Success
- How to Go Green
- Latest News
- New Products
Copyright © 2023 Entrepreneur Media, Inc. All rights reserved. Entrepreneur® and its related marks are registered trademarks of Entrepreneur Media Inc.
An entrepreneur takes his blues to the streets.
By Karen Edwards • Aug 1, 2006
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
Vital Stats: Jeffrey Lubell, 50, of TrueReligion Brand Jeans in Los Angeles
Company: Designer and manufacturer of pre-mium jeans andrelated sportswear
Continue reading this article — and all of our other premium content with Entrepreneur+
For just $5, you can get unlimited access to all Entrepreneur’s premium content. You’ll find:
- Digestible insight on how to be a better entrepreneur and leader
- Lessons for starting and growing a business from our expert network of CEOs and founders
- Meaningful content to help you make sharper decisions
- Business and life hacks to help you stay ahead of the curve
Related Topics
Editor's pick, most popular, carnival cruise wants passengers to have fun in the sun — but do this, and you'll get burned with a new $500 fee.
The cruise line's updated contract follows a spate of unruly guest behavior across the tourism industry.
By Amanda Breen
Amazon Employees Are Fighting on Slack About Returning to the Office
Amazon announced in mid-February it would ask its employees to come back to the office at least three days a week.
By Gabrielle Bienasz
Zoom President Greg Tomb Unexpectedly Fired 'Without Cause'
The decision was effective on Friday.
By Emily Rella
Elon Musk Is the Richest Man In the World — Again
After a brief stint at number 2, the billionaire retakes the top spot, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.
By Jonathan Small
Get Ready to Take Your Business Global with These $109.99 Translation Earbuds
These earbuds were featured this year at CES.
By Entrepreneur Store
New Neuroscience Reveals the Best Way to Form Powerful Habits That Stick
New research proves that willpower and rewards aren't enough to build sustainable habits. Here's what else you need.
By Leah Borski
Successfully copied link

OSCOLA referencing guide (Online): Bibliography
- Paraphrasing
- Repeating Citations
- Secondary Referencing
Bibliography
- Referencing Tools
- Two or Three Authors
- Four plus Authors
- Chapter in an Edited Book
- Editor or Translator
- Author & Editor or Translator
- Encyclopaedias
- Books of Authority
- Cases with Neutral Citation
- Cases without neutral citation
- Unreported Cases
- Cases before 1865
- Judges' Names
- Scot, NI & International
- Parts of Statutes
- Statutory Instruments
- Journal Articles
- Forthcoming Articles
- Working Papers
- Newspaper Articles
- Hansard & Select Committee reports
- Command Papers
- Law Commission Reports
- Official reports
- Official Publications
- Legislation
- ECJ & GC cases
- Decisions of the European Commission
- European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) cases
- Websites & Blogs
- Personal Communications
- Press Release
- Podcasts & Youtube videos
- Insight & LPC
You should create a bibliography at the end of your work that lists all of the sources used in your work. Each source only needs to be listed once, even if you have referred to it multiple times in your work. Do not include background reading in your bibliography. The bibliography should appear after the text and after appendices. The bibliography should list the sources in alphabetical order.
If your piece of work is long, you can divide the bibliography into three sections: Cases, Legislation, and Bibliography
- Cases - Do not italicise case names. You should list the cases alphabetically in order of the first significant word. If the parties involved are only identified by initials the case should be listed under the initial. List trademark cases and shipping cases under the full case name, but insert an additional entry in the table under the trademark or the name of the ship with a cross-reference to the full name.
- Legislation - This should include every statute listed in your piece of work (unless your lecturer has told you differently). Legislation should be listed in alphabetical order. Statutory Instruments should be listed separately after Statutes.
- Bibliography - Unlike in footnotes, the author's surname should be listed first, followed by the author's initials. Unlike in the footnotes, you do not list the author's first names, just initials. The secondary material should also be listed alphabetically. If citing more than one work by the same author, list the author’s works in chronological order (oldest first), and in alphabetical order of the first major word of the title within a single year.
For further guidance see the full OSCOLA guide.
- OSCOLA full referencing guide
- OSCOLA Bibliography This document shows how to format a bibliography using the OSCOLA referencing style
- << Previous: Secondary Referencing
- Next: Referencing Tools >>
- Last Updated: Feb 13, 2023 4:10 PM
- URL: https://libguides.swansea.ac.uk/oscola
- Link to facebook
- Link to linkedin
- Link to twitter
- Link to youtube
- Writing Tips
How to Format an OSCOLA Bibliography

3-minute read
- 4th September 2019
In the UK, the main legal referencing system is OSCOLA. With this system, you need to list all sources you’ve cited at the end of your document. Hence, in this post, we look at how to format an OSCOLA bibliography.
Do I Need a Bibliography?
Short answer: Yes, but check your style guide for specifics.
Technically, the fourth edition of OSCOLA says that “shorter works, such as articles and essays, generally only require footnotes.” However, most law schools want you to demonstrate your ability to cite sources, so it’s usually best to include a full bibliography.
What Should an OSCOLA Bibliography Include?
The basic structure of an OSCOLA bibliography includes three things:
- A Table of Cases
- A Table of Legislation
- And a bibliography listing secondary sources
As you might expect, the tables of cases and legislation are where you list case reports and legislative documents cited in your work. The bibliography, meanwhile, is where you should list all other sources.
How to Format a Table of Cases/Legislation
Cases and legislation are listed in separate tables. If you have many sources, you may want to distinguish between jurisdictions, too (e.g., having separate tables for “UK Cases” and “EU Cases”). Rules for listing sources include:
- The table of cases should come before the table of legislation.
- List statutory instruments separately at the end of the table of legislation.
- Case names are not italicized, unlike elsewhere in the document.
- List sources alphabetically by the first significant word (e.g., “ Re Farquar’s Estate ” becomes “Farquar’s Estate, Re”).
Some versions of this system include all legal sources under a “Table of Authorities.” If you take this approach, it should be subdivided into separate sections for cases, legislation, and statutory instruments.
An OSCOLA bibliography lists all secondary sources, including books, articles and online resources, alphabetically by author surname. Entries in the bibliography are similar to footnotes, but the format differs slightly:
Find this useful?
Subscribe to our newsletter and get writing tips from our editors straight to your inbox.
- Give the author’s surname first, followed by an initial.
- No first names or pinpoint references are given.
- No period is required at the end of bibliography entries.
As such, if the footnote citation for a book looked like the following:
1. Bill O’Rights, Constitutional Protection (2 nd edn, Hodder & Fouslon 1998) 245.
The equivalent entry in the bibliography would be:
O’Rights, B, Constitutional Protection (2 nd edn, Hodder & Fouslon 1998)
Sources with no named author, meanwhile, go at the start of the bibliography, with a double em dash (i.e., “——”) in place of the author’s name.
It’s good to keep a working bibliography as you write, adding an entry each time you cite something new. This will ensure you don’t miss any sources.
Legal Referencing in the USA
While OSCOLA is used in the UK, it is not the standard referencing system in the USA. Thus, if you’re writing about US law, you may need to use Bluebook or ALWD referencing. And if you need anyone to check the referencing in a document, try our proofreading today.
Share this article:
Post A New Comment
Instant Quote
Need more help perfecting your writing proofed has the perfect editor.
You can also upload a document to get an instant quote
Drag & drop your file
or browse your computer
Browse from your device
Drop your file here!
Your file is being uploaded!
9-minute read
Punctuation Tips: Parenthesis
Whether you’re writing an essay, email, or cover letter, you’ll likely use parentheses. Maybe you...
2-minute read
Word Choice: May Versus Might
May and might are two modal verbs (a type of auxiliary verb) that often get...
5 Free French-to-English Translation Services
Below is a list of five free translation apps for French speakers seeking French-to-English translation...
4-minute read
How to Format Fiction Manuscripts
Like non-fiction and screenplays, fiction has unique formatting standards designed to ease the publishing process....
5-minute read
An Introduction to Orthography
If you’re looking up the definition of orthography, you’re probably either a language buff like...

How to Format an Argumentative Essay
When writing an argumentative essay, you would typically research a topic and adopt a certain...

Make sure your writing is the best it can be with our expert English proofreading and editing.

OSCOLA referencing guide
- Elements of OSCOLA referencing
- General principles
- Order of author’s name
- Source abbreviations
- Page numbers and other pinpoints
- Secondary references
- Footnotes referencing style
Bibliography
- Encyclopaedias
- Government publications
- Conference papers (published)
- Journal articles
- Newspaper articles
- UK Statutes (Acts)
- European cases
- European legislation
- Repeating citations – short forms and ibid
- Need help with referencing?
Author, Title of the Book (Edition, Publisher Year).
John Knowles, Effective Legal Research (4 th edn, Sweet & Maxwell 2016).
Footnote with page number
John Knowles, Effective Legal Research (4 th edn, Sweet & Maxwell 2016) 33.
Knowles J, Effective Legal Research (4 th edn, Sweet & Maxwell 2016)
Note: Only include edition details for 2 nd edition and later. Do not include 1 st edn.
Book chapters
Author, ‘Title of Chapter’ in Editor (ed), Title of the Book (Edition, Publisher Year).
Panu Minkkinen, ‘Critical Legal Method as Attitude’ in Dawn Watkins and Mandy Burton (eds), Research Methods in Law (2 nd edn, Routledge 2018).
Minkkinen P, ‘Critical Legal Method as Attitude’ in Dawn Watkins and Mandy Burton (eds), Research Methods in Law (2 nd edn, Routledge 2018)
Most e-books will have the same pages as the print version, and you can cite them in the same way as printed books. There is no need to acknowledge the electronic format, database supplier, web address (URL) or digital object identifier (DOI).
If resources are published online only, with no print equivalent, then you should follow the guidance for referencing websites.
- << Previous: Examples for different sources
- Next: Encyclopaedias >>
- Last Updated: Feb 27, 2023 10:50 AM
- URL: https://libguides.northampton.ac.uk/oscolaguide

- Subject Guides
Referencing styles - a Practical Guide
Oscola referencing style.
Used by: the York Law School
Introduction to OSCOLA referencing style
The Oxford Standard for Citation of Legal Authorities (OSCOLA) was developed at Oxford University, and is widely used by law schools and publishers to acknowledge source information.
In-text citations & footnotes
OSCOLA uses a footnote citation system.
In the text, a number in superscript 1 is added at the end of a sentence and after the punctuation.
The reference is then given in the footnote at the bottom of the page.
Where you cite an author of a secondary source their name should appear as it does on the publication with first name/ initials before surname.
For more detailed information, see OSCOLA 1.1 and 1.2
Bibliography
The bibliography at the end of the document includes the full details of each source so the reader can find them themselves. The list is organised by type of source, and then alphabetically. See below for more details on organising the bibliography.
The information to include depends on the types of source - see the examples.
Useful resources
- OSCOLA Referencing style A downloadable version of this OSCOLA style guide, with some extra details
- OSCOLA Quick Reference Guide A handy 1 page summary of OSCOLA style
- OSCOLA 4th Edition The full OSCOLA Standard
- OSCOLA for international law Details for citing international law sources

Guidance for all source types
Citing a source multiple times in the same document.
For a case, cite in full the first time. For further references to the case, use a short form of the case name and a cross-citation in brackets to the original footnote. If the case name is included in the text, omit it in the footnote.
If the subsequent citation is directly after the full citation, simply use the term ‘ibid’. If pinpointing specific paragraphs, place these in square brackets.
When referring to a previous citation a number of footnotes back, use the short version of the case and add n as an abbreviation signposting the number of the footnote
For subsequent citation of legislation, abbreviations are acceptable. For subsequent citation of secondary sources, you only need the author’s surname.
For more detailed information see OSCOLA 1.2
Citing multiple sources in the same footnote
For multiple references within one footnote use semi-colons to distinguish between them and put them in chronological order with the oldest first. For example, this footnote refers to two cases:
If one or more references are more relevant than the others put these first and then ‘see also’. For example:
Also, order the sources with legislation before cases, and primary sources before secondary.
Using pinpoints and page numbers
A pinpoint is a precise reference to the part of a judgment or report through numbered paragraphs or page numbers. There are a number of ways you can pinpoint specific details within publications, depending on what the publication is. When citing more than one paragraph, place the numbers in square brackets. In this first example the pinpoints are at the end to paragraphs 42 and 45 of the case:
In this example for a secondary source the page number 131 is given at the end:
For more detailed information, see OSCOLA 2.1.6 and OSCOLA 4.2.5
Cross-citation
Cross citation is when you are referring to discussion in another part of your writing, for example on an earlier page or in a previous chapter. It is good practice to use cross citation as little as possible.
Try to be specific and use a specific footnote number (For example See n 52 for the footnote. OR: See text to n 22 .)
For more detailed information see OSCOLA 1.2.2
Direct quotes
You need to be very precise when using quotations.
Short quotations (less than three lines)
Use single quotation marks and include within the text. For example:
Longer quotations (longer than three lines)
Use an indented paragraph, no quotation marks and a line space above and below.
For more detailed information, see OSCOLA 1.5
Citing a source you've read about in a different source (secondary referencing)
This means referring to a source you have not read that you have found within another source that you are using. Try to avoid secondary referencing as it is always preferable to use the original source and you should always try to locate this.
If you find you have to use secondary referencing, in the footnote cite the source you have read, followed by ‘citing’… For example:
In the bibliography insert only the source you have read. There is no specific guidance on this within OSCOLA.
Naming judges
When referring to a judge within a case, use the judge’s surname followed by the correct abbreviation. (Mr or Mrs Justice Smith should be called Smith J in your text).
The exception to this rule is when the judge holds a title. A Court of Appeal Judge who is Lord or Lady Smith should be referred to as Smith LJ .
- A House of Lords judge should be referred to as Lord or Lady Smith and should not be abbreviated.
- A Supreme Court judge should be referred to as Lord Smith SCJ.
- The Lord Chief Justice can be abbreviated to Lord Woolf CJ.
For more detailed information see OSCOLA 2.1.7
Using Westlaw or Lexis Library
You do not need to include any information about Westlaw or Lexis Library in your citations, as this is just the portal through which you accessed the report, legislation or article. Simply reference the relevant source as you would a paper copy.
Using Latin terms within footnotes
The only Latin term that is acceptable to use within the OSCOLA style is ‘ibid’, for the instances when you are referring to the same source in consecutive footnotes. Do not use other terms such as supra, op cit, loc cit.
For more information see OSCOLA 1.2.3 u
Using abbreviations
OSCOLA abbreviates a wide range of legal sources and institutions.
Do not use punctuation when using an abbreviation. Eg, the Director of Public Prosecutions should appear as DPP not D.P.P.
For a comprehensive list of legal abbreviations, use the Cardiff index . You can search by abbreviation to find the title, or by title to find the abbreviation.
For more detailed information, see OSCOLA Appendix 4.2
Questions about referencing?
Contact your Academic Liaison Librarian if you have any questions about referencing.
Commonly used sources
Examples of in-text citations and reference list entries for key source types.
Use these examples alongside the information given in the 'Guidance for all source types' box.
Act of Parliament
You should refer to the year the Act was passed rather than the year it came into force.
Use the short title and refer to specific sections of the Act eg
OR use s for Section in the middle of a sentence. For example:
Footnote:
You do not need to footnote an Act if you make it identifiable in the text.
Bibliography: List Legislation and Cases separately in alphabetical order in the bibliography.
See the OSCOLA guides and our Referencing with Confidence OSCOLA Guide for more details.
Case citations including neutral citations: List cases in the bibliography in alphabetic order of case names. Use the following format to cite cases.
Case name in italics [year] court number, [year] OR (year) volume report abbreviation first page
If you have included the case name in the text, you do not have to include the case names in the footnote: In text: refer to the text giving case names in italics eg: In Phipps v Boardman 31 …..
Bibliography:
For most sources in OSCOLA, the bibliographic format is the same as the footnote. List legislation, cases and secondary sources in separate sections of your bibliography in alphabetical order.
Treat case notes with titles as if they are journal articles. Where there is no title, use the name of the case in italics instead, and add (note) at the end of the citation:
See 3.3.2 OSCOLA 4th ed. for more details.
Book 1 author
Capitalise the first letter of each major word of the title. Page numbers stand-alone without p or pp. use the following format for the footnote:
Information to include: Author, Title in Italics (edition, publisher date) page.
Book 2 or 3 authors
If the book has up to three authors, include ‘and’ in between each author. Use Initials or forename unpunctuated and with no spaces followed by surname.
Information to include: Author, Title in Italics Capitalising Major Words (Edition, Publisher Year) page.
Bibliography:
See 3.2 OSCOLA 4th edn for more details.
Book (4 or more authors)
If a book has more than three authors, include ‘ and others’ after the name of the first author.
Edited book (& chapters)
Chapter in an edited book.
Information to include: author, ‘Title of chapter' in editor (ed), title in italics (additional information, publisher year)
See 3.2.3 OSCOLA 4th edn for more details.
Edited book
See 3.2.2 OSCOLA 4th edn for more details.
Journal paper
Journal article (print copy).
Footnotes: author, | ‘title’ | [year] | journal name or abbreviation | first page of article,| specific page referred to
author, | ‘title’ | (year) | volume | journal name or abbreviation | first page of article
Put a comma after the first page of the article if you want to refer to a particular page or set of pages:
If the year serves as the volume identifier, put the year in square brackets [ ]. If there is a separate volume number, put the year in round brackets ().
In the Young example, 72 is the volume number. Bibliography:
Omit reference to specific page numbers (other than the first page of the article) in your bibliographic entry.
Journal article (electronic copy)
If you source a publication online which is also available in hard copy, cite the hard copy version. There is no need to cite an electronic source for such a publication.
author, | ‘title’ | [year] OR (year) | volume/issue | journal name or abbreviation | <web address> | date accessed
If the information is only available online, give the URL before the accessed date information.
See 3.3.4 OSCOLA 4th edn for more details.
Further sources
Examples of in-text citations and reference list entries for other source types.
Cite a Bill by its title, the House in which it originated, the Parliamentary session in brackets, and the running number assigned to it. Running numbers for House of Commons Bills are put in square brackets; those for House of Lords Bills are not. When a Bill is reprinted at any stage it is given a new running number.
Title | HC Bill | (session) | [number] OR title | HL Bill | (session) | number
Footnote and bibliography:
In the bibliography, list bills in alphabetical order under the heading Secondary Sources.
Copied from 2.4.5 OSCOLA 4th edn.
Where there is no relevant advice elsewhere in OSCOLA, follow the general principles for secondary sources when citing websites and blogs. If there is no author identified, and it is appropriate to cite an anonymous source, begin the citation with the title in the usual way. If there is no date of publication on the website, give only the date of access.
Author, 'Web page title' ( Website in Italics , Full Date) <URL> accessed Date
See OSCOLA 4th edn 3.4.8 for more details.
Book (translated to English)
If you read a book that was translated from another language (eg, you read an English translation of a book orginally written in German), cite the translation:
If there is an author and translator, reference as follows:
See 3.2.2 OSCOLA 4th ed. for more details.
Book (read in another language)
If you read a book in a language other than English (eg, you read a book written in German), cite the primary source in the original language:
Footnote:
Bibliography:
See 1.4 OSCOLA 4th edn for more details.
Book review
Cite a book review in the same way as a journal article, but without the quote marks. For example,
Copied from OSCOLA FAQs
Command paper
The abbreviation preceding a command paper number depends on the year of publication:
1833–69 (C (1stseries)) 1870–99 (C (2nd series)) 1900–18 (Cd) 1919–56 (Cmd) 1957–86 (Cmnd) 1986– (Cm)
Footnotes and bibliography:
In the bibliography, list Command Papers alphabetically by author in Secondary Sources.
For more details see 3.4.3 OSCOLA 4th ed.
Conference papers
See 3.4.6 OSCOLA 4th ed. for more details.
Dictionary (hard copy)
Dictionary (online).
Also consider elements of the style advice for websites and blogs (section 3.4.8).
For the OED online, open the full entry for the word, and click on the Cite button (top right above the definition). Follow that example, tidying it up to make it consistent with OSCOLA styles (eg, change double quotes to single and full stops to commas, removing those that are unnecessary; change OED Online to italics; change Oxford University Press to OUP and put it before the date; and remove http:// from the web address and delete any text after the Entry number, then put angle brackets around the url):
For other online dictionaries, follow the general advice above. You need a date of publication or at least a date of access (ie when you looked at it), as they are generally updated regularly.
Copied from OSCOLA FAQs.
When citing personal communications, such as emails and letters, give the author and recipient of the communication, and the date. If you are yourself the author or recipient of the communication, say ‘from author’ or ‘to author’ as appropriate.
See 3.4.11 OSCOLA 4th edn for more details
Encyclopedia
Cite as a book but exclude author or editor and publisher. Include the edition and year. Pinpoints such as volumes and page numbers come after the publication information.
If citing an online encyclopedia, give the URL and date of access:
See OSCOLA 4th edn 3.2.6 for more details.
Entry in a reference book
List in the bibliography in alphabetical order under Secondary Sources.
European Court of Justice case
European union regulation, hansard & parliamentary reports.
There are three series of Hansard, one reporting debates on the floor of the House of Commons, one debates in the House of Lords, and one debates in the Public Bill committees of the House of Commons, which replaced standing committees in 2007. When referring to the first two series, cite the House abbreviation (HL or HC), followed by ‘Deb’, then the full date, the volume and the column. Use ‘col’ or ‘cols’ for column(s). In the House of Commons, written answers are indicated by the suffix ‘W’ after the column number; in the House of Lords, they are indicated by the prefix ‘WA’ before the column number.
HL Deb OR HC Deb | date, | volume, | column
See 3.4.2 OSCOLA 4th ed. for more details.
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.
See 3.4.10 OSCOLA 4th ed. for more details.
Footnote and bibliography:
Newspaper article
When citing newspaper articles, give the author, the title, the name of the newspaper in italics and then in brackets the city of publication and the date. Some newspapers have ‘The’ in the title and some do not. If known, give the number of the page on which the article was published, after the brackets. If the newspaper is divided into sections, and the page numbering begins afresh in each section, put the section name in roman before the page number, with a space but no comma between the two. If the reference is to an editorial, cite the author as ‘Editorial’. If the article is sourced from the web and there is no page number available, provide the web address and date of access.
List under Secondary Sources
Copied from OSCOLA 4th edn 3.4.9
The general principles for ‘other secondary sources’ (OSCOLA 4th ed. 3.4.1) suggest the following form for citing podcasts, YouTube videos and similar sources:
Author, ‘Title’ (publication date) <url> accessed xx month 2014
If there is no clear author, give the organisation providing the source as the author. The examples below include a suggestion for citing the comments of a particular person.
If referring to comments by someone in particular, add that information as you would a pinpoint, before the url. Include the person's position if relevant. For example:
Another alternative, particularly if the podcast is quite long, would be to provide the minutes and seconds of the excerpt:
Copied from OSCOLA FAQs
Public communication
Author, 'Title' (additional information, publisher year)
Examples taken from OSCOLA FAQs
List by author in Secondary Sources
Radio programme
Footnote: Speaker (if a direct quote)/Presenter, 'Title of the programme' (Radio station, date of the programme)
Enter in alphabetical order in the Secondary Sources. If there is a direct quote/speaker, reverse the author's name as usual.
Use this format:
Author, 'Title' (Additonal information, edition if later than first, Publisher day Month year if available) page number if required.
Footnotes:
Bibliography :
List alphabetically in author order in secondary sources, giving the authors surname first.
Republished source
Author, Title of book (First published publication year, Edition if late than first, publisher, publication year) page if required.
Television programme
Footnote: Use the following format: Main contributor [Role of main contributor],'Title of programme' [Television series episode] in Title of series (Additional information if required, Publisher, Year )
If you wish to refer to someone speaking during the programme, follow this format: Cite the name of the speaker (if a direct quote), the title of the programme, the radio station and the date of the programme. If there is no obvious author/speaker, begin the citation with the title of the programme. If available online, include the URL and date of access. For example:
List under Secondary Sources in alphabetical order
When citing an unpublished thesis, give the author, the title and then in brackets the type of thesis, university and year of completion.
Copied from 3.4.7 OSCOLA 4th edn.
United Nations Court of Human Rights
If the information is available in print, reference the print version. If only available on the web, reference as follows:
Footnote and Bibliography:
In the bibliography, list in Secondary Sources.
YouTube video
- << Previous: MLA
- Next: Vancouver >>
- Last Updated: Feb 13, 2023 2:44 PM
- URL: https://subjectguides.york.ac.uk/referencing-style-guides

IMAGES
VIDEO
COMMENTS
Preparing bibliographies helps researchers keep track of the sources they consulted or cited for their written material and gives readers a framework of how the writers’ arguments were formed.
Style says a lot about a person's personality. What does your style say about you? Get tips and great advice on all-things-stule at HowStuffWorks. Advertisement HowStuffWorks has everything you need to look great through every phase of your...
An entrepreneur takes his blues to the streets. Signing out of account, Standby... An entrepreneur takes his blues to the streets. Vital Stats: Jeffrey Lubell, 50, of True Religion Brand Jeans in Los Angeles Company: Designer and manufactur...
Each source only needs to be listed once, even if you have referred to it multiple times in your work. Do not include background reading in your
Every reference you include in your footnotes must also be in your bibliography. • There may be additional sources in your bibliography which do not appear in
Secondary Sources - List all secondary sources in one list, alphabetically by author surname. If citing more than one work by the same author
An OSCOLA bibliography lists all secondary sources, including books, articles and online resources, alphabetically by author surname. Entries in
At the end of your work and after any appendices, you need to provide a structured list of all the sources you have used. This does not include any
Author, Title of the Book (Edition, Publisher Year). Footnote. John Knowles, Effective Legal Research (4th edn
OSCOLA uses a footnote citation system. In the text, a number in superscript1 is added at the end of a sentence and after the punctuation.
Law students often struggle to reference properly using the OSCOLA citation style. I hope this video will show you that it can be relatively
grammar and writing style, use the most recent editions of Fowler's Modern
publication, except in bibliographies, where you.
OSCOLA is a numerical footnoted referencing style. It uses footnotes for citations in the body of writing which are identified by a superscript number