Referencing Help

Faculties specify referencing styles in programme handbooks: Harvard Luma for most social sciences and business, OSCOLA for law, APA 7th for psychology and health sciences, and IEEE for engineering. Style guides with examples are downloadable from the library website.

Consistency matters more than memorising every edge case—use the official guide when uncertain.

EndNote and Zotero are supported with installation guides and import filters for major databases. Library workshops run each term; book through the skills portal. Learning developers offer one-to-one tutorials for integrating reference managers with Word documents.

Incorrectly imported metadata causes most referencing errors—always verify author names and page numbers.

Luma uses similarity detection software on submitted assignments. High similarity scores trigger academic review—not automatic penalties. Proper quotation, paraphrasing and citation avoid plagiarism. The university's AI guidance specifies when generative AI use must be declared in assessed work.

Academic offences including contract cheating carry serious penalties up to expulsion. When in doubt, ask your personal tutor before submitting.

Referencing drop-ins run Tuesday and Thursday 12:00–14:00 during term in the library skills room. Email libraryskills@luma.ac.uk with specific queries. Subject librarians provide discipline-focused guidance for dissertation students—book appointments through the library website.

Quick reference cards for common source types are available at the help desk and as printable PDFs.