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• A Quick Guide to OSCOLA Referencing | Rules & Examples

A Quick Guide to OSCOLA Referencing | Rules & Examples

Published on 28 February 2020 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on 5 May 2022.

The Oxford University Standard for the Citation of Legal Authorities (OSCOLA) is a referencing style used by students and academics in law.

OSCOLA referencing places citations in footnotes, which are marked in the text with footnote numbers:

The judge referred to the precedent established by Caulfield v Baldwin . 1

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Table of contents

Citing sources with oscola footnotes, oscola referencing examples, oscola tables and bibliography.

A citation footnote appears whenever you quote from, paraphrase or otherwise refer to the content of a source in your text.

A footnote is marked in the text with a footnote number, which appears at the end of the relevant sentence or clause. The number is displayed in superscript (i.e. 1) and appears after any punctuation like a comma or full stop:

These footnotes contain full information on the source cited. The format in which you present this information varies according to the type of source; examples are presented in the following section. A footnote always ends with a full stop:

Standard abbreviations

To save space in OSCOLA citations, abbreviations are used for the names of various publications and legal bodies.

For example, ‘UKSC’ is the United Kingdom Supreme Court, and ‘Cr App R’ refers to the Criminal Appeal Reports.

A full, searchable index of these abbreviations can be found here .

Pinpointing

In OSCOLA referencing, referring to a specific page number within a source is called pinpointing. To pinpoint, simply include a page number at the end of your reference, in addition to any page numbers already included.

For example, in the following citation, the first number refers to the page on which the report begins , while the second number pinpoints the passage you’re referring to :

Where available, paragraph numbers should be used instead of page numbers. Only do this if paragraph numbers are explicitly used in the text. Paragraph numbers appear in square brackets and can be used for pinpointing in the same way as page numbers:

Note that if you’re pinpointing a judge’s comments within a case report, you include the name of the judge, and some special terms and abbreviations are used in the citation and in the text.

If the judge is a peer, refer to them as ‘Lord’, e.g. Lord Williams. If they are a Lord/Lady Justice, use ‘LJ’, e.g. Williams LJ. If neither of these is the case, use ‘J’ for judge, e.g. Williams J:

Cross-referencing repeated citations of the same source

OSCOLA uses a system of cross-referencing to save space when you repeatedly cite the same source. This means that for subsequent references of a source, you don’t have to repeat the full citation.

When you refer to the same source you have just referred to (i.e. when the previous footnote was also about that source), you can simply use ‘ibid’ (Latin for ‘in the same place’):

In this example, the second footnote also refers to Davis v Dignam, but to page 522 instead of page 519.

When the previous reference to the source was in an earlier footnote (i.e. when other citations appear in between), use the author’s last name or the title (shortened if it’s a longer title), followed by the number of the previous citation (in brackets and preceded by ‘n’), then the page number you’re pinpointing (if different than the first citation):

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OSCOLA provides formats for a variety of source types. The most common ones are covered below.

Case reports

When citing a case, you’ll usually begin with a neutral citation – a way of referring to the case that does not relate to a particular report – and then give the details of the report afterwards. If no neutral citation exists, as with cases before 2002, you can just begin with the report.

Additionally, note that the year (for the report) is displayed differently depending on whether it is essential to the citation. For reports where each year is also identified with a volume number, the year appears in normal brackets. For those where multiple volumes appear in one year, the year appears in square brackets.

• Case report with neutral citation
• Case report with no neutral citation

Acts of Parliament

Use a short version of the title if the full title is longer than three words. If necessary, refer to specific parts of an Act of Parliament using section, subsection and paragraph numbers.

Statutory instruments

Statutory instruments (SIs) are numbered consecutively throughout the year; it’s this number that appears at the end of the citation – the example below is the 149th SI of 2020.

House of Commons bills are cited slightly differently from House of Lords bills. You write ‘HC Bill’ or ‘HL Bill’ depending upon which house it is, and bill numbers for Commons bills appear in square brackets.

• House of Commons bill
• House of Lords bill

Hansard is the official transcript of parliamentary debates in the UK. As with bills, write ‘HC’ for the House of Commons and ‘HL’ for the House of Lords. ‘Deb’ is short for ‘debate’, ‘vol’ for volume, and ‘col’ for column.

Use the full name of the author(s) as written in the source. List the edition (abbreviated to ‘edn’) when it is stated on the title page. Note that OSCOLA recommends abbreviating ‘Oxford University Press’ to ‘OUP’; this is not the case with other publishers.

Certain older books are listed by OSCOLA as ‘works of authority’ and given special abbreviated citations. For example, the following is a citation of volume 3, page 75 of Blackstone’s Commentaries on the Laws of England :

OSCOLA provides a list of these abbreviations in their full guide , section 4.2.3.

Journal articles

As with case reports, square brackets are used for years in a journal citation if the year also identifies the volume; normal brackets are used when there are multiple volumes in a year.

Note that standard abbreviations are also used for journal names; here ‘MLR’ refers to Modern Law Review.

In a longer work, such as a thesis or dissertation , OSCOLA requires you to include tables listing any cases and legislation you cited, as well as a bibliography listing any secondary sources . For shorter essays, this is usually not necessary, but do check your institution’s guidelines.

The tables and bibliography appear at the end of your text. The table of cases comes first, followed by the table of legislation, and then the bibliography.

Sources are listed in alphabetical order within each table and in the bibliography.

Table of cases

Cases are written in a similar format here and in the main text; the only difference is the names of the parties involved are not italicised in the table of cases:

Table of legislation

The table of legislation includes all legal sources used other than cases – for example, bills, Acts of Parliament and SIs. Items in the table of legislation are listed in identical form to how they are cited in the text.

Bibliography

A bibliography lists all your secondary sources – that is, everything other than cases and legislation. For example, here you would list Hansard , any books and journal articles cited, and other sources such as blogs, social media and newspapers.

Bibliography entries differ from citations in terms of their presentation of the author’s name. Author names in the bibliography are inverted, and initials are used in place of the first name:

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Oscola Format and Citation Guide

The OSCOLA Format and Citation Guide is a comprehensive resource designed to assist you in correctly citing and referencing your academic papers using the OSCOLA style. Whether you are a student, researcher, or legal professional, understanding and adhering to proper citation and referencing practices is crucial for maintaining academic integrity and ensuring that credit is appropriately attributed to the original sources.

This guide covers the general principles of OSCOLA formatting , including the correct citation of cases, statutes, statutory instruments, EU legislation, European Court of Human Rights judgments, and secondary sources such as books, journal articles, and websites. By following the guidelines outlined in this guide, you can confidently cite your sources and create a well-structured paper that meets the requirements of the OSCOLA style.

Using the correct citation and referencing style not only showcases your attention to detail and commitment to academic excellence but also helps readers locate and verify the sources you have used in your research, promoting transparency and trustworthiness in scholarly communication.

Referencing your sources accurately is a crucial aspect of academic writing , and the OSCOLA Format and Citation Guide is here to make it easier for you. By employing the principles and guidelines provided in this guide, you can ensure that your citations are consistent, properly formatted, and in alignment with the OSCOLA style.

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What You'll Learn

OSCOLA Title Page

The OSCOLA Format and Citation Guide provides comprehensive guidelines for creating a title page that adheres to the OSCOLA style. A correctly formatted title page is crucial for presenting academic work in the legal field. It conveys essential information about the document and ensures proper identification and attribution.

When creating an OSCOLA title page , it is important to include the following information:

• Title of the work: Begin the title page with a clear and concise title that accurately reflects the content of the document.
• Author’s name: Include the full name of the author(s) of the document.
• Date of publication: Provide the date of publication or the date the document was last updated.
• Institutional affiliation: If applicable, include the name of the institution or organization with which the author is affiliated.

Proper formatting is also essential for an OSCOLA title page . Ensure that the title is centered, and use a slightly larger font size to make it stand out. The author’s name should be positioned below the title, and other relevant information, such as the date of publication and institutional affiliation, should be placed at the bottom of the page. The OSCOLA Format and Citation Guide provides specific instructions for the placement and formatting of each element on the title page.

Creating a well-designed and properly formatted title page in accordance with OSCOLA guidelines enhances the professionalism and credibility of your academic work. It sets the foundation for your document and ensures that readers can accurately identify and reference your work.

Headings and Subheadings in OSCOLA

The OSCOLA Format and Citation Guide provides clear guidelines for effective use of headings and subheadings in OSCOLA -formatted documents. These formatting elements play a crucial role in organizing and presenting information in a structured manner.

When using headings and subheadings in an OSCOLA-formatted document, it is important to follow the provided guidelines for consistency and clarity. Here are some key points to consider:

• Use of Levels: OSCOLA allows for up to three levels of headings – main headings (level 1), subheadings (level 2), and sub-subheadings (level 3). These levels help create a hierarchical structure that enhances readability and comprehension.
• Capitalization: Headings and subheadings in OSCOLA should be capitalized using sentence case. This means that the first word and proper nouns should be capitalized, while all other words should be in lowercase, unless there are specific rules applicable to a particular title or abbreviation.
• Punctuation: OSCOLA recommends using minimal punctuation in headings and subheadings. Avoid using full stops, commas, or other punctuation marks at the end of headings or subheadings, unless required by the specific title or abbreviation.
• Numbering: OSCOLA does not generally require the use of numbering for headings and subheadings, as the hierarchical levels already provide sufficient clarity in the document’s structure. However, numbering may be used in exceptional cases, such as when referencing specific sections within a document.

Incorporating headings and subheadings in an OSCOLA-formatted document helps readers navigate through the content, understand the organization of ideas, and locate specific information easily. Additionally, it enhances the document’s visual appeal and overall readability.

“Well-structured headings and subheadings not only improve the overall readability of an OSCOLA-formatted document but also help readers quickly grasp the main points and navigate through the content effectively.”

For a better understanding of how headings and subheadings are utilized in OSCOLA formatting, refer to the following example:

By using headings and subheadings effectively, writers can enhance the overall organization and readability of their OSCOLA-formatted documents, enabling readers to navigate and understand the content in a logical and structured manner. Remember to consult the OSCOLA Format and Citation Guide for specific guidelines and regulations when incorporating headings and subheadings in your legal writing.

OSCOLA Works Cited List

The OSCOLA Format and Citation Guide provides clear instructions for creating a comprehensive Works Cited list in OSCOLA style. This list includes all the sources that have been cited throughout the document, ensuring accurate attribution and easy access to the referenced materials. The Works Cited list encompasses various types of sources, ranging from cases and statutes to secondary sources and online resources.

To compile an effective Works Cited list in OSCOLA style, writers must adhere to specific formatting rules. These rules ensure consistency and facilitate the identification and retrieval of sources.

Here are some key guidelines for formatting the Works Cited list in OSCOLA:

• Start the Works Cited list on a new page, following the main body of the document.
• Alphabetize the list by the author’s surname or the title of the work.
• Apply italics for book and article titles, and use double quotation marks for shorter works such as journal articles or essays.
• Provide complete bibliographic information for each source, including the author’s name, title, publication date, and relevant page numbers.
• Include pinpoint references for cases and other legal materials to direct readers to specific sections or paragraphs.

By following these formatting guidelines, writers can create a clear and organized Works Cited list in OSCOLA style that meets the requirements of academic integrity and scholarly citation.

By adhering to these guidelines, writers can create a Works Cited list that showcases their meticulous research and accurately credits the sources they have utilized.

Works Cited in OSCOLA

In OSCOLA style, it is essential to properly cite works within the body of the text to give credit to the original sources of information or ideas. The OSCOLA Format and Citation Guide provides guidelines for creating accurate and reliable citations using footnotes or in-text citations.

When citing works in OSCOLA, it is important to follow the specified format for different types of sources such as cases, statutes, secondary sources, and online resources. By adhering to the prescribed style, you can ensure consistency and avoid any confusion regarding the sources referenced in your writing.

The OSCOLA guide also includes instructions on the use of abbreviations, pinpoint references, and cross-references. These elements contribute to enhancing the clarity and precision of your citations. Additionally, the guide provides advice on when and how to incorporate Latin “gadgets” into your citations to further refine and elevate your writing.

“Accurate and meticulous citation of works is a fundamental aspect of academic writing. The OSCOLA Format and Citation Guide offers comprehensive guidelines to help writers uphold academic integrity and ensure their research is properly attributed.”

When citing works in OSCOLA, it is crucial to accurately format and present the bibliographic information. Following the guidelines provided in the OSCOLA Format and Citation Guide will help you create a Works Cited list that is clear, concise, and consistent.

By referencing works accurately and consistently using the OSCOLA style, you can demonstrate your commitment to scholarly integrity and contribute to the overall credibility and reliability of your research.

OSCOLA Format for Specific Sources

The OSCOLA Format and Citation Guide provides specific guidelines for citing different types of sources commonly used in legal writing. It offers instructions on how to cite books, articles from journals and online databases, websites, dissertations/theses, lectures, and government documents in OSCOLA format. The guide includes examples and explanations for each type of source to assist writers in properly formatting their citations.

When citing books in OSCOLA format, the guide advises including the author’s name, title of the book (in italics), edition (if applicable), page numbers, and publication details.

Example: Sylvester et al, Law of Property (10th edn, Sweet & Maxwell 2022) 345-346

For articles from journals and online databases, the guide suggests including the author’s name, title of the article (in single quotation marks), volume and issue number (if applicable), page numbers, and the name of the journal or database.

Example: Mary Jones, ‘Environmental Law and Policy’ (2022) 35(2) Georgetown Law Journal 123

When citing websites, the guide recommends including the author’s name (if available), title of the webpage (in single quotation marks), any organization or website name, the URL, and the date of access.

Example: Legal Aid Society of New York, ‘Know Your Rights: Tenant’s Rights in New York’ https://www.legalaidnyc.org/ (accessed 1 July 2022)

For dissertations/theses, the guide suggests including the author’s name, title of the dissertation/thesis (in single quotation marks), degree and university, and the year of submission.

Example: John Smith, ‘The Impact of Intellectual Property Laws on Innovation’ (PhD thesis, University of Cambridge 2021)

When citing lectures, the guide advises including the lecturer’s name, title of the lecture (in single quotation marks), the institution or conference where the lecture was delivered, and the date of the lecture.

Example: Professor Emily Brown, ‘Introduction to Constitutional Law’ (lecture delivered at Yale Law School, 15 November 2021)

For government documents, the guide suggests including the country or jurisdiction, the title of the document (in italics or single quotation marks), any relevant department or agency, the command paper number (if applicable), and the year of publication.

Example: United States Constitution

By following the OSCOLA Format and Citation Guide’s guidelines for specific sources, writers can ensure accurate and consistent citations in their legal writings. These guidelines facilitate the proper attribution of sources and contribute to the overall quality and integrity of academic and professional legal work.

OSCOLA In-Text Citations

The OSCOLA Format and Citation Guide provides clear guidelines for in-text citations in OSCOLA style. In-text citations are used to attribute information or ideas that are not common knowledge or original contributions. They play a crucial role in academic writing to acknowledge the sources referenced and maintain intellectual integrity.

In OSCOLA style, there are two main methods for in-text citations: footnotes and in-text referencing. Footnotes are widely used in legal writing and are indicated with superscript numbers that correspond to the full citation in the footnote section of the document. In-text referencing, on the other hand, involves providing brief references within the body of the text.

Short form citations are commonly used in OSCOLA for subsequent references to the same source. Instead of repeating the full citation, a short form citation refers back to the original source, usually with the author’s last name and a pinpoint reference indicating the specific page or paragraph.

It is important to ensure clarity in in-text citations, especially when citing multiple sources in a single footnote or in-text reference. Clear and concise citations help readers understand the flow of ideas and the sources from which they are derived.

Here’s an example of an in-text citation using OSCOLA style:

“According to Smith, the principle of legality is an important concept in English law.” 1

And the corresponding footnote citation:

1 Smith, John. The Principle of Legality in English Law. Oxford University Press, 2019, p. 45.

By following the OSCOLA guidelines for in-text citations, writers can effectively support their arguments, provide evidence for their claims, and give credit to the original authors and researchers.

To learn more visit Referencing styles-a Practical Guide

References:

• Smith, John. The Principle of Legality in English Law. Oxford University Press, 2019.

The OSCOLA Format and Citation Guide is an indispensable resource for students, researchers, and legal professionals who seek accuracy and precision in citing and referencing sources for their academic or professional work. With its comprehensive guidelines, this guide ensures consistency, adherence to academic standards, and the upholding of academic integrity.

By following the OSCOLA style, writers can effectively communicate their research findings and arguments in a clear and organized manner. The guide’s emphasis on proper formatting and citing of various legal sources, such as cases, statutes, secondary sources, and online resources, helps writers demonstrate their commitment to accuracy and credibility.

Mastering the OSCOLA Format and Citation Guide is essential for achieving excellence in legal writing and scholarly pursuits. It equips writers with the necessary knowledge and skills to navigate the intricacies of legal citations, ensuring that their work is both well-researched and properly attributed. By adhering to the OSCOLA style, writers can confidently present their work in a manner that is consistent with established legal conventions and expectations.

Whether you are a student, researcher, or legal professional, the OSCOLA Format and Citation Guide is your go-to resource for accurate and effective citation and referencing. By utilizing this guide, you can enhance the quality and credibility of your academic or professional work while honing your skills in legal writing and research.

What is the OSCOLA Format and Citation Guide?

The OSCOLA Format and Citation Guide is a comprehensive resource for academic writing, citing, and referencing in the legal field. It provides guidelines for proper formatting and citation of primary and secondary sources in legal writing using the OSCOLA style.

Why is correct citing and referencing important in OSCOLA?

Correct citing and referencing is important in OSCOLA to uphold academic integrity and ensure accurate attribution of sources. It allows readers to easily locate and verify the sources used in the writing, and it demonstrates the writer’s commitment to scholarly standards.

What are the general principles of OSCOLA formatting?

The general principles of OSCOLA formatting include rules for citing cases, statutes, statutory instruments, EU legislation, European Court of Human Rights judgments, and secondary sources such as books, journal articles, and websites. It covers guidelines for formatting titles, headings, and subheadings, as well as in-text citations.

How should a title page be formatted in OSCOLA?

A title page in OSCOLA should include the title of the work, the author’s name, the date of publication, and any relevant institutional affiliation. Specific instructions for formatting the title page, such as the placement of the title and the author’s name, can be found in the OSCOLA Format and Citation Guide.

What are the guidelines for using headings and subheadings in OSCOLA?

The OSCOLA guide provides guidelines for formatting and structuring headings and subheadings, including the use of different levels of headings to create a hierarchy of information. It also offers advice on capitalization, punctuation, and numbering of headings and subheadings for clarity and consistency.

How can I create a Works Cited list in OSCOLA?

To create a Works Cited list in OSCOLA, you need to compile a list of all the sources cited in your document, including cases, statutes, secondary sources, and online resources. The OSCOLA Format and Citation Guide provides specific formatting rules for each type of source, such as italicizing book titles and providing complete bibliographic information.

How do I cite works within the body of the text in OSCOLA?

The OSCOLA guide explains the use of footnotes or in-text citations to indicate the source of information or ideas. It specifies the format for citing cases, statutes, secondary sources, and online resources, including the use of abbreviations, pinpoint references, and cross-references. Latin ‘gadgets’ can also be used in citations for clarity and precision.

How should I cite specific types of sources in OSCOLA?

The OSCOLA guide provides specific guidelines for citing different types of sources commonly used in legal writing, such as books, articles from journals and online databases, websites, dissertations/theses, lectures, and government documents. It includes examples and explanations for each type of source to assist with proper formatting.

Why is mastering the OSCOLA Format and Citation Guide important?

Mastering the OSCOLA Format and Citation Guide is crucial for achieving excellence in legal writing and scholarly pursuits. By following the OSCOLA style, writers can demonstrate their commitment to academic integrity and effectively communicate their research and arguments in a clear and organized manner.

Where can I find the OSCOLA Format and Citation Guide?

The OSCOLA Format and Citation Guide can be found online or in legal research libraries. It is a valuable resource for students, researchers, and legal professionals who need to accurately cite and reference sources in their academic or professional work.

Source Links

• https://subjectguides.york.ac.uk/referencing-style-guides/oscola
• https://www.law.ox.ac.uk/sites/files/oxlaw/oscola_4th_edn_hart_2012quickreferenceguide.pdf
• https://www.law.ox.ac.uk/sites/files/oxlaw/oscola_4th_edn_hart_2012.pdf

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• 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 Faculty Librarians 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 article / paper

Journal article / paper (print copy).

Footnotes: author, | ‘title’ | [year] | journal name or abbreviation | first page of article / paper,| specific page referred to

author, | ‘title’ | (year) | volume | journal name or abbreviation | first page of article / paper

Put a comma after the first page of the article / paper 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 / paper) in your bibliographic entry.

Journal article / paper (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

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Referencing and citations - OSCOLA: The Basics

• Legislation
• Other sources
• Cross referencing
• Referencing software
• Help and support

Major points to note

• All OSCOLA citations to appear as footnotes on each page.
• No use of end notes or in-text citations.
• Footnote markers to appear at the end of the relevant sentence.
• Materials can be specified in tables of cases/statutes etc at the start of your work.
• Keep punctuation to a minimum, but close all footnotes with a full stop.
• Clarity and consistency to be the guiding rules.
• Search in the free online version for guidance if in doubt.
• IALS library card holders are welcome to make a reference appointment with a librarian to discuss their use of OSCOLA.

Bibliography

Items in bibliographies take the same form as all other citations in OSCOLA, with three exceptions: (1) the author’s surname should precede his or her initial(s), with no comma separating them, but a comma after the final initial; (2) only initials should be used, and not forenames; and (3) the titles of unattributed works should be preceded by a double em-dash. Works should be arranged in alphabetical order of author surname, with unattributed works being listed at the beginning of the bibliography in alphabetical order of first major word of the title.

A longer legal work, such as a book or a thesis, generally has a list of abbreviations and tables of all the cases, legislation and other primary legal sources cited in the work in the preliminary pages. The list of abbreviations should come before the tables, and the order of the tables should generally be: table of cases; table of legislation; other tables.

Lexis & Westlaw

You should never need to include Lexis or Westlaw in a citation. The cases, statutes and journal articles on these databases are treated as authentic versions, and should be cited exactly the same as the hard copy.

Similarly, 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.

Incorporate quotations of up to three lines into the text, within 'single' quotation marks. Punctuation follows the closing quotation mark, and the footnote marker comes last. NB - If you need to submit your work through Turnitin, use "double" quotation marks.

Longer quotations should be presented in an indented paragraph, with no further indentation of the first line. Leave a line space before and after the indented quotation, and do NOT use quotation marks.

Further detailed information about how to present quotations (including quotes in quotes, quotes which are fragments) can be found on page 8 of the OSCOLA guide.

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• OSCOLA Referencing – A complete guide

You’ve done it. You’ve extracted the key research, peppered your content with incisive observations, and you’ve just typed the last words of your Law essay conclusion.

And then… it happens. You remember that in all those pages of research, you forgot to reference the sources you used. If only you’d done it in the first place!

Knowing how to cite sources for assignments is a hugely important skill. Even if you’re still at school, learning how to reference now means you won’t get caught out at university.

If you study Law at university, you’ll use the OSCOLA referencing system. This is the Oxford University Standard for the Citation of Legal Authorities. We’ve created a comprehensive guide on exactly what OSCLA is, and how to use it.

What is OSCOLA referencing?

OSCOLA is a footnote referencing style. That means that you add small, superscript numbers (for example, 1,2,3 ) to the sources in your text, which connect to footnotes at the bottom of your page.

You may also have to include a list of tables of cases, legislation and other primary sources at the start of your essay, and a bibliography of second sources at the end. See page 10-11 of the 4th edition of OCSCOLA.

Let’s look at the OSCOLA system in detail, and how you can cite a wide range of legal sources. Our comprehensive guide refers to the 4th edition of OSCOLA produced by the University of Oxford.

Primary Sources

Case citations with neutral citations.

An example of a typical case citation with a neutral citation is:

Corr v IBC Vehicles Ltd [2008] UKHL 13, [2008] 1 AC 884

The example above shows that this is a case involving Corr and IBC Vehicles Ltd. It was the thirteenth judgement issued by the House of Lords (UKHL) in 2008. It also indicates that a report of the judgement can be found in volume 1 of the series of the Law Reports called the Appeal Cases , beginning at page 884.

Case citations without neutral citations

An example of a typical case citation without a neutral citation is:

Page vs Smith [1996] AC 155 (HL).

When the year is used to identify the law report volume, you should always put it in square brackets. If the relevant law report series was also issued in more than one volume in that particular year, give it a volume number.

When you don’t need to use the year to identify the law report volume, give the year of judgement (not publication) in round brackets.

Where there are multiple parties in cases, you should name only the first claimant and the first defendant. Where cases concern only individuals, leave out forenames and initials. You should abbreviate common words and phrases, for example:

• BC for Borough Council
• Co for Company
• DPP for Director of Public Prosecutions.

When you want to refer to something, use Re instead of, for example, In re or in the matter of. You should use Re the Domestic Abuse Act 2017 rather than In the matter of the Domestic Abuse act 2017.

(See our ‘abbreviations’ section below for further guidance).

Short forms of case names

You should give the name of the case in full when you first mention it in the text or footnotes. After that, you can shorten it.

For example, ‘in Glebe Motors plc v Dixon-Greene’ can be shortened to ‘in the Glebe Motors case’ or ‘in Glebe Motors’. If you do shorten names this way, you should always choose the name which comes first in the full name of the case – in this case Glebe Motors, rather than Dixon-Greene.

Law Reports

A law report is a published report on a judgement. A law report includes features such as a headnote summarising the facts of a case and judgement, and lists of cases considered.

In England and Wales, there are no official law reports of any kind, but the Law Report series by the Incorporated Council of Law Reporting are considered the most authoritative.

If a case is reported in the Law Reports you should cite it in preference to any other report. If you can’t find a judgement in the Law Reports , you should cite the Weekly Law Reports or the All England Law Reports.

If you can’t find a judgement in one of these general series you should refer to a specialist series of law reports such as the Family Law Reports.

When citing courts, indicate the court in brackets after the first page of the report, and before the pinpoint if there is one. A pinpoint is a reference to a particular paragraph of a judgement or page of a report.

Use HL for the House of Lords, CA for the Court of Appeal, QB, CH and F for the division of the High Court, and Com Ct for the Commercial Court within the Queen’s Bench Division.

If you’re citing a case before 1865, it doesn’t require the court. Neither do citations of cases with a neutral citation.

Judges’ names

When you make a reference to a judge in a case, use the judge’s surname followed by the conventional abbreviation identifying their judicial office. You do not need to use ‘the Honourable’.

A High Court judge should be called, for example, ‘Mr Justice Brown’, or, if a woman (and regardless of whether she is married) ‘Mrs Justice Smith). You should abbreviate both as ‘Smith J’.

A House of Lords judge (or ‘Law Lord’) is called ‘Lord Brown’ or ‘Lady Brown’, depending on gender.

The President of the Supreme Court should be abbreviated as, for example, ‘Lord Brown P’; the Deputy President as ‘Lord Brown DP’.

The Lord Chancellor (now no longer a judge) should be abbreviated as ‘Lord Brown LC’, the Lord Chief Justice as ‘Lord Brown CJ’, and the Master of the Rolls as 20 ‘Lord Brown MR’.

The Chancellor of the High Court should be abbreviated as ‘Sir John Brown C’, and Presidents of the Queen’s Bench Division and Family Division as ‘Sir Brown P’.

UK primary legislation

Names of Statutes

You should cite an Act by its short title and year in roman, using capitals for the major words. Don’t put a comma before the year. For example:

Act of Supremacy 1558

Shipping and Trading Interests (Protection) Act 1995.

Don’t use popular titles of Acts, for example, ‘Lord Campbell’s Act’. If you are referring to a particular Act a number of times in the same place, you can provide an abbreviated form of the title in the footnotes, as long as you let your reader know in advance. So, the Children Act 1989 becomes CA 1989 (not just CA).

Parts of statues

Statues are divided into parts, sections, subsections, paragraphs and subparagraphs. The relevant abbrevations are:

part / parts to pt/ pts

section / sections to s / ss

subsection / subsections to sub-s/ sub-ss

paragraph/paragraphs to para/paras

subparagraph / subparagraphs to subpara/subparas

schedule / schedules to sch/schs

Older Statutes

For older statutes, you can give the regnal year and chapter number. For example:

Crown Debts Act 1801 (41 Geo 3 c 90)

You can see from this example that the information in brackets shows that this Act was given royal assent in the forty-first year of the reign of George III.

Explanatory notes to statutes

When citing explanatory notes to statutes, precede the name of the statue with ‘Explanatory notes to the…’. For example,

Explanatory Notes to the Charities Act 2006, para 15.

An example of how to cite a Bill is:

Consolidated Fund HC Bill (2008-09).

You can see that the Bill is cited by its title, the House in which it originated (here, House of Commons), and with the parliamentary session in brackets (here, 2008-09).

UK Secondary Legislation

Statutory Instruments

Statutory instruments (orders, regulations or rules) are numbered consecutively throughout the year. The year combines with the serial number to make an SI number that follows the abbreviations ‘SI’, which we use to identify the legislation.

When you cite a statutory instrument, give the name, year and (after a comma) the SI number. For example:

Penalties for Disorderly Behaviour (Amendment of Minimum Age) Order 2004, SI 2004/3166

Parts of statutory instruments

The rules for referring to parts of statutory instruments are the same as those referring to parts of statues. Use the following abbreviations:

• regulation / regulations to reg/regs
• rule/rules to r/rr
• article/articles to art/arts

European Union legal sources

Official notices of the EU are in the Official Journal of the European Communities ( which is abbreviated to OJ). The OJ citation should be: year, OJ series, number / page. The letter ‘L’ refers to the legislation series.

EU legislation

When you cite EU treaties and protocols, give the title of the legislation, followed by the year of publication, the OK series and the issue and page numbers. For example:

Protocol to the Agreement on the Member States that do not fully apply to the Schengen acquis – Join Declarations [2007] OJ Li129/35.

You should cite Regulations, Directives, Decisions, Recommendations and Opinions by giving the legislation type, number and title, followed by publication details in the OJ. For example:

Council Directive 2002/60/EC of 27 June 2002 laying down specific provisions for the control of African swine fever and amending Directive 92/119/EEC as regards Teschen disease and African swine fever [2002] OJ L192/27

The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR)

For judgements of the European Court of Human Rights, you should cite either the offical reports, the Reports of Judgements and Decisions (ECHR) or the European Human Rights Reports (EHRR). Be aware of the difference before and after 1996. Before 1996, the offocial reports were known and Series A and numbered consecutively. From 2001, case numbers were used instead of page numbers. For example,

Johnston v Ireland (1986) Series A no 122

Osman v UK ECHR 1998 – VIII 3124

Balogh v Hungary App no 47940/99 (ECtHR, 20 July 2004).

Omojudi v UK (2009) EHRR 10

Secondary Sources

You should cite all publications with an ISBN as if they were books, whether you read them online or in hard copy. Older books do not have ISBNs, but you should cite them as books even if you read them online.

Authored Books

You should cite the author’s name first, followed by a comma, and then the title of the book in italics. You should then follow the title with publication information in brackets. You don’t need to give the place of publication. For example:

Tom Bingham, The Rule of Law (Alan Lane 2010).

If the book has more than one volume, you should follow the volume number with the publication details. For example:

Christian von Bar, The Common European Law of Torts, vol 2 (CH Beck 2000), para 76.

Edited and Translated Books

If there is no author, cite the editor or translator as an author, adding in brackets after their name. For example ‘(ed)’ or ‘(tr)’. If there is more than one editor or translator, put ‘(eds)’ or (trs)

Hard copy journals

When you cite hard copy journal articles, give the author’s name first, followed by a comma. Then give the title of the article within single quotation marks, and the publication information as follows:

year of publication (in square brackets if it identifies the volume, in round brackets if there is a separate volume number).

• the volume number if there is one
• the name of the journal, in full or abbreviated form, with no full stops
• the first page of the article.

For example:

Paul Craig, “Theory, “Pure Theory” and Values in Public Law” [2005] PL 440.

Refence case notes with titles as if they were journal articles.

If there is no title, use the name of the case in italics instead, and put ‘note’ at the end of the citation.

Online journals

With online journals that have been published electronically, give publication details the same way you would for hard copy journal articles.

If online journals lack some of the publication elements for OSCOLA, follow the citation advice of the online journal. Remove full stops to comply with OSCOLA.

Working papers

You should cite working papers the same way as electronic journal articles. Seeing as the content of working papers are subject to change, make sure you put the date of access. For example:

Graham Greenleaf, ‘The Global Development of Free Access to Legal Information’ (2010) 1(1) EJLT accessed 27 July 2010

Other Secondary Sources

Please see the 4th edition of OSCOLA for comprehensive details on how to cite other secondary sources such as:

• Parliamentary reports
• Command papers
• Law commission reports and documents
• Conference papers
• Websites and blogs
• Newspaper articles

We hope you’ve found our complete guide to OSCOLA referencing useful. You can also use the OSCOLA Quick Reference Guide for ease when referencing.

• Using the Library
• Using One Search
• Introduction to Academic Resources
• Law Books and Journals
• Cases, Legislation and Websites

What is referencing and why do I have to do it?

Oscola referencing, referencing using oscola - cite them right online, case citation, please note.

Referencing is the method we use to acknowledge the work of other authors.

It serves three principal aims:

• To support your arguments with evidence. Referencing demonstrates that your own arguments are grounded in a body of existing research and have been developed through an examination of the relevant literature.
• Referencing is an important means by which we credit other authors for any ideas, arguments, quotations, and other forms of intellectual property which are not your own. Not providing an acknowledgement for the work of others is considered plagiarism (note that plagiarism can be both intentional and unintentional). You must always provide a citation when you use another author's intellectual ideas, whether you are paraphrasing (putting it into your own words), summarising, or directly quoting from the source.
• Referencing shows the reader where they can access the original sources you have used (the evidence) to verify or fact check. It also helps the reader to carry out additional research of their own.

Oxford Standard for the Citation of Legal Authorities is the accepted method for the referencing of legal materials, such as law cases, statutes and parliamentary papers, for example.  In-text citations appear as footnotes and there is a formal set of abbreviations for key sources, such as AC for Appeal Cases.

If you are studying Law at UWS you will be given guidance on the way in which you are required to use OSCOLA and you must adhere to this.

The following web site from the Faculty of Law at University of Oxford contains very useful information:

• OSCOLA 4th ed

The Oxford Standard for Citation of Legal Authorities (OSCOLA) is a widely recognised and widely used citation style specifically designed for legal research and writing in the United Kingdom. Here are some reasons why OSCOLA is preferred over other referencing styles in the context of legal writing:

Specialisation for Legal Sources: OSCOLA is tailored for the unique requirements of legal research, making it highly suitable for law students, legal professionals, and legal academics. It provides detailed rules for citing legal authorities, such as cases, legislation, and secondary sources, ensuring accuracy and consistency in legal writing.

UK Legal System: OSCOLA is designed to align with the legal system of the United Kingdom, including its court hierarchy, case law reporting, and parliamentary practices. This makes it the ideal choice for legal documents related to UK law.

Academic Acceptance: OSCOLA is widely accepted by UK law schools and academic institutions, and it is often the required citation style for legal research papers, theses, and dissertations. Using OSCOLA can help students meet academic standards and expectations.

Clarity and Precision: OSCOLA's clear and specific rules for citing legal sources reduce the likelihood of errors and ambiguities in legal writing. This precision is crucial in legal documents where accuracy and clarity are paramount.

Comprehensive Guidelines: OSCOLA provides comprehensive guidelines for citing a wide range of legal materials, including cases, statutes, statutory instruments, law reports, and legal journals. It also covers secondary sources, treaties, and international materials.

Regular Updates: OSCOLA is periodically updated to reflect changes in legal citation practices and technology. This ensures that it remains current and relevant to the evolving legal landscape.

Respected Standard: In the field of law, adherence to a recognised and respected citation standard like OSCOLA helps establish the credibility and professionalism of legal documents.

While OSCOLA is the preferred style for legal writing in the UK, the choice of a citation style may also depend on institutional requirements and individual preferences. However, for those working within the UK legal system, OSCOLA offers a comprehensive and specialised framework for accurate and consistent legal citations.

In Cite Them Right Online, click on Choose Your Referencing Style- and then select OSCOLA. Here you will find example of how to reference items using the Oxford University standard for the citation of legal authorities (OSCOLA) style. 

• Referencing at UWS
• Cite Them Right Online Login to Cite Them Right Online, access the Tutorial to learn about referencing, quiz yourself on your knowledge, explore multiple referencing examples and use the 'you try' feature to generate accurate references for your sources. more... less... Login with your university email and password.
• About Case Citations
• Case Citation Reference (Scotland)

Understanding case citations is crucial for students studying law for several reasons:

Facilitates Efficient Research: Case citations serve as standardised references, making it easier for students to locate specific court decisions quickly and efficiently during their research. With a proper citation, students can pinpoint the exact case they need without sifting through numerous legal documents.

Provides a Consistent Identifier: Case citations provide a consistent and unique identifier for each court decision, regardless of where it is published. This ensures uniformity in legal referencing and citation practices, making it easier for legal professionals, scholars, and students to communicate effectively about legal matters.

Enhances Credibility and Accuracy: Accurate citation of cases enhances the credibility of legal research and writing. Properly citing cases demonstrates thoroughness and attention to detail, which are essential qualities in legal practice. It also helps to avoid plagiarism and ensures that credit is given to the original sources of legal authority.

Supports Legal Analysis: Familiarity with case citations allows students to trace the development of legal principles over time by referencing landmark cases and their subsequent interpretations. This deepens students' understanding of legal concepts and enables them to analyse the application of law in different contexts.

Prepares for Legal Practice: In legal practice, the ability to navigate and interpret case law is essential. Understanding case citations equips students with the skills they need to conduct effective legal research, draft persuasive arguments, and support their positions with relevant precedents when they enter the legal profession.

What do case citations look like.

Case citations typically follow a standardised format, which may vary slightly depending on the jurisdiction. However, they generally include the following elements:

Case Name: The names of the parties involved in the legal dispute are listed, with the plaintiff (or claimant) usually mentioned first, followed by the defendant. In some cases, the names of multiple parties may be included.

Year of Decision: The year in which the case was decided by the court is provided. This helps to identify the temporal context of the case and allows users to distinguish between cases with similar names.

Volume and Law Report Series: The volume number and name of the law report series where the case is published are indicated. Law report series are specialised publications that compile and publish court decisions. Common law report series include the Official Law Reports (e.g., AC, QB, Ch) and specialist series (e.g., All England Law Reports, Weekly Law Reports).

Page Number: The page number within the law report series where the case begins is specified. This allows users to locate the case within the relevant publication.

Court Identifier (Optional): In some jurisdictions, an abbreviation or identifier for the court that heard the case may be included. This provides additional context about the judicial authority responsible for the decision.

For example, a case citation in the United Kingdom might appear as follows:

R v Brown [1993] 2 WLR 556

In this citation:

• R v Brown is the name of the case.
• 19931993 indicates the year the case was decided.
• 2 WLR refers to the volume and name of the law report series (in this case, the Weekly Law Reports).
• 556 is the page number where the case begins in the law report.

Overall, the format of case citations provides a standardised and structured way to reference and identify court decisions, making it easier for legal professionals to locate and cite relevant cases in their practice.

In Scotland, case citations follow a slightly different format compared to those used in other jurisdictions. While Scottish legal citations share similarities with citations used in other parts of the UK, they also have distinct features that reflect the unique legal system and practices in Scotland. A typical case citation in Scotland includes the following elements:

Case Name: The name of the case, which identifies the parties involved in the legal dispute. For example, "Smith v. Jones" or "R (on the application of Smith) v. Jones."

Year of Decision: The year in which the case was decided by the court.

Court: The abbreviation for the court that heard the case. Common abbreviations include "CS," "SC," or "FC" for the Court of Session, the Supreme Court of Scotland, and the High Court of Justiciary, respectively.

Volume: The volume number of the law report series in which the case is published.

Abbreviation for Law Report Series: The abbreviated name of the law report series where the case is published. Common Scottish law report series include "SLT" (Session Cases), "Scot LR" (Scottish Law Reporter), and "JC" (Justiciary Cases).

Page Number: The page number within the law report series where the case begins.

For example, a case citation in Scotland might appear as follows:

Smith v. Jones [2005] CSOH 123

• "Smith v. Jones" is the name of the case.
• "[2005]" indicates the year the case was decided.
• "CSOH" is the abbreviation for the Court of Session, Outer House.
• "123" is the page number where the case begins in the law report.

This citation format allows legal professionals in Scotland to accurately reference and locate specific cases within Scottish legal publications.

Referencing is an essential, integral and accepted part of academic study and practice and must be used in the vast majority of academic assignments within all subject areas and at all levels of study.

Everyone, from Level 7 students to published academic researchers, will be required to reference throughout their academic career.

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OSCOLA - Introduction

Oscola: the oxford university standard for citation of legal authorities 4th edition, examples of citing sources using oscola, additional guides and tutorials on using oscola, oscola style for endnote.

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This guide provides:

a video covering key principles of OSCOLA ,

an introduction to OSCOLA including links to official guides ,

a summary of the key features of OSCOLA and examples of references for key types of source ,

links to additional guidance and tutorials , and

information about how to use OSCOLA styles in EndNote reference management software .

OSCOLA: the Oxford University Standard for Citation of Legal Authorities is a well regarded and commonly used guide to legal citation.

It is not the only standard for citing legal materials and you should always check with your School or supervisor in order to confirm how you are expected to reference materials.

OSCOLA online

OSCOLA is available to download from the OSCOLA website:

• OSCOLA: The Oxford University Standard for Citation of Legal Authorities The Oxford University Standard for Citation of Legal Authorities is designed to facilitate accurate citation of authorities, legislation, and other legal materials. Additional Information less... The website includes a full guide and and a 'quick reference' guide as well as information about OSCOLA styles for EndNote, LaTeX, Refworks and Zotero.

Resources include the full OSCOLA guide:

and a 'quick reference' guide:

• OSCOLA Quick Reference Guide A summary of key points of OSCOLA - including useful examples.

There is also information about using OSCOLA styles with EndNote and other reference management software.

OSCOLA in the Library

You can also access printed copies in the Andersonian Library:

These are some examples of how you might cite some common legal materials using OSCOLA.

There is a brief summary of OSCOLA as a f ootnote styl e which uses minimal punctuation , followed by a description of how you can cite subsequent citations to the same source and how you should include quotations .

Then examples are given of how you might cite:

• Legislation
• Chapters in edited books
• Journal articles , and
• Web pages and blogs

However, for more complete guidance please make sure you refer to the full OSCOLA guide or the 'quick reference guide':

• OSCOLA 4th Edition [FULL Guide]
• OSCOLA Quick Reference Guide

Footnote style (OSCOLA Section 1.1)

OSCOLA is a footnote style: all citations appear in footnotes. OSCOLA does not use endnotes or in-text citations.

When citing any source, either directly (as a quotation) or indirectly (by paraphrasing or referring to ideas in a source), cite the reference in a footnote, in the style indicated in OSCOLA .

Indicate footnotes with a superscript number which should appear after any relevant punctuation in the text.

Put the footnote marker at the end of a sentence, unless for the sake of clarity it is necessary to put it directly after the word or phrase to which it relates .

Close footnotes with a full stop.

Where more than one citation is given in a single footnote reference, separate them with semi-colons.

Recent cases have raised questions about the extent of executive power and its relationship to parliamentary sovereignty. 15 However, this does not mean that... 15 Cherry v Advocate General [2019] CSIH 49, 2020 SC 37; R (on the application of Miller) v Prime Minister [2019] UKSC 41, [2020] AC 373 .

Minimal punctuation

OSCOLA does not purport to be comprehensive, but gives rules and examples for the main UK legal primary sources, and for many types of secondary sources .

As far as possible, the guidelines in OSCOLA are based on common practice in UK legal citation, but with a minimum of punctuation .

This means that the use of full stops/periods and commas in a citation is kept to a minimum - they are only used when absolutely necessary for clarity. So if you see legal citations in, for example, a database which include full stops you would need to remove these to conform with the OSCOLA style:

Subsequent citations - (OSCOLA section 1.2)

If you cite a source and then cite it again later in your work, you need not cite the source in full in each subsequent citation. You can 'briefly identify the source and provide a cross-citation to the footnote in which the full citation can be found'. This cross-citation would be in the form (n 3) - where 'n' indicates 'note' and  '3' is the number of the footnote - so the reader knows to look at footnote 3 to find the full citation.

If the subsequent citation is in the footnote immediately following the full citation, you can use ‘ibid’ instead .

3 Cherry v Advocate General [2019] CSIH 49, 2020 SC 37.

4 ibid [53]–[60] (Lord Carloway).

12 Cherry (n 3).

For more detail on how to indicate subsequent citations refer to section 1.2.1 of OSCOLA 4th edn.

Quotations (OSCOLA section 1.5)

Up to three lines.

You should incorporate quotations of up to three lines into the text within single quotation marks:

Lord Carloway described this period of prorogation as 'an extraordinary length of time'. 27

Quotations within short quotations have double quotation marks round them ( "..." ).

Longer than three lines

You should present longer quotations in an indented paragraph. You should not use quotation marks (except for any quotation within a quotation, where single quotation marks should be used).

In Cherry Lord Carloway highlighted the importance of the real reason for prorogation:

At the cabinet meeting, the tenor of the PM’s remarks, and the discussion around them, point to the various factors being used publicly to deflect from the real reason for the prorogation (see Porter v Magill , Lord Scott at [2002] 2 A.C., p.506, para.144). That reason, as is reflected in the frequent references to it in the papers, centred on Brexit and not the intervention of the party conferences or the new legislative programme.

The fact that there will be some days in September and October during which Parliament will be sitting, and thus potentially some time to discuss Brexit, does not detract from the general position that the prorogation is intended unlawfully to restrict that time. The court is not dictating the days on which Parliament should sit. That is a matter for Parliament to decide. It is merely holding that a particular attempt to restrict the available days is unlawful. 29

For detailed guidance on quotations refer to section 1.5 of OSCOLA 4th edn.

Electronic sources

The general guidance is: '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 '. (OSCOLA section 3.1.4)

This means that if you access a report of a case, a statute, or a journal article on a database service (such as Westlaw or Lexis+) you need not indicate that you found it on that service nor need you provide the web address. The same is true for an eBook, if you can cite the book as if it were a printed book then you need not include the web address.

Cases (OSCOLA sections 2.1 - 2.3)

Scottish judgments (with neutral citation).

Anderson v Imrie [2018] CSIH 79, 2019 SC 243 

Scottish judgments (with no neutral citation available)

Drury v McGarvie 1993 SC 95 (IH)

English and Welsh judgments (with neutral citation)

Williams v Hackney LBC [2018] UKSC 37, [2019] AC 421

English and Welsh judgments (with no neutral citation available)

Lloyd v McMahon [1987] AC 625 (HL)

For an explanation of the use of brackets in traditional citations see: Brackets in traditional citations (Case Law guide) .

To cite a specific part of a judgment with numbered paragraphs (e.g. most judgments with neutral citations) include the paragraph number(s) in the footnote citations, e.g.:

Anderson v Imrie [2018] CSIH 79, 2019 SC 243 [3]

Williams v Hackney LBC [2018] UKSC 37, [2019] AC 421 [62]–[69]

To cite a specific part of a judgment with no numbered paragraphs, include the page number(s) in the footnote citations, e.g.:

Drury v McGarvie 1993 SC 95 (IH) 99

Lloyd v McMahon [1987] AC 625 (HL) 682, 685

For more detailed guidance refer to OSCOLA 4th edn sections 2.1 - 2.3. For more general guidance on understanding citations to cases see:

• Case Law: How to find and use case law: Citations to case law

Legislation (OSCOLA sections 2.4 - 2.5)

Acts of the scottish parliament.

Age of Criminal Responsibility (Scotland) Act 2019 (asp 7)

Scottish Statutory Instruments

The Horse Passports (Scotland) Regulations 2005, SSI 2005/223

Children (Scotland) Act 1995

Statutory Instruments (UK)

Feed-in Tariffs Order 2012, SI 2012/2782

The details of how to refer to specific parts of legislation are covered in sections 2.4.2 and 2.5.3 of OSCOLA 4th edn. The following abbreviations are used in footnotes:

If specifying a paragraph or subsection as part of a section, use only the abbreviation for the section .

Age of Criminal Responsibility (Scotland) Act 2019 (asp 7), s 28(4)(a)(i)

The Horse Passports (Scotland) Regulations 2005, SSI 2005/223, reg 13(2)

Children (Scotland) Act 1995, sch 4

Feed-in Tariffs Order 2012, SI 2012/2782, art 7(2)(a)

For more detailed guidance refer to OSCOLA 4th edn sections 2.4 - 2.5. For more general guidance on understanding citations to legislation see:

• Legislation: How to find and use legislation: Citations to legislation

Secondary sources (OSCOLA Chapter 3)

Book (authored).

Edwina Higgins and Laura Tatham, Successful Legal Writing (3rd edn, Sweet & Maxwell 2015)

*Only second and subsequent editions are usually indicated - it is not usual to include edition information if you are citing the first edition of a book.

Chapter in edited book

Mark Elliot, 'Parliamentary Sovereignty in a Changing Constitutional Landscape' in Jeffrey L Jowell and Colm O'Cinneide (eds), The Changing Constitution (9th edn, OUP 2019)

Journal article

Patrick Birkinshaw, 'Brexit's Challenge to the UK's Unwritten Constitution' (2020) 26 EPL 29

Patrick Birkinshaw, 'Brexit's Challenge to the UK's Unwritten Constitution' (2020) 26 European Public Law 29

Paul Craig, 'The Supreme Court, Prorogation and Constitutional Principle' [2020] PL 248

*year of publication, in square brackets if it identifies the volume, in round brackets if there is a separate volume number

**the volume number if there is one (include an issue number only if the page numbers begin again for each issue within a volume, in which case put the issue number in brackets immediately after the volume number)

***the name of the journal can be in full or abbreviated form - but be consistent

Web pages and blogs (OSCOLA section 3.4.8)

The general guidance in OSCOLA is: 'Where there is no relevant advice elsewhere in OSCOLA, follow the general principles for secondary sources (section 3.1) when citing websites and blogs'.

Citations of online only publications should end with the web address (or ‘url’) in angled brackets (< >), followed by the date you most recently accessed it. You should only include ‘http://’ only if the web address does not begin with ‘www’.

Paul Craig, 'Prorogation: Constitutional Principle and Law, Fact and Causation' ( UK Constitutional Law Blog , 2 September 2019) <https://ukconstitutionallaw.org/2019/09/02/paul-craig-prorogation-constitutional-principle-and-law-fact-and-causation/> accessed 13 May 2020

Georgian Presidency of the Council of Europe, 'Justice Systems Must Help Children Overcome Fear and Trauma, Not Make Them Worse' ( Council of Europe ,12 May 2020) <www.coe.int/en/web/portal/-/justice-systems-must-help-children-overcome-fear-and-trauma-not-make-them-worse> accessed 24 May 2020

These resources from Cardiff University provide additional guidance on using OSCOLA:

• Citing the Law The Citing the Law online tutorial was devised by Information Services staff at Cardiff University.
• A - Z Referencing Examples (OSCOLA) Examples of citing and referencing sources using the Oxford Standard for Citation of Legal Authorities - created by a team at Cardiff University.
• OSCOLA FAQs Frequently asked questions about OSCOLA. Includes guidance on some sources not specifically covered in OSCOLA.

An OSCOLA 4th Edn style is available for both EndNote (Desktop) and EndNote Online.

Selecting OSCOLA as an Output Style

Endnote (desktop).

On PCs in University IT Labs in EndNote (Desktop) you can select OSCOLA_4th_edn from the Style Manager (you may need to follow the link to 'Get More on the Web...' if the style does not appear in your list).

If you have EndNote on your own computer, you can download the OSCOLA_2_4th_edn style from the OSCOLA website.

Please see further guidance on the OSCOLA website:

• OSCOLA styles for EndNote, Latek, Refworks and Zotero These styles for Endnote, LaTeK, Refworks and Zotero are designed to help legal scholars format cases, legislation, articles and books in compliance with OSCOLA.

Endnote Online

In EndNote Online you can select either OSCOLA _4th_edn or OSCOLA _2_4th_edn from the list of bibliographic styles.

Cite While You Write

When using EndNote's Cite While You Write function in Word, because OSCOLA is a footnote style, you need to use the 'Insert Footnote' function (under the 'References' tab) before using the 'Insert Citation' option (under the ' EndNote ' tab).

Entering References

You should follow guidance on how to enter information in each reference record in EndNote. If information is not in the field required for the OSCOLA style then references may not appear in the correct form in citations or bibliographies. Guidance on how to use the style including how to enter information for each reference is available on the OSCOLA support pages:

• OSCOLA_2_4th_edn_guide (basic instructions for using the style) Please read these notes before using OSCOLA_2_4th_edn.
• OSCOLA 4th edn Notes about this style (basic instructions for using the style) OSCOLA 4th edn (for shared computers,Endnote Web /Endnote on servers etc). If you use Endnote on servers, in shared computer rooms, and/or you want to be able to use your Endnote library on computers other than your own personal computer, use this style.
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OSCOLA Referencing Style

If you have questions about reference formats, please contact us with your query using the  Query form  on the guide, or email  us at  [email protected] . You should also consult your lecturer and refer to your departmental handbook   OSCOLA Referencing Guide .

Author,  Title of book  (Edition, Publisher Year)

Conference Paper

Author, 'Title of paper' (Name of Conference, Location, Date)

Online Image

Author/Creator, 'Title of image' ( Name of website,  Date published) <URL> Access date

Film/Documentary

Director,  Title of film/documentary  (Location, Studio Year)

EU Legislation

Legislation Title [Year] OJ Issue/first page

Example:  Protocol to the Agreement on the Member States that do not fully apply the Schengen acquis—Joint Declarations [2007] OJ L129/35

Journal Article

Author, 'Title of article' (Year) Volume(Issue) Name of journal First page number of article

Example:  Edwin S. Mills, 'An aggregative model of resource allocation in a metropolitan area'. (1967) 57(2) American Economic Review 197

Thesis/Dissertation

Author, 'Title of thesis' (Thesis type, Name of institution Year)

Online Video

Author/Creator, 'Title of video' ( Name of Website,  Date published) <URL> Access date

Title of bill (and subtitle if applicable) House of origin (Year) Assigned number

Author, 'Title of article'  Name of Newspaper  (Location, Date)

Author/Creator, 'Title of page' ( Name of website , Publication day month year) <URL> Access date

Social Media Post

Author/Creator [@username if applicable], 'Title or first line of post' ( Name of platform,  Date published) <URL> Access date

Case name  [Year] Court Number, [Year] Volume Report abbreviation First page of report

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OSCOLA styles for EndNote, LaTeX, Refworks and Zotero

These styles for  Endnote ,  LaTeX ,  Refworks  and  Zotero  are designed to help legal scholars format cases, legislation, articles and books in compliance with  OSCOLA . For a comparison, see S Meredith,  'Critical Review of Referencing Software when used with OSCOLA ' (2013) 4 (1) EJLT.

Oxford University members will find key information­ on how to get personal accounts with Refworks and EndNote (as well as other useful general comparisons between the systems) on the relevant pages of the Oxford Libguide on reference management

Endnote styles

• The  OSCOLA 2 4th edn  Endnote style is for writers with Endnote versions X4 to X9 on their own computers.
• The  Basic  style is for Endnote provided on servers or used on shared computers.
• Variations  of the OSCOLA 2 4th edn style for Endnote versions X4 to X9 for the LQR, CLJ, MLR and ibid and short-form free

For help, see  Tips for using OSCOLA with Endnote  or contact  [email protected] . Endnote OSCOLA styles are developed by the Oxford Law Faculty.

OSCOLA 2 4th edn for Endnote on personal computers

This OSCOLA 2 4th edn style has customised reference types, allowing for more precision and flexibility than the Basic/Web/Server style. It requires modification of Endnote’s ‘Reference Type Table’ (by importing the RefTypeTable.xml file into Endnote). Scholars can modify the style to make it more suitable for their own work (see the  Tips  page.) Instructions and files for Endnote versions X4 onwards (ie, versions with short form templates) are below.

• If you have customised a style in EndNote (eg to match the house style of a publisher), make sure to name it and save it in EndNote, before installing OSCOLA.
• Note: if you have upgraded from EndNote X8 to X9 you may need to tell the new EN where to look for the OSCOLA RefTypeTable.xml. See points 2 to 5 of the RefTable section of the Instructions.
• OSCOLA_2_4th_edn  (the style file)
• on clicking the link, the file should download to your device, however this depends on your web browser. If your particular browser simply displays the raw xml in a new browser window, you should save the new page manually, or you could right-click the link above and do Save Link As..
• OSCOLA_2_4th_edn_guide  (basic instructions for using the style)
• Tips for using the OSCOLA style for Endnote

Basic/Web/Server style for OSCOLA

Use for university servers and Endnote Basic/Web, and if you share a computer with people using Endnote styles other than OSCOLA (this style does not modify the 'Ref Type Table'). Download and save to the Endnote Styles folder (as described above). When using this style, journal citations that require the year in square brackets (such as Public Law) have to be modified when the work is finished and after the Endnote citations have been converted to plain text (see instructions file).

• OSCOLA 4th edn  (the style file)
• OSCOLA 4th edn Notes about this style  (basic instructions for using the style)
• Sample OSCOLA library

Variations of OSCOLA: for LQR and CLJ and without ibid/short forms

These styles should work for writers using Endnote X4 to X8 on their personal computers. Please send feedback on the styles and styles for other journals and publishers to [email protected]. To install the styles, follow the instructions above for the OSCOLA 2 4th edn style.

• For Law Quarterly Review:  OSCOLA to LQR
• For Cambridge Law Journal:  OSCOLA to CLJ
• OSCOLA without ibid  or short forms (eg for OUP).  Written instructions  showing how to remove ibid and short forms from your own Endnote style.

LaTeX (Biblatex) style

LaTeX  is a typesetting program. This package contains instructions (see the Readme document) and a shell for a thesis, which was put together by Fred Wilmot-Smith and updated in 2019 by Rory Gregson. The  OSCOLA Biblatex Style  for use with LaTeX was written by Paul Stanley of Essex Court Chambers.

Refworks style

The  Refworks  style, OSCOLA 4th Edition - Oxford Standard for the Citation of Legal Authorities, can be selected via Bibliography, Output Style Manager in Refworks installations. For help contact your local Refworks administrator. The Refworks OSCOLA style wasdeveloped by Jason Harper of Kent University,

Zotero styles

Zotero  has two OSCOLA styles in the  Zotero Style Repository : use the first style on the list (ie, not the 'no ibid' style). Consult this  sample OSCOLA library  together with these  examples  to learn which item types and fields to use for bibliographic data. For more help see the Mastering Zotero  guide, the  Style Request:OSCOLA  discussion forum, and the  RTF/ODF Scan  for using Zotero with Scrivener. This Zotero style was developed by Sebastian Karcher and others.

MLZ Zotero  provides for more fine-tuned citation of cases and legislation, and it converts citations to key common law styles. For more information see the  instruction book ,  examples ,  blog  and twitter updates. MLZ Zotero is developed by Frank Bennett.

Last updates 27 March 2015 Amendment to RefTypeTable.xml download instructions 20 December 2017 Endnote style for Modern Law Review entry removed on 23 July 2019 (file missing since 2015) Files for Endnote versions X3 and earlier withdrawn 23 July 2019

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Our Complete Guide to Citing in OSCOLA Format

Welcome aboard our easy-to-understand guide, designed to walk you through the winding roads of the OSCOLA citation style. We'll be your co-pilots, helping you chart the terrain of footnotes and develop a comprehensive bibliography with simplicity.

Let's dive into how an OSCOLA citation generator can be your secret weapon in streamlining your referencing process and unravel the mysteries of perfect footnote and reference formatting.

We promise that creating an OSCOLA bibliography will be a breeze!

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Oscola referencing style overview.

The OSCOLA referencing format is widely accepted within legal academia and legal publications. It provides a standardized approach to referencing legal documents and cases, ensuring that the citations are clear, consistent, and easily traceable. By following OSCOLA guidelines, your legal arguments will be underpinned by properly attributed sources, thereby adding credibility and professionalism to your work.

In the OSCOLA system, there are two primary aspects of citation: footnotes and the bibliography.

Footnotes: Footnotes in OSCOLA are used for citing the sources of information or the legal authorities being referred to within the main text. These are detailed references that include the specific parts of the source being cited, such as page numbers or paragraph numbers in a judgment.

Bibliography: The bibliography in OSCOLA gathers all the sources cited in footnotes and lists them at the end of the document. The bibliography is separated into tables, cases, legislation, and secondary sources.

By adhering to the OSCOLA referencing style, you create a bridge between your arguments and the legal authorities that support them. This enhances the coherence and reliability of your work and facilitates the readers' ability to engage with and assess your legal reasoning. Whether you are a law student, an academic, or a legal professional, understanding and applying the OSCOLA style is a crucial skill in crafting persuasive and credible legal writing.

Format OSCOLA Footnotes

In the OSCOLA Referencing Style, footnotes serve as brief references at the bottom of the page, leading readers to the full citation in the bibliography. These references typically include the title of the case or statute, the year of publication, and specific details such as page numbers.

The following examples illustrate how to cite various legal documents using the OSCOLA style:

Legal cases: The primary method for citing cases includes the parties' names, year, and report citation. For example: R (Miller) v Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union [2017] UKSC 5.

Legislation: For statutes, use the short title and the year in italics. For example: Equality Act 2010.

Secondary sources - Books: For books, include the author's initials, last name, title in italics, edition if relevant, (publisher, year), and specific pages. For example: J M Finnis, Natural Law and Natural Rights (2nd edn, OUP 2011) 275.

Secondary sources - Articles: For journal articles, use the author's initials, last name, title in single quotes, [year], volume (issue number), journal name or abbreviation, and first page of the article. For example: P Craig, 'Theory and Values in Public Law' [2004] PL 598.

Multiple citations in one footnote: If referencing multiple sources in one footnote, separate each citation with a semicolon. For example: Equality Act 2010, s 15(1)(a); R (Miller) [2017] UKSC 5, para 57.

Electronic sources: Include the author's name, title in italics, web address, and accessed date for online materials. For example: T Bingham, 'The Rule of Law' (The Rule of Law, 2007) <www.cps.org.uk accessed 10 March 2022>.

Extended quotations: In OSCOLA, it is common to place a lengthy quotation within the footnotes rather than the main body text.

Example: M Lord Neuberger emphasizes the importance of the rule of law, stating: 'Adherence to the rule of law informs every aspect of the judicial duty, including, of course, the determination, interpretation, and application of the law.'^1

^1 R (Miller) v Secretary of State for Exiting the EU [2017] UKSC 5, para 40.

The OSCOLA referencing style ensures a standardized method of citation within the field of law. By carefully following these rules, you can construct a precise and professional legal document that appropriately credits the works and authorities that have informed your arguments.

Generate Bibliography in OSCOLA

The OSCOLA citation style, used predominantly in legal studies, follows a distinct approach that often involves footnotes for citations and may also include a bibliography. Here's how to format a bibliography in the OSCOLA style:

Title and placement: The bibliography should begin on a new page at the end of your work. Center the heading "Bibliography" (without quotation marks) at the top of the page. Do not bold, italicize, or underline the heading.

Spacing and margins: Employ single-spacing within entries and double-spacing between them in the bibliography. Keep 1-inch margins on all sides of the page. Unlike the Harvard style, OSCOLA does not use hanging indents; instead, the first line of each citation should align with the left margin.

Organize your citations: OSCOLA recommends separating primary sources such as cases and legislation from secondary sources like books and articles. Within these categories, you should alphabetize the list by the first significant word of the citation.

Pay attention to punctuation and italics: Use italics for the titles of books, reports, and legislation. Quotation marks are used for article titles. Ensure that punctuation marks are consistently applied following the OSCOLA guidelines.

Check for accuracy: Ensure that each reference is accurate, including the correct use of italics, capitalization, and other formatting as per OSCOLA standards.

By adhering to these rules, you can create a bibliography that aligns with the specific requirements of the OSCOLA citation style, helping your readers easily navigate and verify the legal authorities cited in your work.

Cite Books in OSCOLA

Law is built upon centuries of tradition, so it's only fitting that the citation of legal documents should have its own unique set of rules. Enter OSCOLA, a standardized citation system that brings order to the potentially chaotic world of legal citation. Let's take a closer look at how to reference books in OSCOLA, with examples and some surprising exceptions.

For Example:

Multiple authors. If the book has multiple authors, list them in the order they appear in the book, using "and" between authors:

Chapter in an edited book. For a chapter in an edited book, use the author's name of the chapter, the chapter title, the editor's initials and last name, the book title, and publication details:

No author. In cases where the author of the book is not known, the title of the book is used instead, followed by the publisher's name and year of publication:

Citing multiple volumes: When citing a multi-volume work, include the volume number after the year of publication.

Pro Tip: Reference List Order

In OSCOLA, your reference list must be sorted by author's surname and then chronologically by publication date.

OSCOLA citation brings consistency and professionalism to legal writing. The guidance provided above for citing books, from single authors to multiple volumes, ensures you have the tools to cite correctly.

As you engage in the practice of law, remember that proper citation not only follows rules but acknowledges the intellectual heritage of your work, connecting you to the broader legal conversation.

Cite Journal Articles in OSCOLA

Journal articles, as valuable sources of up-to-date research and commentary, form an integral part of legal scholarship. Referencing them correctly is crucial in legal writing. The OSCOLA style, devised by Oxford University, gives us a structured, professional, and widely-accepted method to do this.

For example:

Journal articles available online. If the journal is only available electronically or is paginated separately to a print version, the citation should include [online], the volume number and the web address where the article can be found:

No volume number. If a journal doesn't have volume numbers, you should use the issue number instead, after the year:

No page numbers. Some online journals do not have page numbers. In such cases, you can omit the page numbers:

Article from an online database. If you accessed an article from a web database, you should cite the database name, the document number, and the URL:

Pro Tip: Using Footnotes

In OSCOLA, in-text citations are replaced by footnotes. Each time you reference a source, you should provide a footnote with the full citation details. This applies to all references, including those to journal articles.

Referencing journal articles accurately in OSCOLA style adds credibility and professionalism to your writing. Whether your sources are single-author, multi-author, anonymous, or electronic, the guidance provided above ensures you have the tools to cite correctly.

Cite Websites in OSCOLA

Websites offer a plethora of information, both official and unofficial, that can be pertinent to legal studies. Correctly referencing this online material, in compliance with OSCOLA guidelines, ensures your work maintains its integrity. While it might feel like traversing a new frontier, citing web sources doesn't have to be daunting.

Website with corporate author. If the website has a corporate author, the citation should begin with the corporate entity's name, followed by the title of the webpage, the full date the page was last updated, and the web address:

No Known Author. In instances where the author of a webpage is not known, start with the title of the webpage, followed by the full date the page was last updated, and the web address:

Blogs or online articles. Blogs or online articles follow the same general structure, with the addition of the name of the blog or the publication in italics after the author's name:

Pro Tip: Access Dates

Remember to always include the access date when citing web sources, as online content can change over time. The access date serves to let readers know when you last verified the information on the webpage.

While it may seem intimidating at first, referencing websites in OSCOLA style can be a straightforward process when following these guidelines. Whether your sources are webpages, corporate websites, or blogs, you are now equipped with the tools necessary for accurate citation.

Cite Book Chapters in OSCOLA

In legal scholarship, book chapters often provide in-depth coverage of a specific topic, making them an indispensable resource. When it comes to citing these chapters using the OSCOLA referencing style, precision is key. Let's walk you through the citation process.

Book chapter with multiple authors. When citing a book chapter written by multiple authors, list the authors as they appear in the chapter, using 'and' between the authors:

No author: In cases where the author of the chapter is not mentioned, start with the title of the chapter, followed by the title of the book, editors of the book, and the first page of the chapter.

Book with single author, citing specific chapter: When citing a specific chapter of a book written by a single author, mention chapter details after the book's details.

Pro Tip: The Pinpoint Citation

In OSCOLA, 'pinpoint citations' allow you to direct the reader to a specific page or pages where the cited information can be found. The first page of the chapter, followed by the specific page number, should be provided at the end of the citation (e.g., 121-122).

Remember, citing book chapters accurately in OSCOLA style is crucial for acknowledging the work of authors and editors, and for guiding your readers to your sources. Whether your sources are single-author, multi-author, or anonymous, this guide has provided you with the know-how to tackle your citations with confidence.

Cite Newspapers & Magazines in OSCOLA

Conference papers are vital sources of latest research findings and theories before they make it to formal publications. When referencing these sources in legal studies and scholarly works, the OSCOLA referencing style provides a professional, structured and well-accepted format to do so.

Online articles. For online articles, include the web address (URL) at the end of the citation, and the access date if no publication date is available:

Pro Tip: Secondary Referencing

In OSCOLA, secondary referencing (citing a source you haven't read yourself, but which is cited in a source you have read) is generally discouraged. It's always better to read the original source for yourself. However, if the original is not available, make it clear you have not read the original source by acknowledging the secondary source in your footnote.

Citing newspaper and magazine articles accurately in OSCOLA style enhances the diversity of your legal arguments, demonstrates the breadth of your research, and respects the journalistic craft.

Cite Conference Papers in OSCOLA

Multiple authors: If the paper has multiple authors, list them in the order they appear in the paper, using 'and' between authors.

Online conference papers: If the conference paper is accessed online, the citation should include the web address or DOI (if available) at the end.

Pro Tip: Always in Footnotes

OSCOLA uses footnotes for citations. Each time you reference a source, you should provide a footnote with the full citation details. This applies to all references, including those to conference papers.

Citing conference papers correctly in OSCOLA style not only provides your work with accurate references, but also adds an element of professionalism to your writing. So, whether you're citing single-author, multi-author, anonymous, or electronic papers, our citation generator equips you to do so effectively.

Cite Theses & Dissertations in OSCOLA

Theses and dissertations serve as rich sources of specialised research and novel insights. In law and other scholarly works, the OSCOLA referencing style offers a well-structured and professionally accepted means of citing these sources. Let's dive in and explore how to do this effectively.

Online theses or dissertations. If the thesis or dissertation is accessed online, the citation should include the URL or DOI (if available) at the end:

Pro Tip: Unique Identifiers for Easy Access

Consider including unique identifiers such as DOIs (Digital Object Identifier) or a URL in your citation whenever they are available, especially for online theses or dissertations. They help readers to directly access the source and make your work more credible and reproducible. Remember, a well-cited paper reflects your thorough research and respect for original authors' work.

Cite Social Media Posts in OSCOLA

As the digital age evolves, so does our approach to sourcing information. Social media posts are increasingly being used as sources of information in academic and legal writing. OSCOLA referencing style provides us with a clear and professional way of citing these unconventional sources.

Citing Twitter posts: When citing a tweet, you should start with the author's Twitter handle, followed by the text of the tweet in single quotation marks, then 'Twitter' and the date of the tweet.

Citing Facebook posts: For Facebook posts, begin with the individual or group authoring the post, followed by (Facebook) and the precise date of the post.

Citing blog posts: To cite a blog post, include the author's name, the title of the blog post in single quotes, the name of the blog, and the date of the blog post.

Citing Instagram posts: For Instagram posts, cite as you would a blog post, but include 'Instagram post' at the end of the citation.

Pro Tip: Capture the Moment

Due to the transient nature of social media posts, it's important to capture a screenshot or download a copy of the posts you cite. This will ensure you have a record in case the post is deleted or edited in future. This evidence may be necessary for submitting your work, depending on your institution's guidelines.

Cite Legal Cases in OSCOLA

Legal cases form the backbone of law and legal studies. They set precedents, create laws, and provide explanations for complicated legal concepts. When writing legal essays, assignments, or dissertations, citing these cases accurately using the OSCOLA referencing style adds authenticity to your work.

UK cases: When citing a UK case, you should start with the case name (in italics), followed by the neutral citation (if there is one), and then the volume number, the abbreviated name of the report, and the first page of the report.

EU Cases: For EU cases, cite the case name (in italics), then the case number and the report citation.

No neutral citation: If there's no neutral citation for a UK case, start with the case name, followed by the volume number, the abbreviated name of the report, and the first page of the report.

Pro Tip: Law Report Hierarchy

When citing UK cases, OSCOLA has a hierarchy of law reports. The 'Law Reports' (Appeal Cases (AC), Queen's Bench Division (QB), Chancery Division (Ch), and Family Division (Fam)) take precedence. If a case isn't reported in the Law Reports, use the Weekly Law Reports (WLR) or the All England Reports (All ER). Always check your university or institution's guidelines as preferences can vary.

Cite Primary Legislation in OSCOLA

Primary legislation refers to laws or statutes that have been enacted by a legislative body such as Parliament in the UK. This includes Acts of Parliament and Bills, which are often integral to legal arguments and discussions. When citing these sources in your work, you should use the OSCOLA referencing style, which provides clear guidelines for accurate citation.

Acts of Parliament: When citing an Act of Parliament, you should give the short title (in italics), followed by the chapter number.

Bills: For a Bill, cite the short title (in italics), followed by the type of Bill and the parliamentary session in brackets.

Pre-1963 Acts: If you are citing an Act that was passed before 1963, the year it was enacted should be included in roman numerals in the title.

Amended or repealed Acts: If an Act has been significantly amended or repealed, you should indicate this in your citation.

Pro Tip: Referenceing Secondary Legislation

Secondary legislation, such as Statutory Instruments or Orders in Council, are typically cited similarly to Acts but include the SI number. For example, The Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 Amendment Regulations 2012 SI 2012/3039. Always refer to OSCOLA guidelines to ensure accurate citation of different types of legislation.

Cite EU Legal Sources in OSCOLA

The European Union's legal system is one of the most intricate in the world, generating a vast array of legislation, case law, and official documents. The OSCOLA referencing style provides a standardised method for citing these diverse sources in academic work, maintaining clarity and precision in legal citation.

Treaties: For EU treaties, begin with the name of the treaty in italics, followed by the year of signing and the OJ reference in brackets.

Regulations and Directives: EU regulations and directives are cited with the type of instrument and number, title, and OJ reference.

Communications and reports: Communications from the European Commission and other EU bodies, as well as reports, are cited similarly to EU legislation, but may not always have an OJ reference.

Pro Tip: Getting the Details Right

OSCOLA provides detailed instructions for referencing EU legal materials, including guidelines for citing materials in languages other than English. Always refer to the most recent version of the OSCOLA guide to ensure you're following the correct format.

Cite Cases from Other Jurisdictions in OSCOLA

Globalization has made it increasingly common for legal scholars and practitioners to refer to case law from jurisdictions outside their own. The OSCOLA referencing style offers a framework for citing these cases, enabling a clear and uniform approach to international legal citation.

USA cases: When citing cases from the United States, provide the name of the case, the reporter volume number, the abbreviated name of the reporter, the first page of the report, and the year in brackets.

Australia and Canada Cases: Australian and Canadian cases should be cited by the case name, the year of the report in square brackets, the volume number (if available), the report abbreviation, and the first page.

European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) cases: For ECHR cases, start with the case name, followed by the application number, the court name, and the date of the decision.

Pro Tip: Adding Context

When citing cases from jurisdictions with which your reader might be unfamiliar, it can be helpful to provide a bit of context, either in the text of your paper or in a footnote. This might include the legal issue at stake, the jurisdiction's legal tradition, or the significance of the case in that jurisdiction's law.

Cite Hansard in OSCOLA

Hansard is the traditional name for the transcripts of Parliamentary debates and is an invaluable resource for anyone researching the legislative history of a particular act, or understanding the policy debates of a certain era. As such, it is a source that often needs to be cited in legal documents.

Citing a debate: If you're citing a debate, start with the house (either HL Deb or HC Deb for the House of Lords or House of Commons respectively), followed by the date (in square brackets), the volume, 'col' and the column number.

Citing a written answer: If you're citing a written answer, the citation structure remains the same, but the house will be either HL WA or HC WA.

Pro Tip: Using Online Resources

Since 2005, Hansard has been available online and the website offers an easy way to access both recent debates and historic ones. It's a good idea to hyperlink to the online version of Hansard if you are working on an electronic document, allowing your readers to access the full text of the debate you are citing. Be sure to check the URL for permanency if you intend to do this.

Cite Encyclopedias in OSCOLA

Legal encyclopedias are a cornerstone of comprehensive legal research, providing a digest of law that is written in a narrative form. These resources come in handy when you need a concise, accurate and up-to-date overview of a legal topic. Referencing these properly, thus, is a critical skill in crafting sound legal arguments.

Citing general legal encyclopedias: When citing from a the title of the encyclopedia should be in italics, followed by the edition, the volume number, the title of the entry in single quotes, and the paragraph or page number.

Citing a specific entry: When citing a specific entry within an encyclopedia, you'll still need to include the title of the encyclopedia, the edition, volume, title of the entry, but you also include a pinpoint reference to the relevant paragraph or page number.

Pro Tip: Making Use of Legal Encyclopedias

Legal encyclopedias, like Halsbury's Laws of England, are a great starting point for any legal research. These resources provide a high-level overview of legal topics and can help guide your further research by pointing you to relevant cases, legislation, and secondary sources. As always, ensure to reference these resources accurately when used.

Cite Interviews in OSCOLA

Interviews can provide a treasure trove of insights, especially when researching a contentious legal issue or trying to glean a practitioner's viewpoint. In legal scholarship, whether these interviews are conducted by you or you are citing an interview conducted by another, they should be accurately referenced in OSCOLA.

Citing published interviews: For published interviews, start with the name of the interviewee, followed by the title of the interview in single quotes, the name of the publication in italics, and the date.

Citing unpublished interviews: For unpublished interviews that you conducted, include the name of the interviewee, the format (eg, interview), the location of the interview, and the date.

Pro Tip: Using First-Person

OSCOLA referencing style does not shy away from the first person. So when you're citing an interview that you've conducted, you can use 'I' in your footnote. For instance, 'In an interview, I conducted with Justice Smith on 3 March 2023 in Oxford…'.

Cite Case Notes in OSCOLA

Case notes, or case comments, can be a goldmine of legal analysis, elucidating the nuances of a court's decision and its implications on existing law. When you're writing a legal essay, thesis or article, citing these valuable sources accurately in OSCOLA style is crucial to creating a robust piece of legal scholarship.

Case notes: When citing a case note, begin with the author's name, the title of the note in single quotes, the year of the case note, the volume number, the abbreviated name of the law report, and the page number.

Pro Tip: Citing Multiple Authors

In the event that the case note has multiple authors, list them in the order they appear in the article, using 'and' between authors. For example, Smith A and Brown B, 'Title of Case Note' [Year] Abbreviated Report Name Page.

Cite Personal Communications in OSCOLA

Personal communications can offer unique insights and perspectives that enrich your legal argument. They may come in the form of emails, interviews, conversations, letters, or similar. Given their value, it's important to know how to reference them appropriately in your legal writing using OSCOLA style.

Personal communication: When citing a personal communication, begin with the name of the person from whom the communication originated, followed by (in brackets) the description of the communication and the date.

Email: For emails, the structure remains the same, except the description of the communication would be 'Email to the author'.

Pro Tip: Unpublished Works

Remember that personal communications are considered 'unpublished works', which means they cannot be accessed by the reader. Therefore, it is important to obtain the sender's permission before citing their communication in your work. Also, the reader cannot verify personal communications, so use them sparingly and only when necessary.

OSCOLA Style: Final Notes

Embarking on your journey of understanding the OSCOLA referencing style might initially seem daunting, but with the comprehensive guide provided by Bibcitation, you're now well-equipped to handle the citation challenges that lie ahead. From citing books, journals, and legal cases to personal communications, you now have the knowledge to create citations that adhere to the stringent standards of academic integrity and reflect your commitment to scholarly professionalism.

In the landscape of legal writing, the ability to format citations accurately and swiftly is invaluable. While Bibcitation can aid you in this process, having a deep understanding of the principles underpinning the OSCOLA referencing style enhances your academic prowess significantly. While our citation generator Bibcitation.com can prove to be undeniably handy, your newfound expertise in OSCOLA formatting can make you self-reliant and confident in your scholarly endeavors.

As we navigate through this digital age, the nature and format of academic references continue to evolve. However, your knowledge of the OSCOLA referencing style, combined with Bibcitation features, ensures that you're equipped to tackle any referencing task that comes your way. By learning and applying OSCOLA, you're not just preparing yourself to create accurate citations; you're readying yourself to contribute meaningfully to the rich tapestry of legal scholarship. And remember, every perfectly formatted OSCOLA citation is a silent, respectful nod to the intellectual contributions of others in your field.

OSCOLA Citation Style (4th ed.)

The OSCOLA citation style is a footnote-based format similar to the Chicago style. However, it is notable for its range of variation, like the Harvard style, and its use of the entire reference as a footnote with the page added at the end. As such, while the citations themselves are not difficult, it is easy to make small and straightforward mistakes by using wrong resources. As such, we have used our experience to compile an essential guide for you.

This guide is developed in line with Nolan D and Meredith S, OSCOLA: Oxford University Standard for Citation of Legal Authorities (4th edn, Hart Publishing 2012).

What is OSCOLA Citation Style?

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The OSCOLA style may be considered a footnote-based alternative to the Harvard format, as it is also applied in universities throughout the world regardless of the discipline. In it, you assign each citation a footnote that duplicates the reference at the end of the paper almost precisely, with some exceptions such as using a specific page number. As such, the OSCOLA style is somewhat similar to the Chicago style, which formulates its footnotes slightly more briefly. It can also be considered close to the Vancouver and AMA styles, as it follows a similar idea but does not send the reader to the paper’s end and specifies the page.

You may be familiar with the need to cite information, but many places also require you to follow a strict guide and a specific style while doing so. Here are some reasons why both of these aspects are critical for your writing and overall career:

• The point of a paper is to show your understanding of the topic and then reach additional conclusions from there. You demonstrate this awareness by citing works in the field that support or oppose your findings.
• The sources you use have to warrant the trust of a reader, meaning scholars should generally acknowledge them. Peer review is an essential practice that differentiates high-quality sources from inferior ones.
• When you reference a source, you have to identify what it is and where it may be found in a form that is easy for the reader to understand. Hence, you should adhere to the template lest you make some mistake that turns the citation to no use.
• Ultimately, if you are caught plagiarizing, whether intentionally or not, you will be severely punished. You may even be expelled or fired from your organization, receiving a bad mark on your record that will severely tarnish it.

General Principles of OSCOLA Formatting

• Double-spacing
• 1’’ (2.54 cm) margins
• Arial 12 unless other instructions are given.

OSCOLA, as a rule, is used to cite legal sources; which makes it difficult to call it a full-fledged style since there are no special requirements regarding the design of a title page and other nuances. One of the most important points is the application of footnotes in order to quote legal documents and files.

• Superscript numbers indicating footnotes are usually placed at the end of a sentence.
• A footnote marker may be put after a significant word or phrase.
• A full-stop is put after a superscript number at the end of a sentence.
• Semicolons are used to separate several citations within one footnote from one another.
• Single quotation marks are used instead of double.

Level 1 Is Centered, Bold and Capitalized

Level 2 Is Centered and Capitalized

Level 3 Is Flushed Left, Bold and Capitalized

Level 4 is flushed left, not capitalized and sentence-formatted.

• If the same resource follows the previous one on one page, it should not be repeated.
• In a subsequent citation of a source, briefly identify the source and provide a cross-citation in brackets to the footnote in which the full citation can be found.
• If the subsequent citation in the footnote immediately follows the full citation, use ‘ibid’ instead.

1. Salmon Tampubolon, ‘Lean Six Sigma Implementation, A Systematic Literature Review’ (2021) 8 International Journal of Production Management & Engineering 125.

2. Ibid. 127.

• Only secondary sources should be placed on a separate sheet after the body of the paper.
• Sources should be listed in the alphabetical order and are to match the footnotes with a corresponding superscript number used in the document.
• If multiple sources by the same author are used, they are to be listed in the chronological order with 2 em-dash replacing the author’s name. Example: Dinah L. Shelton, Advanced Introduction to Indigenous Human Rights (Edward Elgar Publishing 2024). — — Advanced Introduction to International Human Rights Law (Edward Elgar Publishing 2020).
• If multiple sources of the same author and year are used, letter designations should be given after the year of publication (2024a, 2024b).
• Although most of the paper should be double-spaced, single spacing is used on the reference list with an extra line to separate the entries.

OSCOLA Citation for Primary Sources

Cases with neutral citations

Case Name [year] Court number, [year] OR (year) | volume report abbreviation first page

• Give the name of the case in full when it is first mentioned in the text or footnotes; it may be shortened thereafter.

1. Corr v IBC Vehicles Ltd [2021] UKHL 13, [2021] 1 AC 884.

2.           Corr (n 14).

• A reference to a particular paragraph of a judgment or page of a report (pinpoint) may be stated at the end. Reference to a paragraph is written in square brackets.

3. Bunt v Tilley [2022] EWHC 407 (QB), [2022] 3 All ER 336 [3]–[37].

Cases without neutral citations

Case Name [year] OR (year) volume report abbreviation first page (court)

4. Barrett v Enfield LBC [2021] AC 550 (HL).

5.           Barrett (n 11).

Law reports

6. Taylor v Glass [2021] CLY 672 (CA)

7. Horton v Sadler [2022] 1 AC 307 (HL).

Cases from Scotland

In OSCOLA, citations of Scottish law reports have no punctuation other than commas separating page numbers.

8. Hislop v Durham [2020] 4 D 1168.

9. Adams v Advocate General [2021] SC 171 (OH).

Cases from Northern Ireland

10. Hylands v McClintock [2023] NI 28.

11. Criminal Attempts Act 2021, ss 1(1) and 4(3). 25 17.

12. Sexual Offences Act 2023, s 1(1)(c).

Title HC Bill (session) [number] OR Title HL Bill (session) number

13. Abortion HC Bill (2020-2021) [2].

UK acts of Parliament

Title year of adoption.

14.        Parliament Act 1949.

Parts of UK acts

A short title year of adoption, session (subsection number)(paragraph).

15. Human Rights Act 2021, s 15(1)(b).

Statutory Instruments, or SIs

Title year/number.

16. Cremation (England and Wales) Regulations 2022, SI 2008/2841.

Scottish Parliament

Act title asp number (Act of the Scottish Parliament).

17. Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 2021 (asp 1).

Scottish SSIs (statutory instruments)

Title with a particular year SSI number.

18. The Letting Agent Registration (Scotland) Regulations 2022, SSI 2016/432.

Northern Ireland Assembly Acts

Title mentioning Northern Ireland year.

19. Criminal Justice Act (Northern Ireland) 2023.

Northern Ireland Statutory Rules

Title of the Rule, including Northern Ireland year, Statutory Rule number.

20. The Local Government (Specified Bodies) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2022, SR 2012/8.

Welsh legislation

As a rule, specific measures are cited, which may be passed by the Welsh government. In footnotes, they are abbreviated as nawm. Such a citation includes:

Title of the measure year (number).

21. Domestic Fire Safety (Wales) Measure 2021 (nawm 3).

Welsh Statutory Instruments

Order title and year Welsh Statutory Instrument year/Instrument’s number in brackets.

22. The Independent Health Care (Fees) (Wales) Regulations Order 2021 Welsh Statutory Instrument 2021/106 (W. 25).

This type of official documentation includes legislation, directives, regulations, and decisions.

European Union Legislation

Title of legislation [year] series mentioned in Official Journal (OJ) issue/first page.

23. Treaty of Lisbon amending the Treaty on European Union and the Treaty establishing the European Community [2021] OJ C 306/01.

Directives, Regulations, and Decisions

Type of legislation number title [year] L series in the Official Journal issue/first page.

• European Union Directives:

24. Council Directive 2021/29/EC on the harmonisation of certain aspects of copyright and related rights in the information society [2021] OJ L 167/10.

• European Union Regulations:

25. Council Regulation (EU) 2023 introducing a system for the statistical monitoring of trade in bluefin tuna, swordfish and big eye tuna within the Community [2023] OJ L 295/1.

• European Union Commission Decisions

26. Alcatel/Telettra (Case No IV/M.042) Commission Decision [2021] OJ L 122/48.

• Commission decisions should be cited the same as cases.

European Court of Justice (ECJ) and General Court (GC) Judgements

Prefix (“Case C-” for ECJ or “Case T-” for GC) number indicating the case registration Case Name [year] report citation.

27. Case C-557/12 Kone AG v OBB-Infrastruktur [2024] C.M.L.R. 5.

United Nations laws

Author Title (date) number:

28. UNGA Res 67/97 (26 August 2021) A/63/332.

Title (date of adoption) publication mentioning (Short name) number of the article:

29. Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards (adopted 10 June 2020, entered into force 7 June 2022) 330 UNTS 4739 (Foreign Arbitral Awards Convention) art 3.

International Court of Justice (ICJ) documents

Case Title [year] Court’s Report Citation/<link> accessed DD Month YYYY

30. Alleged Violations of Sovereign Rights and Maritime Spaces in the Caribbean Sea (Nicaragua v. Colombia) [2023] ICJ Judgement <https://www.icj-cij.org/en/case/155> accessed 24 June 2024.

OSCOLA Citation for Secondary Sources

Author, Title (additional information, edition, publisher year)

Footnote citation:

1. Jeremy J. Siegel, Stocks for the Long Run: The Definitive Guide to Financial Market Returns & Long-Term Investment Strategies (6 th edn, McGraw Hill Professional 2022) 27.

Bibliography entry:

Siegel JJ, Stocks for the Long Run: The Definitive Guide to Financial Market Returns & Long-Term Investment Strategies (6 th edn, McGraw Hill Professional 2022).

Two or three authors

1. Ludwig B. Chincarini and Daehwan Kim, Quantitative Equity Portfolio Management: An Active Approach to Portfolio Construction and Management (2 nd edn, McGraw Hill Professional 2022) 24-25.

Chincarini LB and Kim D, Quantitative Equity Portfolio Management: An Active Approach to Portfolio Construction and Management (2 nd edn, McGraw Hill Professional 2022).

Four or more authors

1. Rodger Fernandez and others, Australian Migration Legislation Collection (LexisNexis Butterworths 2023) 48.

Fernandez R and others, Australian Migration Legislation Collection (LexisNexis Butterworths 2023).

Books with editors or translators

1. Francesco Ferraro and Silvia Zorzetto (eds), Exploring the Province of Legislation: Theoretical and Practical Perspectives in Legisprudence (Springer International Publishing 2023) 137-138.

• For one editor, use ed ; for two and more – eds
• In a case with a translator, use tr / trs instead of ed / eds

Ferraro F and Zorzetto S (eds), Exploring the Province of Legislation: Theoretical and Practical Perspectives in Legisprudence (Springer International Publishing 2023).

Authors with editors or translators

1. Nick Arnott, The Road to Nursing (Mary Cruickshank ed., Cambridge University Press 2022) 189.

Arnott N, The Road to Nursing (Cruickshank M ed., Cambridge University Press 2022).

Multiple works by the same author

Using multiple works by the same author poses no challenge as all are to be cited in footnotes at the bottom of the page.

1. Dinah L. Shelton, Advanced Introduction to Indigenous Human Rights (Edward Elgar Publishing 2024) 301.

2. Dinah L. Shelton, Advanced Introduction to International Human Rights Law (Edward Elgar Publishing 2020) 214.

Shelton DL, Advanced Introduction to Indigenous Human Rights (Edward Elgar Publishing 2024).

— — Advanced Introduction to International Human Rights Law (Edward Elgar Publishing 2020).

Different editions

1. Sally Sutherland-Fraser and others, Perioperative Nursing: An Introduction (3 rd edn, Elsevier Australia 2022) 29.

Sutherland-Fraser S and others, Perioperative Nursing: An Introduction (3 rd edn, Elsevier Australia 2022).

Encyclopedia or dictionary entry

1. ‘Constitution of the United States of America’, Encyclopaedia Britannica (2024) <https://www.britannica.com/topic/Constitution-of-the-United-States-of-America> accessed 20 June 2024.

‘Constitution of the United States of America’, Encyclopaedia Britannica (2024) https://www.britannica.com/topic/Constitution-of-the-United-States-of-America accessed 20 June 2024.

• State either page number(s) or a link and access date depending on whether the source is published or found online.

Chapter in an edited book 

When citing a chapter in an edited book, cite the author and the title of the chapter, in a similar format to that used when citing an article, and then give the editor’s name, the title of the book in italics, and the publication information. It is not necessary to give the pages of the chapter.

1. Nickey Rooke and Mark Morson, ‘Leading Change and Working with Others’ in Catherine Delves-Yates and Jillian Janes (eds), Quality Improvement in Nursing (Learning Matters 2022) 222.

Rooke N and Morson M, ‘Leading Change and Working with Others’ in Catherine Delves-Yates and Jillian Janes (eds), Quality Improvement in Nursing (Learning Matters 2022).

Journal article

When citing articles, give the author’s name first, followed by a comma. Then give the title of the article, in roman within single quotation marks. After the title, give the publication information in the following order:

• year of publication, in square brackets if it identifies the volume, in round brackets if there is a separate volume number
• the volume number if there is one (include an issue number only if the page numbers begin again for each issue within a volume, in which case put the issue number in brackets immediately after the volume number)
• the name of the journal in roman, in full or abbreviated form, with no full stops
• the first page of the article

1. Youssef Miyah and others, ‘COVID-19 Impact on Public Health, Environment, Human Psychology, Global Socioeconomy, and Education’ (2022) 78 The Scientific World Journal 1.

Miyah Y and others, ‘COVID-19 Impact on Public Health, Environment, Human Psychology, Global Socioeconomy, and Education’ (2022) 78 The Scientific World Journal 1.

Online journals

The format is similar to that of journal articles, but in this case, <URL> or <doi> and access date are given.

1. Xavier Gonze and others, ‘The Abinit Project: Impact, Environment and Recent Developments’ (2020) 248 Computer Physics Communications <https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpc.2019.107042> accessed 19 June 2024.

Gonze X and others, ‘The Abinit Project: Impact, Environment and Recent Developments’ (2020) 248 Computer Physics Communications <https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpc.2019.107042> accessed 19 June 2024.

Newspaper articles

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. If known, give the number of the page on which the article was published, after the brackets. If the article is sourced from the web and there is no page number available, provide the web address and date of access.

1. Siobhán O’Grady and Kostiantyn Khudov, ‘As Kyiv Holds First Pride Since Invasion, LGBTQ+ Troops Demand Equality’ Washington Post (Washington, 18 June 2024) https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/06/18/ukraine-pride-soldiers-war-russia/ accessed 19 June 2024.

O’Grady S and Khudov K, ‘As Kyiv Holds First Pride Since Invasion, LGBTQ+ Troops Demand Equality’ Washington Post (Washington, 18 June 2024) <https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/06/18/ukraine-pride-soldiers-war-russia/> accessed 19 June 2024.

Websites and blogs

1. Raawiah Mansoor, ‘National Court of Appeal and Creation of Regional Benches: Does the Supreme Court Need to Undergo a Structural Re-Configuration?’ ( The Law Blog , 26 May 2023) <https://thelawblog.in/2023/05/26/national-court-of-appeal-and-creation-of-regional-benches-does-the-supreme-court-need-to-undergo-a-structural-re-configuration/> accessed 20 June 2024.

Mansoor R, ‘National Court of Appeal and Creation of Regional Benches: Does the Supreme Court Need to Undergo a Structural Re-Configuration?’ ( The Law Blog , 26 May 2023) <https://thelawblog.in/2023/05/26/national-court-of-appeal-and-creation-of-regional-benches-does-the-supreme-court-need-to-undergo-a-structural-re-configuration/> accessed 20 June 2024.

Thesis or dissertation

1. Rashid Sadikhov, ‘A Research Study of How Equal Employment Opportunities Are Practiced in Azerbaijan: A Comparison Look at Local and International Companies’ (BS thesis, Modul University Vienna 2021) 24-25.

Sadikhov R, ‘A Research Study of How Equal Employment Opportunities Are Practiced in Azerbaijan: A Comparison Look at Local and International Companies’ (BS thesis, Modul University Vienna 2021).

When citing a command paper, begin the citation with the name of the department or other body that produced the paper, and then give the title of the paper in italics, followed by the command paper number and the year in brackets.

1. Prime Minister’s Office and Cabinet Office, Modernising Government (Cm 4310, 2021) para 15.

Prime Minister’s Office and Cabinet Office, Modernising Government (Cm 4310, 2021).

The following structure and examples are for footnotes. For bibliography entries, use the same structure.

House abbreviation Deb date, volume, column.

HL Deb 25 November 2022, vol 583, col 835.

• Suffix WS for citing a written statement:

HC Deb 15 April 2023, vol 561, col 18WS.

• Prefix WA for citing a written answer:

HL Deb 21 May 2023, vol 745, col WA39.

• Suffix WH for citing a debate in Westminster Hall:

HC Deb 29 January 2023, vol 557, cols 179-205WH.

• Series numbers for old records:

HC Deb (4th series) 18 July 2020, vol 86, col 341.

• Hansard of Standing Committee:

SC Deb (D) 25 May 2024, col 40.

• Since 2014, column references have not been used. More information may be found on the official website – https://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-questions-answers/. Today, a possible relevant citation may look as follows:

HC 10 July 2022, PQ 162501.

1. Law Commission, The 13th Programme of Law Reform (Law Com No 377, 2021).

2.    Law Com No 377.

Law Commission, Report or Paper Title (number, year).

Law Commission, The 13th Programme of Law Reform (Law Com No 377, 2021).

Unpublished letters or emails

Communication Form from Author to Recipient (DD Month YYYY)

Letter from J. Smith to W. Backron (1 November 2023).

James Lee, Yan Ai Foundation Professor of Social Science/ Chair Professor, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Hong Kong 13 January 2024).

If the interview was conducted by someone else, give the interviewer’s name at the beginning of the citation:

Hanna Kirkland, Interview with James Lee, Yan Ai Foundation Professor of Social Science/ Chair Professor, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Hong Kong 13 January 2024).

The OSCOLA style requires that you provide each table and figure in a separate file, preferably in a Word, Excel, or EPS format. With that said, they are intended to be put in the text by the time of publication, so putting them into appendices is not necessary. They should be self-sufficient and possible to understand without any accompanying text. They may feature notes and other textual information, but not the title. You should denote the position in the passage where the object should be with a title saying “Table (Figure) #: Title footnote number .” Correspondingly, your file names should incorporate the type of object and its number to make it clear which item is contained within.

Figure 1: Glass world 1 .

Even though tables and figures are excluded from the main file when you conduct your submission, they are taken into account as part of the total word count. As such, you should be careful when dealing with works that have a strict upper limit. Also, the standard consideration of describing the relevant pages in your citation when you take a table or figure from a print paper still applies. Usually, electronic sources will not have distinct pages, so you do not have to be concerned in that regard.

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Legal Information Update

From taylor law library at the university of aberdeen.

OSCOLA – Tables and lists

Tip! You should always consult your course coordinator regarding the requirement to include tables of primary legal materials in your work. However, the general rule is that shorter works, such as articles and essays, only require footnotes.

At the end of a longer work (e.g. book, dissertation or thesis) you have to include the followings in this order:

• List of abbreviations
• table(s) of cases
• table(s) of legislation
• tables other primary legal resources
• Bibliography of secondary resources

As this post concentrates on the Tables only, you can find useful tips and a few examples here.

Table of cases

• Cases should be listed in alphabetical order of first significant word (except EU cases if they are divided by jurisdiction).
• Case names are not italicized.
• Unless there is a very small number of cases, divide the table into separate sections for different jurisdictions.

Example : Assange v Sweden [2012] UKSC 22, [2012] 2 AC 471 Brightcrew Ltd. V City of Glasgow Licensing Board [2011] CSIH 46, 2012 SC 67 De Keyser’s Royal Hotel, Re [1920] AC 508 Hunter v Fox 1964 SC (HL) 95

Table of legislation

• List every statute cited in your work. Legislation should be listed in alphabetical order of first significant word of the title (not chronologically by date of enactment!)
• Statutory Instruments should be listed separately, at the end of the statues. But, if you have a large number of citations of statutory instruments, it may be helpful to have wholly separate tables of statues and statutory instruments.
• If legislation from more than one jurisdiction is cited, it may be helpful to have separate lists for each jurisdiction.

Example: Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 (asp 12) Defamation Act 2013 Fur Farming (Prohibition) Act 2000 High Hedges (Scotland) Act 2013 (asp 6) Marriage (Scotland) Act 1977

Civil Legal Aid (Costs) Regulations 2013, SI 2013/611 Act of Sederunt (Lands Valuation Appeal Court) 2013, SSI 2013/161 Zoonoses (Monitoring) (Scotland) Regulations 2007, SSI 2007/420

Other tables

• Table of international treaties and conventions,
• Table of UN documents,
• Table of official papers,
• Table of policy documents.

For more information, please see pp. 10-12 in the OSCOLA user guide .

Taylor Library Team [email protected]

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OSCOLA Referencing Generator

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• Archive material
• Chapter of an edited book
• Conference proceedings
• Dictionary entry
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• DVD, video, or film
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• Government publication
• Music or recording
• Online image or video
• Presentation
• Press release
• Religious text

What is OSCOLA referencing?

OSCOLA is the abbreviated name for Oxford Standard for the Citation of Legal Authorities. It’s the style many students use for referencing authorities, legislation and other legal materials. It is widely used in law schools and by journal and book publishers both in the UK and abroad.

The fourth edition of OSCOLA is available to purchase in book stores and online, with a downloadable reference guide available from the University of Oxford, Faculty of Law website.

How to OSCOLA reference

OSCOLA invites you to follow two “golden rules” when citing legal authorities. The first is consistency and the second is consideration for the reader. Legal writing is considered more persuasive when you refer to legal matters in a clear, consistent and familiar way. An integral part of this is having an easy way of identifying your sources.

OSCOLA does not use endnotes or in-text citations. Instead, all citations appear as footnotes. Longer works such as books and theses also include citations in tables of cases and legislation, as well as bibliographies.

Cite This For Me’s OSCOLA citation generator takes the hassle out of law referencing by providing you with the Oxford standard for the citation of legal authorities within seconds. Simply use the Cite This For Me mobile app or online tool and have the whole thing done for you quickly, accurately and consistently.

Popular OSCOLA style Citation Examples

How to cite a book in oscola style.

Use the following template to cite a book using the OSCOLA citation style.

Reference List

Place this part in your bibliography or reference list at the end of your assignment.

In-text citation

Place this part right after the quote or reference to the source in your assignment.

How to cite a Journal in OSCOLA style

Use the following template to cite a journal using the OSCOLA citation style.

How to cite Film or Movie in OSCOLA style

Use the following template to cite a film or movie using the OSCOLA citation style.

How to cite an Online image or video in OSCOLA style

Use the following template to cite an online image or video using the OSCOLA citation style.

How to cite a Website in OSCOLA style

Use the following template to cite a website using the OSCOLA citation style.

Additional OSCOLA style Citation Examples

How to cite a blog in oscola style.

Use the following template to cite a blog using the OSCOLA citation style.

How to cite a Court case in OSCOLA style

Use the following template to cite a court case using the OSCOLA citation style.

How to cite a Dictionary entry in OSCOLA style

Use the following template to cite a dictionary entry using the OSCOLA citation style.

How to cite an E-book or PDF in OSCOLA style

Use the following template to cite an e-book or pdf using the OSCOLA citation style.

How to cite an Edited book in OSCOLA style

Use the following template to cite an edited book using the OSCOLA citation style.

How to cite an Email in OSCOLA style

Use the following template to cite an email using the OSCOLA citation style.

How to cite an Encyclopedia article in OSCOLA style

Use the following template to cite an encyclopedia article using the OSCOLA citation style.

How to cite an Interview in OSCOLA style

Use the following template to cite an interview using the OSCOLA citation style.

How to cite a Magazine in OSCOLA style

Use the following template to cite a magazine using the OSCOLA citation style.

How to cite a Newspaper in OSCOLA style

Use the following template to cite a newspaper using the OSCOLA citation style.

How to cite a Podcast in OSCOLA style

Use the following template to cite a podcast using the OSCOLA citation style.

How to cite a Song in OSCOLA style

Use the following template to cite a song using the OSCOLA citation style.

How to cite The Bible in OSCOLA style

Use the following template to cite The Bible using the OSCOLA citation style.

How to cite a TV Show in OSCOLA style

Use the following template to cite a TV Show using the OSCOLA citation style.

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OSCOLA referencing guide (Online)

• Paraphrasing
• Repeating Citations
• Secondary Referencing
• Bibliography
• Referencing Tools
• Books with one author
• Books with Two or Three Authors
• Books with Four or more 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

Journals articles

Square brackets or round brackets.

• 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
• Copyright statement
• Print articles
• Online articles

To cite a print journal use the following format :

Author, │’title’ │[year] │journal name or abbreviation │first page of article

                                                                     [OR]

Author, │’title’ │(year) │volume │journal name or abbreviation │first page of article

Use [ ]  if the date of publication is needed to find the article eg. there is no volume number.

Use ( ) if the date of publication is NOT needed to find the article eg. there is a volume number.

The bibliography is the same format as the footnote except that  the author is now listed surname first  followed by their initials, page numbers are not included and there is no full stop at the end of the reference. 

Examples of citations in a footnote:

Paul Craig, 'Theory, "Pure Theory" and Values in Public Law'  [2005] PL 440.

Alison L Young, 'In Defense of Due Deference' (2009) 72 MLR 554.

Example of citations in a bibliography :

Craig P,   'Theory, "Pure Theory" and Values in Public Law'  [2005] PL 440

Young AL,   'In Defense of Due Deference' (2009) 72 MLR 554

Pinpointing in a journal article

When pinpointing (referring to a specific page in an article) put the first page of the article followed by a comma, a space and the page of the pinpoint.

JAG Griffith, 'The Common Law and the Political Constitution' (2001) 117 LQR 42, 64.

Pinpointing is not used in the bibliography.

• If an article/pdf/ebook is available anywhere in print format, you should cite it as you would a printed piece of work (even if you have read it online).
• However if the article is only available online, use the same format as for print journals but at the end of the citation add the web address within < > marks and the date you most recently accessed the article.
• In general only include the web address when the document is only available online, when the web address ia especially helpful for finding the document and when the web address is static (eg. not a result of a search in a database).

An example of a footnote for an online article:

James Gobert, 'The Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007: Thirteen Years in the Making but was it Worth the Wait?' (2008) 71 MRL 413 <http://www.jstor.org/stable/25151209> accessed 15 Jan 2014.

The bibliography is the same format as the footnote except that the author's last name comes first, only the author's initial(s) are used and there is no full stop at the end of the citation.

An example of the bibliography for an online article:

Gobert  J, 'The Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007: Thirteen Years in the Making but was it Worth the Wait?' (2008) 71 MRL 413 <http://www.jstor.org/stable/25151209> accessed 15 Jan 2014

Square brackets [ ] are used when the year is crucial to identify the relevant volume of the journal (e.g. when there is no volume number).

Round brackets ( ) are used when the year is not necessary to identify the relevant volume of the journal (e.g. if there is a volume number in addition to the year). 

In most cases journal titles have both a volume number and a year so round brackets will normally be used.

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• Plagiarism and grammar
• Citation guides

OSCOLA Citation Generator

Don't let plagiarism errors spoil your paper, consider your source's credibility. ask these questions:, contributor/author.

• Has the author written several articles on the topic, and do they have the credentials to be an expert in their field?
• Can you contact them? Do they have social media profiles?
• Have other credible individuals referenced this source or author?
• Book: What have reviews said about it?
• What do you know about the publisher/sponsor? Are they well-respected?
• Do they take responsibility for the content? Are they selective about what they publish?
• Take a look at their other content. Do these other articles generally appear credible?
• Does the author or the organization have a bias? Does bias make sense in relation to your argument?
• Is the purpose of the content to inform, entertain, or to spread an agenda? Is there commercial intent?
• Are there ads?
• When was the source published or updated? Is there a date shown?
• Does the publication date make sense in relation to the information presented to your argument?
• Does the source even have a date?
• Was it reproduced? If so, from where?
• If it was reproduced, was it done so with permission? Copyright/disclaimer included?

MLA Format: Everything You Need to Know and More

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MLA Citation Generator | Website | Books | Journal Articles | YouTube | Images | Movies | Interview | PDFs

Comprehensive Guide to APA Format

Our Citation Machine® APA guide is a one-stop shop for learning how to cite in APA format. Read up on what APA is, or use our citing tools and APA examples to create citations for websites, books, journals, and more!

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Creating citations in Chicago style has never been easier thanks to our extensive Citation Machine® Chicago style guide and tools. Learn about footnotes, endnotes, and everything in between, or easily create citations for websites, books, journal articles, and more!

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Dissertation and Thesis

Thesis & dissertation formatting process.

To complete your format check submission, you must complete every registration step and fully submit your thesis or dissertation to the website listed below.

Dissertations and theses turned in as a part of the graduation requirements at Loyola University Chicago must be formatted according to the rules laid out in the Format Manual for Theses and Dissertations created by the Graduate School.

Format Check Submission

To ensure that theses/dissertations are formatted correctly, each thesis/dissertation must undergo a format check by the staff of the Graduate School prior to the submission of final copies. You must  electronically  submit your manuscript for a format check to the Graduate School's  ProQuest ETD Administrator  website ON OR BEFORE the published format check deadline for the term in which you expect to receive your degree.

• May degree conferral format check deadline:  March 1st
• August degree conferral format check deadline:  June 1st
• December degree conferral format check deadline:  October 1st

On or before the format check deadline, please also submit the following items as supplemental pdf files to  ProQuest ETD Administrator  (do not submit them by email):

• One electronic copy of your completed, formatted manuscript
• Formatted approval sheet, with your director's name and space for their signature. You will ultimately replace this file with a scanned copy that's been signed by the director after the defense and after all final edits have been made. This form acts as confirmation that your director has read and approved the final copy.
• Extra title page, formatted as described in the Manual
• One extra abstract, formatted as described in the Manual

Final Copy Submission

Once your dissertation has been defended, formatted correctly, and approved by your committee, you will need to electronically submit your final copy to the Graduate School for approval. You will also need to replace the Approval Sheet with a scanned copy that has been signed by your director.

Your final electronic submission must be uploaded ON OR BEFORE the published final electronic copy deadline for the term in which you expect to receive your degree. The final electronic copy deadlines are as follows:

• May degree conferral final electronic copy deadline:  April 1st
• August degree conferral final electronic copy deadline:  July 1st
• December degree conferral final electronic copy deadline:  November 1st

If your materials are complete or inaccurate, the Graduate School will contact you with a list of required corrections. If required corrections are too extensive or take too long to complete, you may not graduate and the Graduate School will not confer your degree. For this reason, please make every effort to format your manuscript correctly, include all of the materials listed above, and to meet the published deadlines. Also, please keep in mind that a dissertation or thesis is only one of your degree requirements, and that the Graduate School will not confer your degree unless you meet all of these requirements.

Students must submit final copies with approved revisions within one semester of a successful defense (e.g., if a student’s defense falls within a Fall semester, their final copies must meet the Spring semester submission deadlines). After one full semester a student may be discontinued and be required to apply for reinstatement (Approved 4 May 2021)

Visit the  for answers to new questions about the electronic submission process.

• Format Manual for Theses and Dissertations  -  Note: The Formatting Manual was updated in September 2022. If you have any questions about the formatting guidelines, or if you need a copy of the former manual, please  email the formatting assistant , Danielle Richards.
• Format Checklist Copy (Clean)
• Formatting Examples

Questions regarding the format check and the final copy submission process should be directed  here .

Information Sessions

The Graduate School hosts two info-sessions each semester about the thesis and dissertation formatting process. Make sure to follow weekly Graduate School Announcements emails for more information.

Publishing Your Work: Thesis and Dissertation Formatting Workshop (Recorded January 14, 2021)

• Instructions for Thesis and Dissertation
• Approval Ballot for Text and Oral Defense

The Thesis/Dissertation Committee Form, Thesis/Dissertation Proposal Ballot, and the Request for Change in Degree-Seeking Status are located in the Graduate Student Progress System at  GSPS . Please log in to submit these forms. Medical Center Biomedical Science Students MUST Use LUHS Forms.

Publication

Before publication:.

LUC's University Libraries:  If relevant articles, book chapters, and books are not accessible through the library's online catalogue, they can be requested through InterLibrary Loan.

Zotero:  No matter what citation format you use, this free citation software can help save and format citations for use in your article.

Scimago Journal & Country Rank:  To find out the ranking of peer-reviewed journals in your particular discipline before you submit, go to this website.

LUC's Writing Center : Make an appointment with a graduate tutor to have your work reviewed at any stage of the writing or revision process. Often an article will be accepted for publication but an editor requires various corrections. An extra pair of eyes can be useful.

After publication:

GSPS:  Make sure to update publications through this LUC site; submitted entries will be reviewed, approved, and recorded by your GPD.

Google Scholar:  Various peer-reviewed articles and publications found on the internet will be linked to the student's account, which can be created by going to this site and clicking on "My Profile."

ORCiD:  Creating a free ORCiD ID will allow peer-reviewed publications to be linked across digital platforms with this persistent signifier.

Publishing conventions vary widely across disciplines; some graduate students may publish as single authors while others, particularly in the sciences, may be one of several authors collaborating on a project and its resulting published study. When seeking peer-reviewed publication opportunities, one of the best methods is to consult with professors in your department about how to publish and locate journals reputable in your field of study.

Besides helping you avoid scams and predatory publishing through their advice, faculty can also provide you with useful information about the publishing process and direct you to discipline-specific online listservs hosting frequent Calls for Papers.

The following list details other publication resources for graduate students: