Referencing Styles for Dissertation: Which One to Choose?

When writing a dissertation, the referencing style you use depends on your academic discipline and your institution’s guidelines. Different referencing styles have different rules for citing sources and formatting references. Here’s an overview of the most commonly used referencing styles for dissertations:

1. APA (American Psychological Association)

Used in: Social sciences (e.g., psychology, education, sociology).
Format: APA uses an author-date citation system. In-text citations include the author’s last name and the year of publication in parentheses (e.g., Smith, 2020).
Example: Smith, J. (2020). The effects of digital media on youth culture. Academic Press.

2. MLA (Modern Language Association)

Used in: Humanities (e.g., literature, philosophy, cultural studies).
Format: MLA uses parenthetical citations with the author’s last name and the page number (e.g., Smith 45).
Example: Smith, John. The Effects of Digital Media on Youth Culture. Academic Press, 2020.

3. Chicago/Turabian

Used in: History, arts, and some social sciences.
Format: Chicago has two citation styles: the notes and bibliography style (often used in history) and the author-date system (common in the sciences). In the notes and bibliography style, citations appear in footnotes or endnotes.
Example (Notes and Bibliography): Smith, John. The Effects of Digital Media on Youth Culture. Chicago University Press, 2020.
Example (Author-Date): Smith, John. 2020. The Effects of Digital Media on Youth Culture. Chicago University Press.

4. Harvard

Used in: Most UK universities and some social sciences disciplines.
Format: Similar to APA, Harvard uses an author-date citation system for in-text citations (e.g., Smith 2020). The reference list is organized alphabetically by the author’s last name.
Example: Smith, J. (2020). The Effects of Digital Media on Youth Culture. Academic Press.

5. IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers)

Used in: Engineering, computer science, and other technical fields.
Format: IEEE uses numbered citations within the text (e.g., [1], [2]) and corresponds these numbers to a reference list.
Example: [1] J. Smith, The Effects of Digital Media on Youth Culture, Academic Press, 2020.

6. Vancouver

Used in: Medical and scientific disciplines.
Format: Similar to IEEE, Vancouver uses numbered citations in the text that correspond to a numbered reference list.
Example: Smith J. The effects of digital media on youth culture. Academic Press. 2020.

Tip: Always check your university’s guidelines to confirm which referencing style is required for your thesis.