ABSTRACT

This chapter gives a brief summary of key oxford university standard for citation of legal authorities (OSCOLA) conventions, and issues that are specific to dissertation writing. It also gives some advice on Harvard referencing. The chapter includes some exercises to test law student knowledge and application of OSCOLA and Harvard. There are some common mistakes that appear in dissertations at all levels that examiners often comment on. Two of the most frequent referencing mistakes are including only a partial citation and not including a page number. Plagiarism is a serious academic offence. Academic offences vary from cheating in the exams to essay writing offences such as plagiarism, ghost-writing, or overreliance on sources. Referencing causes difficulties to students and seasoned researchers alike. When and how to reference are common questions asked by students – particularly so by law students as case names, legislation, and conventions are not covered in referencing guides.