Referencing style help A referencing style is a set of guidelines on how to appropriately acknowledge the ideas, works, and thoughts of others. In order to write academically successfully, avoid plagiarism, and uphold academic integrity in your projects and research, you must use references. View an Introduction to Referencing (YouTube, 3 minutes and 43 seconds). Which referencing style should I use? Check the course profile or speak with your lecturer to determine the appropriate format. Although certain fields or schools adhere to a set format, it is nevertheless possible that your lecturer will insist on using a different format. There is no prevailing fashion at UQ. Researchers should review the journal's Instructions for Authors before submitting their work for publication. These guidelines are typically available on the journal's website. Readers can concentrate on the information in your reference list and easily identify the types of sources you used as well as the crucial reference information (who, when, what, and where) when references are formatted consistently. Readers won't have to waste time figuring out how you arranged the content if you offer each reference consistently. Reading reference lists in other people's works that are prepared in APA Style also saves time and effort while conducting your own literature search.