Citing your sources

Plagiarism means using someone else's work without acknowledging them. This can be using another’s work without a citation or using your own work without citing yourself (‘self-plagiarism’). Plagiarism is a major academic offence. To avoid plagiarism, you must cite any text, idea, image, or data that is not your own in your work.

Information for students

Wageningen University & Research performs plagiarism checks on all student assignments. Plagiarism is taken seriously and will lead to consequences like failing your assignment or facing disciplinary action. Refer to the Regulations and Guidelines of the Examining Boards for additional information.

For staff

Most scientific journals also use plagiarism detection software. You can request a Similarity check (TurnItIn) at the Copyright Information Point.

By citing and referencing, you:

• distinguish your ideas and findings from those of others;
• support your arguments and criticisms;
• allow readers to locate and verify your sources;
• give authors of these sources credit for their work; and
• avoid plagiarism!

You need to cite every source you use in your work. Give preference to citing reliable sources, such as peer-reviewed scientific articles. Whenever possible, use the primary source of information, meaning the original work. Only when you cannot find the primary source of information are you allowed to cite and refer to a secondary source of information: a source which cites another source. Follow the instructions of your chosen citation style to know how to cite a secondary source correctly. The only exception is common knowledge.  These are well-known facts that everyone is aware of. You don’t need to cite a source for these. 

Properly citing and referencing consists of two key components:

• In-text citation: You immediately acknowledge your source in your text and let your reader know which sources you used for which statement. This is an abbreviated version of what will be included in the reference list. You must cite as close as possible to the fragment for which the source belongs.  
• Entry in a reference list: usually, the reference list is given at the end of your text and includes all the references that were cited in the text. It should include all the bibliographic details that are needed to locate the referenced sources.  

When citing in the text and creating your reference list, you will need to follow a specific citation style consistently throughout your document. 

There are many different citation styles to choose from, generally classified into two main categories: author-date styles and numbered styles. Wageningen University & Research (WUR) does not prescribe a specific citation style. You are free to select the style that best fits your work, unless your supervisor or lecturer specifies otherwise. It is recommended to use the citation style most commonly applied within your discipline.

When publishing in a scientific journal, you are required to follow the citation style prescribed by that journal. Once you have selected a style, consult the official guidelines for precise instructions on how to format in-text citations and reference lists.

The following are examples of how to cite and refer to a scientific article in a few different citation styles.

APA7th (author date) 

In-text citation: (Rishi & Gauli, 2005) 
Reference list entry: Rishi, P., & Gauli, K. (2005). Who should lead us?: the voice of the western Terai region of Nepal. International Forestry Review, 7(3), 235-240. https://doi.org/10.1505/ifor.2005.7.3.235

The Radboud LibGuide on APA 7 contains detailed guidelines on using APA 7. You can also check these Reference examples on the APA website.

Science (numbered)  

In-text citation: (1) 

Reference list entry: 1.  P. Rishi, K. Gauli, Who should lead us?: the voice of the western Terai region of Nepal. Int. For. Rev.7, 235-240 (2005).

For the Science style, please consult these Instructions.

Oscola (numbered) – suitable for legal sources  

In-text citation: ¹

In footnotes (no reference list): Rishi P and Gauli K, 'Who should lead us?: the voice of the western Terai region of Nepal' (2005) 7 International Forestry Review 235

You can find detailed instructions on how to cite and refer in the OSCOLA style on the website of Oxford University.

Note that the style you choose not only influences your in-text citations and your reference list. The style guidelines also include instructions on how to format your document. They explain which information is required on your title page, where to place page numbers, whether the title of your figures or tables is placed above or under the figure or the table, etc. 

You can save considerable time by using reference management (citation) software. Several tools are available, such as Zotero (open source) and EndNote (licensed). Wageningen University & Research (WUR) provides a license for EndNote. This software allows you to easily format citations and reference lists according to the required style.

WUR Library offers support for EndNote. The program can be downloaded free of charge via the WUR Software Centre (for staff) or the WUR App Store (for students). The Library also regularly provides training sessions on Getting to know EndNote and Working collaboratively with EndNote for staff and students. and you can find more information in this knowledge article on using EndNote for your literature references.

AI tools can be helpful when writing, but they also raise important questions about quality, reliability, and academic integrity. Because AI can introduce bias or inaccuracies, it’s important to use it with care. Another issue is authorship: who actually owns AI-generated content? Current copyright and intellectual property laws don’t yet give clear answers. And in some cases, using AI tools can even lead to plagiarism.

Whether you’re a student working on an assignment or a researcher preparing a publication, you must always document how you used AI. Keep clear records for transparency and proper referencing, and save any outputs you generate.

Finally, remember: AI-generated texts or images are not primary sources of information. Don’t cite them as authors or references. Instead, always find, read, and cite the original (primary) sources of information.

Are you a student? Read How to document your GenAI use?.

Are you a WUR researcher, PhD candidate or postdoc? WUR Library urges you to be transparent in your use of AI tools and to always check a publisher’s policy before including AI-generated content in your publication. Most publishers require that you explicitly mention your use of AI, while others forbid its use for certain purposes, such as creating figures.