The Oxford style is a referencing system in which a text's citations are written in footnotes. Here are explanations and examples of using footnotes and structuring references according to the Oxford style.
The examples on this page are based on Umeå University Library's version of the Oxford style.
References with footnotes
When you mention other people's texts or theories in an academic text, you need to make a clear reference to the sources you used. According to the Oxford style, references in the body of the text work like this:
Put a note (a raised number) immediately after the sentence or paragraph in which you refer to a source. Use the footnote function in Word or another word processing program. In some cases, you can also place the note elsewhere in the sentence.
At the bottom of the same page, the corresponding number appears in a footnote. This is where you write the information about the source you have used.
The first citation gets the number 1, and the next gets the number 2, and so on. Each citation receives a new number, regardless of whether you have already cited the same source.
At the end of your document, you collect all the sources you have used in an alphabetical reference list.
Full information the first time
The information about the source is written in a specific way in the footnote. The first time you refer to a source, you must include full information about the source's author, title and publication. You must also include the page number(s).
According to the Oxford style, the citations in the footnotes look almost the same as in the reference list. However, there are two differences:
The author's first name initial(s) is placed before the surname, but in the reference list, the surname should come first.
The page number(s) where you found the information should be included.
Examples of different types of sources
Book
Template
Author’s first name initial(s) and surname. Title. Edition (if not 1st). (Publisher, year of publication), page number(s).
Example
S. Rushdie. The ground beneath her feet. (Henry Holt, 1999), p. 168.
Book chapter
Template
Author’s first name initial(s) and surname. Title of the book chapter. In Editor(s) first name initial(s) and surname. (eds.). Title of book. Edition (if not 1:st). (Publisher, year of publication), page number(s).
Example
A. Malmberg. Beyond the cluster: local milieus and global connections. In J. Peck & H. Wai-chung Yeung. (eds.). Remaking the Global Economy. (Sage Publications, 2003), p. 145.
More information
Do not include the chapter page numbers in the reference; instead, enter this information in the reference list.
Article
Template
Author’s first name initial(s) and surname. Title of article. Journal name. Volume: Issue (Year of publication): Page number(s). Complete permanent link or URL (Access date).
Example
L. Lundmark. Economic Restructuring into Tourism in the Swedish Mountain Range. Scandinavian Journal of Hospitality and Tourism. 5: 1 (2005): p. 24. https://doi.org/10.1080/15022250510014273
More information
Do not include the article's page numbers in the reference; instead, enter this information in the reference list.
More examples of different types of sources
All different types of sources must be cited in specific ways. On the page "Oxford - writing reference list", you can see more examples of how to write the full information for different sources. Just remember to place the first name initial(s) first in the footnotes.
You only need to make a full citation the first time you use a source. If you refer to the same source again, you can instead make a shortened footnote and only include
the author's surname
the title of the source
page number(s).
Examples of a shortened footnote
Example
Rushdie. The ground beneath her feet, p. 169.
Example - four or more authors
Blocher et al. Cost management, p. 74-75.
More information
The title should be italicised only if the title is italicised in the reference list. Only the main title needs to be included for a shortened footnote.
If there are four or more authors, write only the first author’s surname followed by “et al.”.
A reference management program helps you to manage your references throughout the whole research process.
Questions about writing references?
Do you have questions about how to write a reference list or cite sources? Visit our drop-in sessions or schedule a tutoring appointment if you need help from a librarian. You can also submit short questions via chat and the contact form or ask the staff at the information desk.
