Need more help with referencing?
Contact your Liaison Librarian.
More details and booking information can be found on the KnowHow Guide.
Bookings open approximately one month in advance.
Welcome to your Law Library Referencing page. If you have a specific question please check if the answer is included in the ‘Frequently Asked Questions’ section of this page. Please also ensure you complete the OSCOLA KnowHow Tutorial, review the OSCOLA referencing guides, and access Cite Them Right for citation examples. To access key library resources pertaining to your subject and/or discipline please visit the Law Library Guide. If you still have questions, please send an email to your Liaison Librarian at kate.murray@liverpool.ac.uk.
OSCOLA (Oxford Standard for the Citation of Legal Authorities) is the style used by the Law School at the University of Liverpool.
OSCOLA is minimal style and uses very little punctuation. It may be quite different to any referencing style you have used before, however the OSCOLA Quick Guide will help you by providing examples and advice on how to use OSCOLA in your work.
Use the guides below to help you format your references correctly in the OSCOLA style. The OSCOLA Quick Guide covers the majority of sources you will need to cite and provides additional advice, such as the best way to refer to the same source several times and incorporating quotations into your work.
OSCOLA referencing: Support and guidance Sway resource
The materials in this Sway file will help you to understand the importance of academic referencing and how to reference appropriately and in the correct style. The Sway file is a mixture of text, videos and activities to support the development of your referencing and academic integrity skills. Click on the three dots in the top right hand corner of the image below to open up the Sway in a new tab.
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The KnowHow OSCOLA Referencing tutorial provides you with detailed information on the OSCOLA referencing style and provides you with the opportunity to practice using the style with some activity questions.
The Cite Them Right website not only offers many examples on how to cite a variety of sources but also gives you an opportunity to practice citing your sources using a provided template for both the footnotes and bibliography.
For longer pieces of work such as dissertations, you may want to use reference management software. EndNote is available via the University network.
OSCOLA can be used with EndNote, although some editing of references may be required. For more information see the OSCOLA referencing software guidance created by the University of Oxford.
The University Library offers EndNote workshops for those new to the software. Check the Library Training Calendar for details.
