Referencing in the Halls of Oxford

Unlike Harvard referencing style which uses in-line parenthetical references but ignores footnote, endnote and bibliographic details, Oxford style guidelines give specific rules for both in-line referencing using a numerical mark or key system and detailed guidelines regarding notation and general bibliographic methods. Oxford style uses a combination of in-line notations, footnotes, endnotes, and annotated bibliographic appendices, leading to its designation as a “documentary-note” referencing system. It is most commonly found in the fields of history and philosophy, but has on frequent occasion appeared outside those fields. Authors who wish to reduce distractions from the material they are presenting while simultaneously honoring the intellectual rights of his or her sources favor it over other methods.

Oxford In-Line References

Oxford in-line notations consist of an organized numeric supra-script (above-line) system where each notation relates to a specific footnote or endnote containing the citation reference or additional materials. The in-line notations can be chapter-specific (restarting at one with each new chapter or section) or document-wide (continuous numbering from the beginning of the document or book to end).

These notations are used each time information or ideas from research source are used. The notation marks are sequentially numbered in the order they appear and are normally found at the end of the sentence, rather than after the specific section to which they refer. An exception to this is when a direct quote is used. In such case, the mark should be inserted immediately after the quote when possible.

As a historical note, in-line referencing was once page-specific with printer’s daggers used instead of numbers. This practice has fallen out of favor and is rarely seen today.

Footnotes and Endnotes

Naturally, since the in-line references are sequentially numbered, so too are the associated footnotes or endnotes. For sequential notes that reference the same source as the previous note, the notation “ibid” is used, noting only differences in page numbers referenced if appropriate. The use of footnotes and endnotes is also used for side comments or noting related materials that may not fit smoothly into the text itself. This use does not affect the numeric sequence of references, instead incorporating such information into the body of the notation sequence.

Endnotes can be formatted in several ways. In books where all references are sequentially numbered beginning to end, endnotes are found in the same format at the end of the book, preceding the annotated bibliography and any index that might be used. In documents where the notations begin at one with each chapter or section, endnotes will be divided into “chapters” in the end-of-book matter or can be inserted at the end of each related chapter or section.

The Oxford Bibliography

In addition to the in-line/notation requirements, the Oxford system calls for an annotated bibliography at the end of the document or book, located after any endnotes and just before the index, if present. A bibliography is the listing (alphabetically) of all sources used in the associated document or book. Under the Oxford system, each entry will include a brief description of the source and its relevance to the document. The bibliography will also have a list of works that may have been consulted or studied but which were not directly used or referenced in the associated document or book. Additionally, an Oxford bibliography may include a secondary bibliography of materials not used or referenced, but that may be of interest in relationship to the materials that were included in the document or book.

Summarizing and Paraphrasing

Under Oxford referencing, both summarization and paraphrasing is permissible. Writers are often confused about the difference between these two concepts. To set the record straight, according to Oxford style guidelines, summarizing is the condensing of a longer document into a paragraph or two, touching upon highlights and critical information; paraphrasing is the summarization of the meaning, conclusion or enlightenment presented by a source into one or two sentences, focusing on the message, rather than specific content.

Quotations

There is a rule in Oxford referencing regarding quotations. Quotes of less than thirty words are usually presented in an existing, related paragraph, with the supra-script notation immediately following. Quotations longer than thirty words are separated into a paragraph of their own with the entire paragraph indented an additional four-tenths of an inch from the left margin. In the same manner as shorter quotes, the supra-script notion should immediately follow the quotation. An additional note should be made regarding using a third-party quote (a quote from one writer found cited in the work of another). The supra-script is performed as normal, but the original author should be cited (with source) and a notation regarding it being cited in the second work should be made. Such citation may look something like this:

G. Bush, U.S. President, 2005 State of the Union, cited in T. Wyldstar, The Unconstitutional President, Wyldstar Publications, Thornton, Colorado, 2008, p. 128

Specific Citation Formats

Oxford style also specifies specific citation formats. Though the exact order varies, depending upon the type of source material, there are key commonalities between them. Authors and/or Editors must be given proper credit and extensive details regarding the identity of the source document are required. In the case of Internet accessed sources, the exact location must be noted, along with the date the materials were accessed. This last part is due to the extent to which Internet content changes over time with some sources being physically altered and others being deleted altogether.

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