Some academic staff may not want you to reference lectures and powerpoints used in class, and instead may prefer you to use academic sources. Check with your lecturers that it is ok to use these sources before doing so.
Lecturer, N. (Date). Title of the lecture [Format]. Web Platform. URL
King, M. (2021). Library induction [PowerPoint slides]. Moodle. https://moodle.napier.ac.uk/
To reference a test, scale, or inventory you need to provide a reference to the source it appears in. This may be a manual, an authored or edited book, or a journal article. Follow the guidelines on the relevant section to reference and cite.
If a test or scale does not appear in another source and instead appears directly on a website or database then you can cite it directly using the template below.
Author, N. (Year). Title of the Test (abbreviation) [Database record]. Database Name. URL
Alonso-Tapia, J., Nieto, C., Merino-Tejedor, E., Huertas, J.A., & Ruiz, M. (2018). Situated Goals Questionnaire for University Students (SGQ-U, CMS-U) [Database record]. PsycTESTS. https://doi.org/10.1037/t66267-000
Sources that cannot be accessed by your reader are referred to as personal communications. This would include emails, text messages, telephone conversations, live speeches, unrecorded classroom lectures etc.
You would only use this type of source when a recoverable source is not available. For example if you learnt about a topic during an unrecorded tutorial with no notes then you would use a source the lecturer based the content on. However, you may want to cite original content from your lecturer that is not published anywhere else.
Because these sources are not retrievable by your reader they are not included in the reference list, but you do need to cite them in the body of your assignment using the format below.
N. Author (personal communication, Month Day, Year)
(N. Author, personal communication, Month Day, Year)
M. King (personal communication, August 23, 2021)
Sometimes you may need to keep details about a source confidential, particularly if you have been on placement or you work for the organisation. This may be because the source includes private health information, or commercially sensitive information. For example, the NMC requires all internal information sources relating to placements to be anonymised for patient confidentiality.
The APA Manual does not provide a way to reference this, so Edinburgh Napier University's advice is below. Talk to your lecturer if you are unsure about confidentiality in your assignment.
Try to keep the source as anonymous as possible, without totally obscuring all the information that tells your reader what they need to know.
Give an anonymised description of the author eg. NHS Trust, Company A, Placement Company.
You may need to anonymise some or all of the title of sources as well. The NHS example below is for a source that includes the trust name in the title of the source, if your source doesn't then you can include the title in full.
NHS Trust. (2021). [NHS Trust] vaccination protocol [Unpublished confidential document]. NHS Scotland.
Company A. (2020). Annual strategy 2019-2020. [Unpublished confidential document].
Normally you would not use content from an assignment you have already submitted again, however it may occasionally be necessary to do this in some specific circumstances, e.g., when doing a two-part assignment or a portfolio with linked pieces of research.
If you do need to refer to a previous piece of work you have submitted then you must reference it as you would do any other source.
If you are not sure whether to reference your own work, check with your lecturer first.
Student surname, Initial. (Year). Title of essay/assignment [Unpublished essay]. Module code. Name of university.
King, M. (2009). Superiority, subordination or equality? Examining gender issues in Genesis [Unpublished essay]. BIB307. The University of Sheffield.
This guide contains examples of the most common sources you will need to reference. If you need to reference a source not listed in this guide check the Further Information box below for more information and support.
If you would like to reference a source not in this guide or have further questions you can:
Check the APA Style blog.
Have a look at the reading list of APA guides. These are physical copies you can borrow from the library.
Get in touch with the Library by emailing us at library@napier.ac.uk
We have also created the printable quick guide below which covers the basics of in-text citations and referencing.