- Create a corrected reference library and text/list reconciliation record.
The templates below are fictional teaching examples, not published references. Replace every placeholder with verified source information.
APA (7th edition - summary)
Journal article reference:
Author, A. (Year). Title of article. Journal Title, volume(issue), pages. https://doi.org/xxxx
IEEE
In-text citations are numeric [1] and the reference list is numbered:
[1] A. Author, "Title of paper," Journal, vol., no., pp., year.
Harvard
Author-date system: (Author, Year) — references listed alphabetically.
Accurate citations from discovery to reference list
Follow the institution or journal’s chosen style. Verify author, year, title and identifier against the original source. Harvard has institution-specific variants. Never add fabricated or unverified references.
- Cross-check in-text citations and the reference list
- Verify DOI and bibliographic details at the source
- Record page numbers for quotations where required
- Review Zotero or EndNote output before delivery
Reference management without hidden errors
Create one project reference library and merge duplicates. Connect PDFs and notes to the correct record. Imported metadata may be incomplete; verify title, authors and year with the publisher.
Cite what you actually consulted
If the original source is inaccessible, use your style’s secondary-citation rules rather than implying you reviewed it. Ideas, data, figures and code can need attribution, not just direct wording. Check reuse licenses and permission for figures separately.
Final review
- Every citation points to the correct record.
- Removed references do not linger in the list.
- The final style follows current institutional guidance.
- DOIs, URLs and punctuation are checked.
Worked case and implementation decisions
The following is a fictional teaching case. Do not use its numbers or wording as actual study findings.
Do not transfer an imported search record directly into the final paper. In this exercise a record has a wrong year and an incomplete author list: compare the publisher or original document with its title and DOI, then correct the metadata. If you only read a secondary source, use the style’s permitted secondary-citation approach. A valid DOI attached to a different title is still wrong. Check quotation location and figure permissions separately. Names in the format examples above are fictional.
| Stage | Teaching example | Verification question |
|---|---|---|
| Discovery | Imported record with incomplete metadata | Has the original been found? |
| Correction | Title, authors, year and DOI | Do all identify one document? |
| Citation | Required outlet style | Are quotations and paraphrases distinct? |
| Reconciliation | Text versus reference list | Any orphan entries or citations? |
| Rights | Adapted figure and separate licence | Is permission and credit adequate? |
Exercise output: Create a corrected reference library and text/list reconciliation record.
Sources and further reading
Official sources for verification and further reading