Citing and using sources
Welcome to the citation guide for LUT University students!
In this guide, you will find instructions for citing and referencing according to the Harvard referencing system. The Harvard system is not a specific citation style, but rather an author/date citation system, which means that there are several varieties of citation styles that all follow the guidelines of the Harvard system. In this guide, one such citation style is introduced. It is important that you use only one citation style consistently throughout your citations and references.
If you plan to use the example citations provided by databases (i.e. citation information you can copy to your clipboard, usually available through a cite function), remember to always check whether you need to modify the citation given by the database. The citation examples given by databases may not match the Harvard citation style you are using, and different databases may give citation information in different Harvard styles. The citation examples may also contain spelling mistakes or unnecessary information, or necessary information for the citation may be missing.
Make sure to always check the correctness of the citation information from the source file itself, not from the metadata (description information) of the source. For example, if your source is a scientific article/thesis that is available online, check the correctness of the information from the PDF file of the article/thesis, not for example the description information available on LUT Primo/LUTPub.
Note! Before choosing your citation style, confirm whether your study programme has a preferred style of citation. You should always follow the citation guidelines given by your study programme.
Why and how to cite
Carefully formulated, accurate references are an essential part of writing academic texts. Make sure that you correctly reference all the resources you have used.
When writing an academic text, you need to separate other writers’ information and ideas from your own by using in-text citations and a detailed bibliography. Without citations, the reader assumes that you are the author of all the information and ideas you put forward. Not using citations when they are due may lead to accusations of plagiarism.
A reference always consists of two parts: the in-text citation and bibliographic reference.
Your in-text citations and bibliographic references need to match, which means that the bibliography has to include references for all sources you cite in your text. Write the bibliographic references carefully and with as much detail as possible, so that the reader of your text is able to find the original sources if necessary.
The place of the citation indicates which part of the text the citation applies to.
If the referenced information is contained to only one sentence, the source is either mentioned narratively in the text or the citation is placed at the end of the sentence before the period.
If the referenced information is spread over many sentences, the citation is placed at the end of the last sentence after the period. In Finnish academic writing, another period is often placed inside the parentheses that mark the citation, turning the citation into its own sentence in a way. In international academic writing this method is rarely used. The most important point to remember is that you need to choose one style and use it consistently throughout your text.
If the reference concerns an entire text paragraph, the in-text citation can either be added at the end of the paragraph, or the reference can be placed in the text in a way that makes it clear that the information of the entire paragraph is from the same source.
Make sure to set aside enough time for writing the citations and the bibliography!
Structure of the bibliography
Structure of the in-text citation
