Explanation
| Why use references? | A properly prepared reference to the literature shows that you have done your background research and enables another person to locate your source of information. |
| How do you refer to other sources? | You can use an author/date system or a numbering system. Choose one and be consistent. |
| How do you make a reference list? | Provide bibliographic details of all the references you mentioned (cited) in your report at the end of the report (not the ones you may have read but didn't mention). |
Various reference styles are used throughout Chemical Engineering because it is a very multi-disciplinary field (areas covered include chemistry, physics, mechanical engineering, applied mathematics, etc). As a result, there is no one absolutely accepted referencing style.
A good site describing the details of the different styles of referencing can be found here:
http://library.curtin.edu.au/referencing/
In-text referencing
The table below shows the way basic in-text references are done. Either method is acceptable, but your choice will affect the format of the reference list.
| Method | Example | Comments |
| Author/date | Process intensification is a strategy for making dramatic reductions in the size of a chemical plant so as to reach a given production objective (Ramshaw, 1995). | Author’s name and date of publication are inserted each time the source is referred to. |
| Number | Process intensification is a strategy for making dramatic reductions in the size of a chemical plant so as to reach a given production objective [12]. | A number is assigned to a source on its first appearance in a text; subsequent appearances are assigned the same number. |