Attribution vs. referencing
‘Attribution’ is an umbrella term around providing source information for, or credit to, a resource and its creators. Attribution can be simple or quite detailed, depending on the requirements of the copyright owner or how material is being used. It’s therefore important to always check what ‘attribution’ means for every resource you’d like to use.
Referencing is a specialised form of attribution that has differing requirements (‘rules’) based on the referencing style. While requirements vary by style, the basics are usually the same – what the resource is, who created it and when, and where/how it is accessible.
Attribution/referencing is a requirement in Australia under 'moral rights' in the Copyright Act (see below).
There may be times you will need to use a mix of referencing and other attribution elements. For example, where you use Creative Commons (CC)-licensed material in a thesis or publication, you may need to follow a particular referencing style but still provide the licence and usage information needed for the CC attribution.
Best practice
- Double-check what type/level of attribution is needed for your use of third-party copyright material. Where referencing is your required attribution, make sure that you follow the referencing style guidelines.
- Attribution/referencing alone may not be enough to use copyright material – you may still need to seek permission from the copyright owner (see Using copyright material above).
- Hyperlinking text may be required as part of the attribution (see the examples in the PDF below).
- Looking for resources that don’t need attribution? Check our Free and open-licensed resources page.
The University of Newcastle acknowledges the traditional custodians of the lands within our footprint areas: Awabakal, Darkinjung, Biripai, Worimi, Wonnarua, and Eora Nations. We also pay respect to the wisdom of our Elders past and present.