Academic Referencing Guide

Clear examples of every citation format used in Nigerian and African universities — APA, MLA, Harvard, Chicago, and OSCOLA. Free, no account needed.

📘 APA — 7th Edition Most common in Nigeria
American Psychological Association. Used in: Social Sciences, Psychology, Nursing, Business, Education, Economics, Mass Communication.
In-text citation format
(Smith, 2020)One author, no page
(Smith, 2020, p. 45)With page number
(Smith & Jones, 2020)Two authors
(Smith et al., 2020)Three or more authors
JOURNAL ARTICLE
Okafor, C. N., & Adeyemi, T. A. (2022). Digital banking adoption and financial inclusion in Nigeria. African Journal of Finance and Economics, 18(2), 45–67. https://doi.org/10.1234/ajfe.2022.045
BOOK
Nwachukwu, E. B. (2021). Research methods for social scientists in Africa (3rd ed.). University of Ibadan Press.
CHAPTER IN EDITED BOOK
Eze, P. C. (2023). Corporate governance in Nigerian banks. In O. A. Babatunde (Ed.), Financial regulation in West Africa (pp. 78–101). Springer.
WEBSITE / REPORT
Central Bank of Nigeria. (2023). Annual economic report 2022. https://www.cbn.gov.ng/reports/annreport.asp
KEY RULES
  • Reference list title: References (centred, bold)
  • Hanging indent for all entries — second line indented 0.5 inch
  • Alphabetical order by first author's surname
  • Do not number the reference list entries
  • Italicise journal name and volume number, not issue number
  • Include DOI as a hyperlink (https://doi.org/...) whenever available
  • Abbreviate "editor" as Ed. / "editors" as Eds. in book chapters
  • For Nigerian government reports: treat the ministry/agency as author
📗 MLA — 9th Edition
Modern Language Association. Used in: English Language & Literature, Linguistics, Arts, Philosophy, Humanities.
In-text citation format
(Smith 45)Author + page. No comma.
(Smith and Jones 102)Two authors
(Smith et al. 67)Three or more authors
JOURNAL ARTICLE
Okafor, Chukwuemeka N., and Taiwo A. Adeyemi. "Digital Banking Adoption and Financial Inclusion in Nigeria." African Journal of Finance and Economics, vol. 18, no. 2, 2022, pp. 45–67. DOI:10.1234/ajfe.2022.045.
BOOK
Nwachukwu, Emeka B. Research Methods for Social Scientists in Africa. 3rd ed., University of Ibadan Press, 2021.
CHAPTER IN EDITED BOOK
Eze, Pius C. "Corporate Governance in Nigerian Banks." Financial Regulation in West Africa, edited by Olu A. Babatunde, Springer, 2023, pp. 78–101.
WEBSITE
Central Bank of Nigeria. "Annual Economic Report 2022." CBN, 2023, www.cbn.gov.ng/reports/annreport.asp. Accessed 12 Jan. 2024.
KEY RULES
  • Reference list title: Works Cited
  • Hanging indent on all entries
  • Author format: Last, First. (only first listed author is reversed)
  • Use "and" between authors — not "&"
  • No comma between author name and page number in in-text: (Smith 45) not (Smith, 45)
  • Italicise journal names, book titles, and website names
  • Capitalise all major words in article titles (Title Case)
📙 Harvard Referencing Common in Sciences
Author-date system. Used in: Natural Sciences, Business, Law (some institutions), Medicine, Public Health.
In-text citation format
(Smith 2020)One author
(Smith 2020, p. 45)With page
(Smith and Jones 2020)Two authors — use "and"
(Smith et al. 2020)Three or more authors
JOURNAL ARTICLE
Okafor, C.N. and Adeyemi, T.A. (2022) 'Digital banking adoption and financial inclusion in Nigeria', African Journal of Finance and Economics, 18(2), pp. 45–67. doi: 10.1234/ajfe.2022.045.
BOOK
Nwachukwu, E.B. (2021) Research methods for social scientists in Africa. 3rd edn. Ibadan: University of Ibadan Press.
CHAPTER IN EDITED BOOK
Eze, P.C. (2023) 'Corporate governance in Nigerian banks', in Babatunde, O.A. (ed.) Financial regulation in West Africa. Berlin: Springer, pp. 78–101.
WEBSITE / REPORT
Central Bank of Nigeria (2023) Annual economic report 2022. Available at: https://www.cbn.gov.ng/reports/annreport.asp (Accessed: 12 January 2024).
KEY RULES
  • Reference list title: Reference List
  • Alphabetical by author surname; hanging indent
  • Year in brackets immediately after author: Smith, A.B. (2020)
  • Use "and" between authors — NOT "&"
  • Italicise journal names and book titles only; article titles use single quotes
  • Use "edn" not "ed." for edition: 2nd edn
  • Include publisher city for books
  • For website: always include "Available at:" and "(Accessed: Date)"
📒 Chicago — 17th Edition
Two variants — use Author-Date for sciences/social sciences, Notes-Bibliography for humanities, history, theology, and religious studies.
AUTHOR-DATE STYLE (Sciences & Social Sciences)
In-text
(Smith 2020, 45)Author, year, page
JOURNAL ARTICLE
Okafor, Chukwuemeka N., and Taiwo A. Adeyemi. 2022. "Digital Banking Adoption and Financial Inclusion in Nigeria." African Journal of Finance and Economics 18 (2): 45–67. https://doi.org/10.1234/ajfe.2022.045.
BOOK
Nwachukwu, Emeka B. 2021. Research Methods for Social Scientists in Africa. 3rd ed. Ibadan: University of Ibadan Press.
NOTES-BIBLIOGRAPHY STYLE (Humanities, History, Religion, Theology)
In-text — footnote number only
word or phrase1Superscript immediately after cited text
FOOTNOTE — Journal (first citation)
1 Chukwuemeka N. Okafor and Taiwo A. Adeyemi, "Digital Banking Adoption and Financial Inclusion in Nigeria," African Journal of Finance and Economics 18, no. 2 (2022): 47.
FOOTNOTE — subsequent citation
3 Okafor and Adeyemi, "Digital Banking Adoption," 52.
BIBLIOGRAPHY entry (reference list)
Okafor, Chukwuemeka N., and Taiwo A. Adeyemi. "Digital Banking Adoption and Financial Inclusion in Nigeria." African Journal of Finance and Economics 18, no. 2 (2022): 45–67.
KEY RULES
  • Author-Date reference list title: References
  • Notes-Bibliography reference list title: Bibliography
  • Author-Date: year comes after author name — Smith, John. 2020.
  • Notes-Bibliography: year inside parentheses at end of citation
  • Footnote numbers restart per chapter (notes) or run continuously
  • For N-B style, "ibid." for immediately repeated source
⚖️ OSCOLA — 4th Edition Nigerian Law Standard
Oxford University Standard for the Citation of Legal Authorities. Mandatory in Nigerian and UK Law faculties. Used in: Law, Legal Studies, International Relations, Jurisprudence.
In-text — FOOTNOTE NUMBERS ONLY (never author-date)
...argued by the court.1Superscript number after punctuation
ibidWhen citing immediately preceding source again
Chianu (n 3) 245Shortened form for later reference to footnote 3
CASES (footnote format)
1 Donoghue v Stevenson [1932] AC 562
2 Adesanya v President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria [1981] 2 NCLR 358
3 AG Federation v AG Abia State & Ors [2002] 6 NWLR (Pt 764) 542
Format: Party v Party [Year] Volume Report Page · Case names MUST be italic
NIGERIAN STATUTES
Companies and Allied Matters Act 2020, s 27
Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended), s 36(1)
Evidence Act 2011, s 84
Format: Full statute name Year, s Section · No italics for statutes
BOOKS
LP Thean, Law of Contract (2nd edn, Butterworths 2003) 45
E Chianu, Evidence Law in Nigeria (Ambik Press 2014) 112
Format: Author, Title (Edition if not 1st, Publisher Year) Pinpoint page
JOURNAL ARTICLES
Emeka Chianu, 'Corruption and the Rule of Law in Nigeria' (2010) 54 J Afr L 233, 245
Format: Author, 'Title' (Year) Volume Journal Abbreviation First Page, Pinpoint
BIBLIOGRAPHY — four headed sections
Cases
Adesanya v President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria [1981] 2 NCLR 358
Donoghue v Stevenson [1932] AC 562

Legislation
Companies and Allied Matters Act 2020
Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended)

Books
Chianu E, Evidence Law in Nigeria (Ambik Press 2014)

Articles
Chianu E, 'Corruption and the Rule of Law in Nigeria' (2010) 54 J Afr L 233
KEY RULES
  • NEVER use author-date in text — ONLY footnote superscripts
  • Case names MUST be italic (Party v Party)
  • No full stop at the end of footnote citations
  • No "p." or "pp." before page numbers — just the number
  • No "et al." — list all authors; for 5+ write "Author and others"
  • Use "ibid" (not "ibid.") for immediately preceding source
  • Bibliography: Cases → Legislation → Books → Articles (always this order)
  • Within each section, alphabetical order by party name / author surname
📊 Quick Comparison — All Styles
Choose the right citation style based on your department and the instruction in your course outline.
Style In-text format Reference list title Typical departments
APA 7th (Author, Year) or (Author, Year, p. X) References Social Sciences, Psychology, Nursing, Business, Education, Mass Comm
MLA 9th (Author Page) — no comma Works Cited English, Literature, Linguistics, Arts, Philosophy
Harvard (Author Year) or (Author Year, p. X) Reference List Sciences, Medicine, Public Health, Business (some)
Chicago A-D (Author Year, Page) References Sciences, Social Sciences (author-date variant)
Chicago N-B Footnote superscript ¹ Bibliography History, Religion, Theology, Arts, Archaeology
OSCOLA Footnote superscript ¹ Cases / Legislation / Books / Articles Law, Legal Studies, Jurisprudence
📌 When your lecturer doesn't specify
  • Arts & Humanities — default to APA or MLA; confirm with your department
  • Law — OSCOLA is the universal standard for Nigerian law faculties
  • Sciences & Engineering — APA or Harvard; IEEE for engineering conference papers
  • Business & Accounting — APA is the safest default
  • Religion & Theology — Chicago Notes-Bibliography or Turabian (a variant of Chicago)
  • When in doubt, check your institution's postgraduate handbook or ask your supervisor

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