Determining resource type?

Whatever type of resource you are referencing, there are a few details that should always be included in the reference:

• Author - who is the author of the work?

• Date - when was the work published?

• Title - what is the name of the work?

• Source - where can I find the work?

Some materials can be interpreted as more than one type of source, and there is not always only one correct answer. The important thing is that you try to include the above information, and that you are consistent. What information to include and in what order differs between referencing styles, so make sure you follow the basic structure of the references for the referencing style you are using in your work.

Keep in mind that making it easy for the reader to find the reference is key. For example, if the resource can be found on the web, the web address should usually be included. If you use the Vancouver style, information on publisher and place of publication should also be included. This information can often be found under 'About us' or 'Contact us' on web pages.

Square brackets to declare resource type

Square brackets are often used to help the reader understand what type of source a reference is. In the example below, in APA style, the information in brackets clarify that the source is a podcast, which would otherwise be difficult for the reader to detect:

Andersson, A., & Odlind, C. (Host) (November 2, 2022). What is autism? (No. 106) [Podcast]. In Medicinvetarna. Karolinska Institutet. https://tinyurl.com/9yc4mwd2

More examples can be found in our referencing guides:

• In the APA guide e.g.: [TV-show], [thesis], [facebook], [large language model] and [brochure].

• In the Vancouver guide e.g.: [doctoral thesis on the Internet], [X post], [blog post] and [text-to-image model].

You can use square brackets to describe other types of resources than those you find in our guides. Different types of references within a referencing style often follow the same basic structure, for example, the templates for report, brochure and web page are similar in both APA and Vancoucer styles. Hence, it is not crucial which of the templates you choose. For example, if you are referring to a manual, you can use the brochure template, but put [manual] in square brackets instead. Focus on your readers and help them to easily understand what type of source you have used!