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Referencing style - AGLC4: Introduction

This Guide provides basic information on formatting references according to the Australian Guide to Legal Citation 4. It also provides information on using AGLC4 with EndNote.

The Australian Guide to Legal Citation

 

The Australian Guide to Legal Citation is a referencing style for legal citations that consists of:

  1. Citations in the body of the page, using a superscript (raised) number that is placed directly after punctuation or text

  2. A list of footnotes at the bottom (foot) of each page, for all citations on that page

  3. Possibly a bibliography (ask your instructor or publisher). If a bibliography is required it should be provided at the end of the paper and give details of each source mentioned in the text, as well as details of other sources consulted in preparing the paper

 

 

 Accessing the official AGLC Guide (4th edition) 

 
Print copies are available in the Law Library High Demand collection at 340.148 2018 AUS.
 

 Coverage of our UWA Library Guide 

The full AGLC4 is very extensive and provides specific Rules relating to formatting and constructing citations properly in your Footnotes, as well as your Bibliography.

Please note that this UWA Library Guide is NOT exhaustive. It simply lists examples of the most common reference types, focusing on Australian materials. Need more information? Can't find an example for a source you want to cite?  Consult the full AGLC4 manual online. 

In certain parts of the Reference Formats section, we have included information on some common mistakes that can be made, when using this referencing Style and the Rules to consult to avoid making these common mistakes. Applying incorrect formatting will lead to inaccurate and inconsistent citations, so we encourage you to read these common mistakes carefully, to ensure that you avoid making them!      

 Important!  What to do if your source doesn’t match any the available templates:

See page xi of the manual: “It may be helpful to analogise with existing rules. However, there is often no single correct way to cite a source and it will be a matter of judgment as to which rule to adhere to. As long as you are clear and consistent, you cannot go wrong.” In other words, find the reference type that most closely matches your source and adapt it according to the general AGLC rules. Put differently, find the best fit!

The importance of citing legal sources

Referencing or citing your sources is an important part of academic writing. It lets you:

  • acknowledge the ideas or words of others if you use them in your work

  • demonstrate that you've read relevant literature

  • provide authority for your arguments

  • avoid plagiarism

The UWA Law School requires students to use the Australian Guide to Legal Citation for formatting references.

Contact for support

Email your questions to our friendly library staff.

Students

web.uwa.edu.au/askuwa

HDR Students

hdrsupport-lib@uwa.edu.au

UWA Staff

staffsupport-lib@uwa.edu.au

More contact options are available on the Library Contact us page.

What's changed in AGLC4?

Need to use a different style?

Need to use another style? Visit our other Referencing Guides.

Using AGLC4 Referencing Style: an introductory video

This video provides an introduction on how to reference using the AGLC4 style. The video covers basic principles of AGLC4, how to use the UWA Library Guide in relation to AGLC4, to reference different formats and common issues students may experience when using AGLC4. 

 

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