Abstract:

Referencing refers to any form of citing a source in a document. References can be detailed or non-detailed. The sources to which the references refer can be diverse, and regardless of the types, they can be in analogue or digital form. Anonymous sources are undesirable and should be avoided as much as possible. This means putting more effort into searching for alternative sources and finding relevant ones, with a preference for the primary ones.

If the author does not state the source from which he took some information, then it is assumed that it is the author's original work, and if it is not already taken from an unlisted source, then we are talking about plagiarism and its possible consequences and sanctions. Referencing is necessary not only when using other author's texts, but also when using their tables, graphs, figures, diagrams, etc., anything that is not the result of the author's work.

Many styles are used for reference, but most of them can be grouped into three main types: text referencing, footnote referencing, and numerical referencing. The most famous styles are Harvard, American Psychological Association (APA), Modern Language Association (MLA), Vancouver, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), Oxford, and Chicago. Regardless of what type and style of referencing are used, it is important to be clear about what is taken from external sources and what is the author’s original contribution.

Referencing is often a tedious process, requiring a lot of time and the necessary consistency of using the same style within a single document, so the software can help us greatly in this task. This article presents some commonly used reference management programs.

Three studies were conducted, the results of which are presented in the article. The first is a study on the use of reference styles of Croatian scientific and professional journals available through Hrčak - Portal of scientific journals of Croatia, using their instructions for authors. The second research is the analysis of instructions for students of faculties and departments of Croatian universities. The third survey was conducted through a questionnaire completed by one hundred students, which provided insight into their knowledge and practice of using reference styles and accompanying software.

Keywords:

Referencing Styles, Zotero, Mendeley, Science, Education, Publications, Students.