Skip to Main Content

Referencing - UK & EU Law: Book with one author

How do I reference a book with one author?

This guidance applies to print books and most e-books (see 'E-books', below).

author, | title | (additional information, | edition, | publisher | year)

Footnote:
e.g. Jonathan Herring, Family Law (6th edn, Pearson 2013)

Bibliography:
e.g. Herring J, Family Law (6th edn, Pearson 2013)

To pinpoint, follow the citation with the page number. To pinpoint several pages, insert a dash between the page numbers:
e.g. Jonathan Herring, Family Law (6th edn, Pearson 2013) 132

E-books

If an e-book has the same page numbers as in the printed version, cite the e-book as if it was the printed book.

If an e-book has no page numbers, cite the e-book as if it was the printed book and include the e-book type before the publisher. To pinpoint, give a chapter number or section number/name or paragraph number, e.g. William Lucy, Philosophy of Private Law (Kindle edn, OUP 2007) ch 1.

How to reference a book

The video uses an example of a book with two authors. Just follow the example in the box on the left to adapt this for a book with one author. 

Author

In a footnote, cite an author's name as: first name(s) or initial(s) | surname.

In a bibliography, cite an author's name as: surname | initial(s).

Do not include postnominals, such as QC.

If no individual author is identified, but an organisation (e.g. BBC) claims responsibility for the work, then cite it as the author.

If no person or organisation claims responsibility for the work, begin the citation with the title.

Title

Give the title of a book in italics.

Give the first letter of all major words a capital letter. Minor words (e.g. 'for', 'and', 'or', 'the') should not be capitalized, unless they begin a title or a subtitle.

If a book has a title and a subtitle that are not separated by punctuation, insert a colon : between them.

Additional information

Most books will not have 'additional information'.

This category is used to give descriptive information about a book not included in other parts of the reference.

For example, to indicate the item is a supplement to a main volume: e.g. Gareth Jones, Goff and Jones: The Law of Restitution (1st supp, 7th edn, Sweet & Maxwell 2009).

Edition

Do not give the edition number for the first edition of a book.

For all other editions, use this style: 2nd edn (or 'rev edn' for a revised edition).

Publisher and publication date

Give the name of the publisher and the year of publication, with a space but no punctuation between them.

You will need to look at the back of the title page to find the date of publication.

Do not include the place of publication.