House style for referencing
Good referencing is an important part of our work. Our style for referencing allows us to provide a source for information provided, credit the work of others and help readers to find the sources that have been quoted.
The King's Fund house style for written content is available here.
For reports, briefings and submissions, The King’s Fund uses an author–date referencing system based on the Harvard system. This involves using short author–date references in the text, with the full references in an alphabetical list at the end under the heading of References. We avoid using footnotes or endnotes for referencing and other uses.
Full references for commonly cited sources (including the Long Term Plan, NHS Interim People Plan, GP Patient Survey and the NHS Staff Survey) have been included at the end of this guide.
For digital content, sources should be hyperlinked directly from the content to the source. For accessibility and ease of use, hyperlinks should be embedded within the phrase you wish to reference:
Charities have been hit particularly hard by the economic consequences of Covid-19, losing an estimated £4 billion of income in the first three months of lockdown.
Short references
Single authors
Short references in the main text consist of the author’s surname and the year in which the publication was published in brackets, eg:
(Durcan 2020)
Note: for online publications/web pages, the date should be the publication date of the page/article not the copyright date of the website. Web pages with no publication date displayed should be listed as ‘undated’, not ‘n.d.’
Style note: no comma between surname and year. If the author name is an organisation, do not shorten in short references.
Multiple authors
Where there are two authors, the short reference should include the surname of both authors separated by ‘and’, eg:
(Stevenson and Heller 2007)
If a short reference refers to a publication with more than two authors, include the first author’s surname, followed by et al (in italics, no full point), eg:
(Ross et al 2020)
Name all authors of the full publication in the references section at the end.
Text extracts
If the reference relates to specific text extracts in a publication, include the page numbers in the short reference, eg:
(Durcan 2020, p 12)
Note: no comma between the name and the year, but a comma between the year and the page numbers.
Multiple short references
If several publications are referred to within one sentence in the main text, include all the short references within one set of brackets, separated by semi-colons, most recent first, eg:
(Timmins 2019; Warmington 2018; Charles 2017)
Multiple publications by the same author
If a short reference refers to more than one publication by the same author, give the author’s surname once, followed by the years of each publication (most recent first) separated by commas, eg:
(Stevenson 2002, 2001)
Authors with the same surname
If there are two different authors with the same surname, whose publications are published in the same year, include their initials to avoid ambiguity, eg:
(Smith A 2006; Smith C 2006)
Personal communications
Reference any information supplied to the author in a personal communication in the text as (J Briggs, personal communication 2001) or (community psychiatric nurse, personal communication 2003), and don’t list it elsewhere, although do provide some mention within the text as to how this information was gathered.
Interviews
Quotes from interviews you have carried out as part of your research need to be clearly cited. Reference as (A Jones, interview) or (emergency care nurse, interview). These sources do not need to be listed in the references section, but please do provide information in the text about how the interviews were carried out.
See also unnamed authors.
Full references
Full references are presented in an alphabetical list at the end of a publication. The references should be styled as follows.
Books/printed publications
Include all the authors’ surnames and initials (don’t use et al), year, title and subtitle (if applicable), place of publication and publisher, add a hyperlink if available and a date the link was accessed, eg:
Oliver D, Foot C, Humphries R (2014). Making our health and care systems fit for an ageing population. London: The King’s Fund. Available at: www.kingsfund.org.uk/publications/making-our-health-and-care-systems-fit-ageing-population (accessed on 9 April 2014).
It is good practice to link to the page from which the publication can be downloaded, rather than direct to a pdf.
Style notes:
no full points after authors’ initials
the date should be in brackets followed by a full point
all words in the title and subtitle should be in italics
in the title, the first word should have an initial caps, the remainder (including first word of subtitle) should be in lower case unless they are proper nouns
separate the title and subtitle with a colon unless there is a question mark at the end of the title, in which case no punctuation required between the two
remove ‘https://’ if the URL contains ‘www’.
Where the document referred to is not a publication as such but is another printed format, such as a briefing document, specify this after the title, styled in roman with an initial cap. For example:
Dayan M, Arora S, Rosen R, Curry C (2014). Is general practice in crisis? Policy briefing 1. London: Nuffield Trust. Available at: www.nuffieldtrust.org.uk/publications/general-practice-crisis (accessed on 25 March 2015).
Books/printed publications with editor(s)
Include details as above, but replace author name with editor name and follow with ed or eds in brackets, eg:
Vivian VL (ed) (1985). Child abuse and neglect. Chicago: American Medical Association.
Note: It would be unusual to use this reference unless providing a list for further reading. You are more likely to need to cite a chapter within an edited collection (see below).
Articles or chapters in a book or printed publication
Include all chapter author surnames and initials, year, title of article/chapter, subtitle of article/chapter (if applicable), editor surnames and initials, title and subtitle of book/publication, pages numbers of the article/chapter, place of publication, publisher, eg:
Weinstein L (1974). ‘Pathologic properties of invading micro-organisms’ in Sodeman W, Sodeman WA (eds), Pathologic physiology, pp 457–72. Philadelphia: Saunders.
Style notes: use roman in inverted commas for the article or chapter title. You only need to include ‘in’ after the title in books/publications, not in journals.
Editions of book/publications
Give the edition of a publication if it’s second edition or later, putting it after the title, eg:
Duman M (2003). Producing patient information: how to research, develop and produce effective information resources, 2nd ed. London: The King’s Fund.
Journal articles
Include author surnames and initials, year, title of article, journal title, volume number, number (if applicable), page numbers, eg:
McDaid D (2001). ‘Estimating the costs of informal care for people with Alzheimer’s disease: methodological and practical challenges’. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, vol 16, no 4, pp 400–5.
Online journal articles often follow a different numbering system to printed versions. Please check the information provided matches with the correct article. An online journal article would be referenced as follows:
Millett C, Lee JT, Laverty AA, Glantz SA, Majeed A (2013). ‘Hospital admissions for childhood asthma after smoke-free legislation in England’. Pediatrics, vol 131, no 2, pp e495–e501. Available at: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4528337/ (accessed on 21 February 2020).
Style notes:
use roman in inverted commas for the article title
use an initial cap for the first word only in the article title
all other words in the title and subtitle should be lower case unless they are proper nouns
the closing quotation mark in the article title comes before the full stop
separate the title and subtitle with a colon unless there is a question mark at the end of the title, in which case no punctuation required between the two
if the article is behind a paywall include (£) after the hyperlink.
Digital content
If a reference refers to a web page or document that is only available online, replace place and publisher with the name of the organisation hosting the website followed by the word ‘website’, as well as the URL and details of when it was last accessed.
Web pages
Please note that the titles of web pages should be presented in roman, bracketed by single quotes. For example:
NHS England (2015). ‘A&E attendances and emergency admissions 2014–15’. NHS England website. Available at: www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/ae-waiting-times-and-activity/weekly-ae-sitreps-2014-15/ (accessed on 27 February 2015).
Online publications
The titles of online publications or information materials (ie, documents that are available as downloads) should be put in italics without single quotes and including ‘[online]’. For example:
Monitor (2014). NHS foundation trusts: consolidated accounts 2013/14 [online]. Monitor website. Available at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/nhs-foundation-trusts-consolidated-accounts-201314 (accessed on 9 March 2015).
Where the document referred to is not a publication as such but is other online content, eg a press release or blog, specify this after the title, styled in roman with an initial cap. For example:
Oliver D (2015). ‘Enhancing health care in care homes: integration in practice’. Blog. The King’s Fund website. Available at: www.kingsfund.org.uk/blog/2015/05/enhancing-health-care-care-homes-integration-practice (accessed on 28 May 2015).
Newspaper articles
List these as part of the main bibliography in alphabetical order. Include article author (or newspaper title if no named author), year, article title, newspaper title, date, page number (if available), as well as the URL and details of when it was last accessed, eg:
Halliday J (2020). ‘Councils given five minutes' notice of local lockdown confirmation’ [online]. The Guardian, 2 October. Available at: www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/oct/02/councils-given-five-minutes-notice-of-local-lockdown-confirmation (accessed on 2 October 2020).
or
Washington Post, editorial (1989). ‘CFCs may be destroyed by natural process’. The Washington Post, 7 August, p 2.
Note: check that you have the correct newspaper title – some italicise the ‘The’ and some don’t, eg, The Times, The Independent, The Guardian, but the Daily Telegraph, the Financial Times. If you’re not sure, follow the newspaper’s masthead.
Podcasts
Short references for podcasts should include the podcast name and year of publication and it should be clear in the text who is speaking, for example:
Professor Dame Elizabeth Anionwu spoke about her experiences of negative working cultures (The King’s Fund podcast 2020).
Full references should include podcast title, year of publication, the title of the episode and date published, format, URL and date accessed, eg:
The King’s Fund podcast (2020). ‘Professor Dame Elizabeth Anionwu: nursing, resilience and building statues’, 20 September. Podcast. Available at: www.kingsfund.org.uk/audio-video/podcast/elizabeth-anionwu-nursing-resilience-statues (accessed on 6 October 2020).
Tweets
Short references for Tweets should include the author’s surname and year. The text should make it clear you are referring to a Tweet, eg:
One chief executive in the NHS shared information on Twitter about their experience of being reverse mentored (Marsh 2019).
The full reference should include the author name, year of publication, the Tweet in full, date of publication, Tweet, user handle, URL and date accessed:
Marsh S-J (2019). ‘Inspiring, uplifting and also sad and worrying session with my fabulous reverse mentor @mzroxiie I appreciate that I can never know how it feels to be treated differently due to the colour of my skin but via Roxy I hope to learn more. P.S. She really is fabulous [heart emoji]’, 19 September. Tweet (@BWCHBoss). Available at: https://twitter.com/BWCHBoss/status/1174738608714133506 (accessed on 6 October 2020).
Videos
References for videos should follow the same format as other online content. Short references should be the author or organisation name and date.
Edmondson A (2020). ‘The importance of teaming in health and care: Amy Edmondson’. Video. The King’s Fund website. Available at: www.kingsfund.org.uk/audio-video/teaming-health-care-amy-edmondson (accessed on 6 October 2020).
Books/publications/information materials in specific formats
Some books/publications are produced in specific formats. In such cases, if the format name does not form part of the title or sub-title (in which case it should be styled in italics), insert it after the title, styled in roman with an initial capital letter. For example:
Vadean F, Saloniki E-C (2020). Determinants of staff turnover and vacancies in the long-term care sector in England. PSSRU discussion paper no 2020-01. Canterbury: Personal Social Services Research Unit, University of Kent. Available at: www.pssru.ac.uk/publications/pub-5437/ (accessed on 6 October 2020).
Systematic reviews from the Cochrane database
Show the author name(s), with the year of the most recent amendment in brackets, then the title of the study followed by the words ‘Cochrane Review’ in brackets, then details of the issue and article number:
Cahill K, Perera R (2011). 'Competitions and incentives for smoking cessation (Cochrane Review)'. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, issue 2, article CD004307. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD004307.pub4 (accessed on 6 October 2020).
Conference papers
Include the name of the person giving the paper, the year, the title of the paper and the title, place and date of the conference, eg:
Studer M (2001). ‘Civilian military relations and co-operation in humanitarian emergencies’. Paper presented at workshop organised by the Swiss Development Agency, Bern, 26 January.
If the paper has been published as part of conference proceedings, include details of publication, eg:
Proctor P (1998). ‘The tutorial: combining asynchronous and synchronous learning’ in Banks S (ed), Networked lifelong learning: innovative approaches to education and training through the internet. Proceedings of the 1998 International Conference held at the University of Sheffield. Sheffield: University of Sheffield.
Speeches
Include the speaker’s name, title of the speech and the place and date where the speech was given, eg:
Hunt J (2014a). Better Care Fund and improving care. Speech at the National Children and Adult Services Conference, 30 October. Available at: www.gov.uk/government/speeches/better-care-fund-and-improving-care (accessed on 8 December 2014).
Presentations
Similar rules apply to presentations. Include the name, title of presentation and the place and date of the conference at which presentation was given, eg:
Donkin A (2014). A perspective on health inequalities: health inequalities are everybody’s business. Presentation at the Anglia and Essex Public Health Conference, Stansted, 5 June.
If the presentation is available online, include those details.
Available at: www.instituteofhealthequity.org/presentations/presentation-slides (accessed on 28 May 2015).
Government publications
There are a number of different types of government publications. The general rule for the style of these is to include: Author (or Chair) (Year). Title. Series. Reference number (for example, Command paper number). Place of publication: publisher.
Acts of Parliament do not need an author but the title of the Act should be followed by the chapter number, using ‘c’ as the abbreviation for chapter.
National Health Service Act 2006 (c 41). London: The Stationery Office.
Or
Coronavirus Act 2020 (c 7). Legislation. gov.uk website. Available at: www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2020/7/contents/enacted/data.htm (accessed on 2 October 2020).
Bills should specify whether the Bill is House of Commons or House of Lords and include session of parliament and serial number of the Bill.
House of Commons Bill (2005-06). 12. Attendance Allowance and Disability Living Allowance (Information) Bill. London: The Stationery Office.
Or
House of Commons Bill (2019-21). International Development (Women’s Sanitary Products) Bill. Parliament website. Available at: https://services.parliament.uk/Bills/2019-21/internationaldevelopmentwomenssanitaryproducts.html (accessed on 2 October 2020).
Command papers are papers presented to parliament ‘by command of Her Majesty’. References to Command papers should include the author (if there is one), the title of the paper (in italics), the Command number, the year of publication and the publisher.
The abbreviation for ‘Command’ varies according to the period into which the paper falls: Cd for those published 1900-1918; Cmd for those published 1919-1956; Cmnd for those published 1956-1986; Cm for those published since 1986, eg:
Department of Health (2002). The NHS Plan: a plan for investment, a plan for reform. Cm 4818-I. London: The Stationery Office.
Committee of Inquiry into the Actions of the Authorities and Agencies relating to Darryn James Clarke (1979). Cmnd 7730. London: HMSO.
Official reports of parliamentary debates (Hansard): references should specify whether the debate is in the House of Commons or the House of Lords, the date of the parliamentary session, volume number and column number, where appropriate followed by ‘W’ (a written answer) or ‘WH’ ( a written statement). Include a URL and date accessed if available.
Hansard (House of Commons Debates) (2006-07) 16 January 2007 col 1852W. Available at: www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200607/cmhansrd/cm070116/text/70116w0028.htm#07011729001544 (accessed on 1 February 2007).
Parliamentary papers cover a variety of subjects and include Select Committee proceedings. Each paper is identified as either a House of Commons or House of Lords paper with a serial number. References should include the following:
abbreviation of the House – HC or HL
paper number
parliamentary session.
Repair and Maintenance of School Buildings HC 648 (1990-91)
1st Report of the Select Committee of The House of Lords on Televising the Proceedings of the House. HL (213) (1984-85)
References to reports issued by Joint Committees of the House of Lords and the House of Commons should include both serial numbers followed by the Parliamentary Session
Joint Committee on Statutory Instruments – minutes of evidence. HL 32, HC 15-vi (1981-82).
Edward L (Chair) (2003). Protecting public health and consumer interests in relation to food: the Food Standards Agency. HC 708 (2002–03). London: House of Commons, Committee of Public Accounts.
Statutory Instruments have a specific number that must be included along with the year of the regulations.
The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations (1988). SI 1988/1657. London: HMSO
Ordering references
Publications are listed alphabetically by the surname of the author, with their most recent publications listed first. Publications by a single author are listed before those written collaboratively, and collaborative publications are then listed alphabetically by the name of the second person in the list and then with the most recent publication first, as follows:
Allinson D (1992)
Brown J (1996) (Note: Brown’s most recent work is listed first)
Brown J, Simms L (2001)
Brown J, Taylor P (2003)
Brown J, Taylor P (2001)
If an author has published several publications in the same year, list the publications in alphabetical order of title and use a, b, c after the date:
Audit Commission (2000a). Charging with care: how councils charge for home care. London: Audit Commission.
Audit Commission (2000b). Forget me not: mental health services for older people. London: Audit Commission.
Secondary referencing
Secondary referencing is when one author is referring to the work of another and the primary source is not available. Where possible, avoid secondary referencing and check the original source. If this is not possible, you should cite the primary source and the source you have read:
Torres (1990) suggests that the individual is the ‘core’ of nursing practice (cited by Jasper 1994)
Merleau-Ponty (1962, cited by Munhall 1989) suggests that key concepts relating to this are embedded in individual experience.
Then include details of the secondary source (Jasper and Munhall in examples above) in your bibliography.
Unnamed authors
In cases with no named author (usually where the ‘author’ is an organisation), repeat the publishers’ details as both the author and the publisher, eg:
NHS England (2019). Investment and evolution: a five-year framework for GP contract reform to implement The NHS Long Term Plan [online]. NHS England website. Available at: www.england.nhs.uk/publication/gp-contract-five-year-framework (accessed on 7 October 2020).
If the full name of the organisation is very long, present it in its abbreviated form or acronym at second mention, eg:
Lewisham, Southwark and Lambeth Health Authority (1998). Services for adults with mental health problems: the Southwark strategy. London: LSLHA.
Other examples of publications with no named author might be a journal editorial, or a government publication, where the publisher is different to the organisation but there’s still no named author:
New Scientist, editorial (2002). ‘Come clean: Britain’s stance on MMR won’t wash, and people know it.’ New Scientist, 6 February, vol 5.
Commonly cited sources
NHS England (2019). The NHS Long Term Plan. Available at: www.longtermplan.nhs.uk/publication/nhs-long-term-plan (accessed on 28 February 2019).
NHS Improvement (2019). Interim NHS People Plan. London: NHS Improvement. Available at: https://improvement.nhs.uk/resources/interim-nhs-people-plan (accessed on 29 April 2020).
NHS England (2019). GP Patient Survey 2019 [online]. NHS England website. Available at: https://gp-patient.co.uk/surveysandreports (accessed on 21 April 2020).
NHS England (2020). NHS Staff Survey 2019: national results briefing [online]. NHS Staff Survey Results website. Available at: http://www.nhsstaffsurveyresults.com (accessed on 15 October 2020).