Citing and referencing: Abbreviations used in referencing

A guide to the styles recommended by Monash schools and departments for students and researchers

Abbreviations

Notes:

  • Standard abbreviations can be used in your citations.
  • Some of the more commonly used examples of abbreviations are listed below.

 

And others

Format

et al.
This means 'and others'. It is used in in-text citations where there are 3 or more authors. NOTE: full stop after 'al.' not after 'et'
Example

3 to 5 authors
(Alberto, Jacobi & Keating, 1993) for the first citation and (Alberto et al., 1993) in subsequent citations.

6 or more authors
(Szerman et al., 2005)

 

Compiled or custom textbook

Format

Comp.
Compiled or custom textbooks are created to support specific units.
Example

Jones, T. S. (2012). Over the rainbow. In B. Smith (Comp.), Readings for ABC1001 (pp 10-20)

 

Edition

Format

ed.
For the edition of a book
Example Ibn Abdulaziz, T. (2004). Drugs and life (4th ed.).

 

Editor(s)

Format

Ed. or Eds.
When a book includes editors rather than authors
Example Robinson, D. N. (Ed.). (1992).

 

No date

Format

n.d.
For sources that do not have a date of publication, substitute ‘n.d.’ (no date) after the name of the author.
Example

In-text citation
(Southey, n.d.)

End-text reference
Southey, R. (n.d.). The life of Nelson. London, England: Blackie.

 

No page numbers

Format

n.p. 

No page numbers
Example

Mathews' use of...(2010, n. p.).
Format

NOTE: For electronic sources without page numbers use:

  • approximate page number (p. 3 of 9); or
  • paragraph number for short text (para. 2); or
  • the heading given in the source for the particular section.
Example The ABS (2004, p. 1 of 4) defines residents as 'economic entities (persons, organisations or enterprises) which have a closer association with the territory of Australia than with any other territory'.
           OR
Flitton (2012, para. 1) reports 'Australia is about to confront the biting reality of US military decline'.

 

Number

Format

No.

Use in your end text referencing when the resource incorporates a number that represents the accession, order, catalogue, etc number
Example

Australian national accounts: National income, expenditure and product (Cat. No. 5206.0).

Dissertation Abstracts International. (University Microfilms No. 82-06, 181).

 

Page(s)

Format

p. or pp.

These are included in the in-text citation. If one page number is being referred to, use the abbreviation p. for page. If there are multiple pages use pp. to represent pages.
Example

(Ezzy, 2002, p. 30)

According to Gibbs (2009, pp. 34-35)

 

Paragraph

Format

para.

For electronic sources that do not provide page numbers, use the paragraph number and, if available, preceded by the abbreviation ‘para.’
Example

(Clarkson, 2001, para. 2)

 

Revised edition

Format

Rev. ed.

Used in end-text referencing when item is identified as being a revised edition
Example

Referencing guide (14th Rev. ed.).

 

Translator(s)

Format

Trans.

Name the translator or editor only in the end-text reference, immediately following the title. In the case of translated works, cite the title in its translated form, not in its original form.
Example

In-text citation
(Genet, 1966, p. 61)

End-text reference
Genet, J. (1966). The balcony (B. Frechtman, Trans.). London, England: Faber.

 

Volume(s)

Format

Vol. or Vols.

Include in end text referencing if books include volume information
Example

Robinson, A. (1994). The principals of genetics and heredity. In The new encyclopedia Britannica (Vol. 19, pp. 699-740). Chicago, IL: Encyclopedia Britannica.