Subsequent references

You are encouraged to use 'ibid' and 'above' in your footnoting as a way to avoid repeating the full footnote citation to the same reference.

Using ...

Ibid

This is an abbreviation of 'ibidem' which means 'in the same place', and directs the reader to back to the immediately preceding footnote. If it is exactly the same reference, including an identical page or pinpoint reference, then a simple 'ibid' is all that is necessary in the next footnote.

If it is the same reference but with a different page number, write 'ibid' followed by the new pinpoint reference. For example:

above n

Use this when you have already listed a full reference earlier in your footnotes, but where other footnotes have been references since, so you cannot use 'ibid'. You can use 'above n' (where n refers to a previous footnote number) and a different page number:

Note the exceptions: you cannot use 'above' for legislation, cases or treaties.

For more information and examples about the presentation of subsequent or preceding references in your footnotes, refer to AGLC3 7-12 [1.4]

Second-hand citations

In your research, you will occasionally come across a useful reference or quote from another source that you have not read or do not have access to, but would like to use. In this situation, it is important that you make it clear that you have found the information from another source. In other words, you must make sure that you acknowledge both the original source and the place that you found it. You can simply use 'in' to indicate that you have found it somewhere else. For instance, if you have found a good quote by Charles Wright , whose book you do not have, on page 2 of Garner's The Elements of Legal Style, and your sentence is:

Your footnote would be:

Part 2: Academic writing