how many references should i put in a 1000 word essay

im not rlly used to writing shorter essays, and i like to go into depth when talking about a specific topic so ill end up going over the word count :frown:

is it ok to just do like 4/5 references (not citations)?

Reply 1

EdgeHillStudents

Official Rep

Original post by mymanmymanmyman

im not rlly used to writing shorter essays, and i like to go into depth when talking about a specific topic so ill end up going over the word count :frown:

is it ok to just do like 4/5 references (not citations)?

Hi @mymanmymanmyman,

I was told by my lecturers that with every 100 words they expect a new citation / reference so in this case that would be 10 references at least. Obviously this can be dependent on the subject / topic that you are discussing.

I would recommend maybe checking with the module leader or the lecturer who assigned this work is expecting if you are unsure.

Rebecca
3rd Year Geoenvironmental Hazards Student

Reply 2

University of Huddersfield

Official Rep

Original post by mymanmymanmyman

im not rlly used to writing shorter essays, and i like to go into depth when talking about a specific topic so ill end up going over the word count :frown:

is it ok to just do like 4/5 references (not citations)?

@mymanmymanmyman

Try to be concise (I know that 1,000 words are not a lot but being able to express yourself concisely is a good skill to have). As said in the previous post, it would be good to have more than five references as your referencing shows how much reading you have done around the topic.

You are right to avoid quoting because it will waste your word count and doesn't show enough skill, whereas finding references that support each other will look a lot better!

All the best,

Oluwatosin – 3rd year student – University of Huddersfield

Reply 3

hallamstudents

Official Rep

Original post by mymanmymanmyman

im not rlly used to writing shorter essays, and i like to go into depth when talking about a specific topic so ill end up going over the word count :frown:

is it ok to just do like 4/5 references (not citations)?

Hi there,

This depends on what the type of assignment you are writing is but usually I would do more than 5 in a 1000 word essay. It's good to back up the points you make well which may need a few references so I would suggest to do more like 10 references in an essay of this size.

I would suggest that the best thing to do would be to ask your module tutor what they think as the only way you will know for definite is to ask them what they would expect and this way you will know for next time too!

If you have an academic advisor of any kind or a personal tutor, you could also ask them as they will know roughly what is expected of you when writing an assignment like this and this way you will write a good essay and you will be able to carry this information on to any other assignments!

In terms of being specific when you are writing, try and pick out the most important things that you need to include and make sure you write about these and then you can write the essay around the main points. if you need help with this, again ask your tutor or personal tutor and they can help you with this! Or, look into if your library or uni in general put on any study skills sessions as there may be sessions or help available on writing concisely! Use the services that the uni provide as they are great and really helpful.

I hope this helps,

Lucy -SHU student ambassador.

Reply 4

Lancaster Student Ambassador

Official Rep

Original post by mymanmymanmyman

im not rlly used to writing shorter essays, and i like to go into depth when talking about a specific topic so ill end up going over the word count :frown:

is it ok to just do like 4/5 references (not citations)?

Hi @mymanmymanmyman

It really depends on the degree and the essay. I study biochemistry, and cite a lot in my essays because very little of the information is mine, it's sourced from a mix of mainly primary papers and some reviews so all of the data/studies/stats I mention have to be cited (in one 1500 word essay I had 24 references). In a more critical essay, where there's a lot of opinions and insight provided from you, I would assume there is less citing needed.

Rebecca (Lancaster Student Ambassador)

(edited 11 months ago)

Reply 5

gjd800

Do not take the above user's advice. It is contract cheating, and such services are now illegal in the UK.

I will also buck the trend of the comments above and say that especially in humanities disciplines, a 1000 worder does not always require many references. If you deal with them in appropriate ways then 5 could be fine.

I wrote a 90,000 word doctoral thesis and used only ~100 references, as an example.

Reply 6

University of Portsmouth Student Rep

Original post by mymanmymanmyman

im not rlly used to writing shorter essays, and i like to go into depth when talking about a specific topic so ill end up going over the word count :frown:

is it ok to just do like 4/5 references (not citations)?

Hey!
As we know 1000 words can be quite challenging to meet without going over the word count, and we understand the struggles on using the more important information in those 1000 words.
We suggest again which is also dependent on the course and modules that for 1000 words you would use at least 10 references. This way you can strengthen your essay with concise information that will push you for those higher marks and be backed up through your referencing and also shows consistency throughout your work.
We also recommend that if you are unsure then you should also contact your course leader/ tutor or lecturer to find out exactly how they would like you to structure your essay and to clarify how many references they would suggest you use to put you in those higher marks.
If you have any further question please feel free to answer this reply and we will be happy to help.
Kind regards
Kira - university of Portsmouth student rep

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