How OSCOLA references look
These examples were formatted by the same engine the generator uses.
OSCOLA referencing generator
Find any article, book or chapter and copy it in OSCOLA (Oxford University Standard for the Citation of Legal Authorities). Free, no sign-up.
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Journal article
Suri T and Jack W, ‘The Long-Run Poverty and Gender Impacts of Mobile Money’ (2016) 354 Science 1288 <https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aah5309>
Footnote: Tavneet Suri and William Jack, ‘The Long-Run Poverty and Gender Impacts of Mobile Money’ (2016) 354 Science 1288 <https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aah5309>.
Book
Achebe C, Things Fall Apart (Heinemann 1958)
Footnote: Chinua Achebe, Things Fall Apart (Heinemann 1958).
Web page
World Health Organization, ‘Malaria’ (4 December 2023) <https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/malaria> accessed 1 October 2026
Footnote: World Health Organization, ‘Malaria’ (4 December 2023) <https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/malaria> accessed 1 October 2026.
OSCOLA rules at a glance
- Reference list
- Bibliography: secondary sources alphabetically by first author’s surname, with cases and legislation in separate lists
- In-text citations
- footnotes: a superscript number in the text points to a footnote with the full citation; later notes use a short form or “ibid”
- Author names
- Footnotes give the name as written (Tavneet Suri); the bibliography gives surname and initials without full stops (Suri T)
- Many authors
- More than three authors: first author followed by “and others”
- Date
- In brackets: after the title for journal articles, (2016), and with the publisher for books, (Heinemann 1958)
- Titles
- Title case; article titles: in single quotation marks, title case
- Italics
- Book titles (and case names); article titles and journal names are not italicised
- DOIs and links
- URLs in angle brackets, followed by the date you accessed them: <https://…> accessed 1 October 2026
Who uses OSCOLA?
OSCOLA is the standard for law essays, dissertations and journals in the UK and many common-law countries. CiteSwap formats secondary sources (articles, books, chapters and websites); cite cases and legislation by hand following the OSCOLA guide. The style is published by the Faculty of Law, University of Oxford; CiteSwap follows the 4th edition (2012).
OSCOLA referencing generator: frequently asked questions
How do I cite a journal article in OSCOLA?
Search for the article by title, author or DOI above and copy the formatted reference. For example, the Suri and Jack article in Science becomes: Suri T and Jack W, ‘The Long-Run Poverty and Gender Impacts of Mobile Money’ (2016) 354 Science 1288 <https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aah5309>
How do in-text citations work in OSCOLA?
OSCOLA uses footnotes: a superscript number in the text points to a footnote with the full citation; later notes use a short form or “ibid”. A first footnote for the same article reads: Tavneet Suri and William Jack, ‘The Long-Run Poverty and Gender Impacts of Mobile Money’ (2016) 354 Science 1288 <https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aah5309>.
What is the OSCOLA reference list called?
Bibliography. Secondary sources alphabetically by first author’s surname, with cases and legislation in separate lists.
Which edition of OSCOLA does this generator use?
OSCOLA (Oxford University Standard for the Citation of Legal Authorities), published by the Faculty of Law, University of Oxford (4th edition (2012)). CiteSwap formats references with the official Citation Style Language definition of the style.
How do I cite a website in OSCOLA?
Use “Cite manually” under the search box: enter the author or organisation, page title, website name, date and URL. A web page in OSCOLA looks like this: World Health Organization, ‘Malaria’ (4 December 2023) <https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/malaria> accessed 1 October 2026
Is this OSCOLA referencing generator free?
Yes. There is no sign-up and no limit. Everything runs in your browser, and your references are not stored anywhere.