OSCOLA referencing guide (Online)

• The first time a source is mentioned, you must give the citation in full.
• In subsequent citations, briefly identify the source, and give the footnote number where the full citation can be found. See the example in the Subsequent citation of a case box below.
• If a subsequent citation IMMEDIATELY follows the full citation, you can use ibid.

See the boxes below for examples of subsequent citations for a case, a piece of legislation and a book.

Full citation

¹Phelps v Hillington LBC [2001] 2 AC 619 (HL).

Subsequent citation immediately after the full citation:

² ibid.

. . .

Subsequent citation using shortened form of case name and a cross-citation to footnote 1 where the full citation can be found

¹⁰ Phelps (n 1).  

Full citation with name of statute and shortened version:

³² Nuclear Installations Act 1965 (NIA 1965) s 7(1). 

. . .

Subsequent citation using shortened version of the statute 

⁴⁰ NIA 1965, s 12. 

Full citation:

³ Jonathan Herring, Medical Law (OUP 2011) 52. 

. . .

Authors' surname and cross-citation to footnote number 3:

²⁶ Herring (n 3) 125. 

Original source cited again but with different page numbers:

²⁷ ibid 271-78.