OSCOLA Citation Style (4th ed.)

by IvyPanda®

11 mins

Updated: Oct 11th, 2024

The OSCOLA citation style is a footnote-based format similar to the Chicago style. However, it is notable for its range of variation, like the Harvard style, and its use of the entire reference as a footnote with the page added at the end. As such, while the citations themselves are not difficult, it is easy to make small and straightforward mistakes by using wrong resources. As such, we have used our experience to compile an essential guide for you.

This guide is developed in line with Nolan D and Meredith S, OSCOLA: Oxford University Standard for Citation of Legal Authorities (4th edn, Hart Publishing 2012).

Table of Contents

What is OSCOLA Citation Style?

The OSCOLA style may be considered a footnote-based alternative to the Harvard format, as it is also applied in universities throughout the world regardless of the discipline. In it, you assign each citation a footnote that duplicates the reference at the end of the paper almost precisely, with some exceptions such as using a specific page number. As such, the OSCOLA style is somewhat similar to the Chicago style, which formulates its footnotes slightly more briefly. It can also be considered close to the Vancouver and AMA styles, as it follows a similar idea but does not send the reader to the paper’s end and specifies the page.

Why Citing and Referencing is Important

You may be familiar with the need to cite information, but many places also require you to follow a strict guide and a specific style while doing so. Here are some reasons why both of these aspects are critical for your writing and overall career:

The point of a paper is to show your understanding of the topic and then reach additional conclusions from there. You demonstrate this awareness by citing works in the field that support or oppose your findings.
The sources you use have to warrant the trust of a reader, meaning scholars should generally acknowledge them. Peer review is an essential practice that differentiates high-quality sources from inferior ones.
When you reference a source, you have to identify what it is and where it may be found in a form that is easy for the reader to understand. Hence, you should adhere to the template lest you make some mistake that turns the citation to no use.
Ultimately, if you are caught plagiarizing, whether intentionally or not, you will be severely punished. You may even be expelled or fired from your organization, receiving a bad mark on your record that will severely tarnish it.

General Principles of OSCOLA Formatting

Double-spacing
1’’ (2.54 cm) margins
Arial 12 unless other instructions are given.

OSCOLA, as a rule, is used to cite legal sources; which makes it difficult to call it a full-fledged style since there are no special requirements regarding the design of a title page and other nuances. One of the most important points is the application of footnotes in order to quote legal documents and files.

Superscript numbers indicating footnotes are usually placed at the end of a sentence.
A footnote marker may be put after a significant word or phrase.
A full-stop is put after a superscript number at the end of a sentence.
Semicolons are used to separate several citations within one footnote from one another.
Single quotation marks are used instead of double.

OSCOLA Headings

Level 1 Is Centered, Bold and Capitalized

Level 2 Is Centered and Capitalized

Level 3 Is Flushed Left, Bold and Capitalized

Level 4 is flushed left, not capitalized and sentence-formatted.

OSCOLA Footnotes

If the same resource follows the previous one on one page, it should not be repeated.
In a subsequent citation of a source, briefly identify the source and provide a cross-citation in brackets to the footnote in which the full citation can be found.
If the subsequent citation in the footnote immediately follows the full citation, use ‘ibid’ instead.

Example:

^1.Salmon Tampubolon, ‘Lean Six Sigma Implementation, A Systematic Literature Review’ (2021) 8 International Journal of Production Management & Engineering 125.

^2.Ibid. 127.

OSCOLA Reference List Notes

Only secondary sources should be placed on a separate sheet after the body of the paper.
Sources should be listed in the alphabetical order and are to match the footnotes with a corresponding superscript number used in the document.
If multiple sources by the same author are used, they are to be listed in the chronological order with 2 em-dash replacing the author’s name.

Example:

Dinah L. Shelton, Advanced Introduction to Indigenous Human Rights (Edward Elgar Publishing 2024).
— — Advanced Introduction to International Human Rights Law (Edward Elgar Publishing 2020).

If multiple sources of the same author and year are used, letter designations should be given after the year of publication (2024a, 2024b).
Although most of the paper should be double-spaced, single spacing is used on the reference list with an extra line to separate the entries.

OSCOLA Citation for Primary Sources

OSCOLA Cases Referencing

Cases with neutral citations

Case Name [year] Court number, [year] OR (year) | volume report abbreviation first page

Note:

Give the name of the case in full when it is first mentioned in the text or footnotes; it may be shortened thereafter.

Example:

^1.Corr v IBC Vehicles Ltd [2021] UKHL 13, [2021] 1 AC 884.

^2.Corr (n 14).

A reference to a particular paragraph of a judgment or page of a report (pinpoint) may be stated at the end. Reference to a paragraph is written in square brackets.

Example:

^3.Bunt v Tilley [2022] EWHC 407 (QB), [2022] 3 All ER 336 [3]–[37].

Cases without neutral citations

Case Name [year] OR (year) volume report abbreviation first page (court)

Example:

^4.Barrett v Enfield LBC [2021] AC 550 (HL).

^5.Barrett (n 11).

Law reports

Example:

^6.Taylor v Glass [2021] CLY 672 (CA)

^7.Horton v Sadler [2022] 1 AC 307 (HL).

Cases from Scotland

In OSCOLA, citations of Scottish law reports have no punctuation other than commas separating page numbers.

Example:

^8.Hislop v Durham [2020] 4 D 1168.

^9.Adams v Advocate General [2021] SC 171 (OH).

Cases from Northern Ireland

Example:

^10.Hylands v McClintock [2023] NI 28.

OSCOLA UK Legislation Referencing

Statutes

Example:

^11.Criminal Attempts Act 2021, ss 1(1) and 4(3). 25 17.

^12.Sexual Offences Act 2023, s 1(1)(c).

Bills

Title HC Bill (session) [number] OR Title HL Bill (session) number

Example:

^13.Abortion HC Bill (2020-2021) [2].

UK acts of Parliament

Title year of adoption.

Example:

^14.Parliament Act 1949.

Parts of UK acts

A short title year of adoption, session (subsection number)(paragraph).

Example:

^15.Human Rights Act 2021, s 15(1)(b).

Statutory Instruments, or SIs

Title year/number.

Example:

^16.Cremation (England and Wales) Regulations 2022, SI 2008/2841.

OSCOLA Devolved UK Legislatures Referencing

Scottish Parliament

Act title asp number (Act of the Scottish Parliament).

Example:

^17.Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 2021 (asp 1).

Scottish SSIs (statutory instruments)

Title with a particular year SSI number.

Example:

^18.The Letting Agent Registration (Scotland) Regulations 2022, SSI 2016/432.

Northern Ireland Assembly Acts

Title mentioning Northern Ireland year.

Example:

^19.Criminal Justice Act (Northern Ireland) 2023.

Northern Ireland Statutory Rules

Title of the Rule, including Northern Ireland year, Statutory Rule number.

Example:

^20.The Local Government (Specified Bodies) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2022, SR 2012/8.

Welsh legislation

As a rule, specific measures are cited, which may be passed by the Welsh government. In footnotes, they are abbreviated as nawm. Such a citation includes:

Title of the measure year (number).

Example:

^21.Domestic Fire Safety (Wales) Measure 2021 (nawm 3).

Welsh Statutory Instruments

Order title and year Welsh Statutory Instrument year/Instrument’s number in brackets.

Example:

^22.The Independent Health Care (Fees) (Wales) Regulations Order 2021 Welsh Statutory Instrument 2021/106 (W. 25).

OSCOLA EU Cases Referencing

This type of official documentation includes legislation, directives, regulations, and decisions.

European Union Legislation

Title of legislation [year] series mentioned in Official Journal (OJ) issue/first page.

Example:

^23.Treaty of Lisbon amending the Treaty on European Union and the Treaty establishing the European Community [2021] OJ C 306/01.

Directives, Regulations, and Decisions

Type of legislation number title [year] L series in the Official Journal issue/first page.

European Union Directives

Example:

^24.Council Directive 2021/29/EC on the harmonisation of certain aspects of copyright and related rights in the information society [2021] OJ L 167/10.

European Union Regulations

Example:

^25.Council Regulation (EU) 2023 introducing a system for the statistical monitoring of trade in bluefin tuna, swordfish and big eye tuna within the Community [2023] OJ L 295/1.

European Union Commission Decisions

Example:

^26.Alcatel/Telettra (Case No IV/M.042) Commission Decision [2021] OJ L 122/48.

Note:

Commission decisions should be cited the same as cases.

European Court of Justice (ECJ) and General Court (GC) Judgements

Prefix (“Case C-” for ECJ or “Case T-” for GC) number indicating the case registration Case Name [year] report citation.

Example:

^27.Case C-557/12 Kone AG v OBB-Infrastruktur [2024] C.M.L.R. 5.

OSCOLA Referencing International Law

United Nations laws

Author Title (date) number:

Example:

^28.UNGA Res 67/97 (26 August 2021) A/63/332.

Treaties

Title (date of adoption) publication mentioning (Short name) number of the article:

Example:

^29.Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards (adopted 10 June 2020, entered into force 7 June 2022) 330 UNTS 4739 (Foreign Arbitral Awards Convention) art 3.

International Court of Justice (ICJ) documents

Case Title [year] Court’s Report Citation/<link> accessed DD Month YYYY

Example:

^30.Alleged Violations of Sovereign Rights and Maritime Spaces in the Caribbean Sea (Nicaragua v. Colombia) [2023] ICJ Judgement <https://www.icj-cij.org/en/case/155> accessed 24 June 2024.

OSCOLA Citation for Secondary Sources

OSCOLA Referencing Books

One author

Author, Title (additional information, edition, publisher year)

Footnote citation:

^1.Jeremy J. Siegel, Stocks for the Long Run: The Definitive Guide to Financial Market Returns & Long-Term Investment Strategies (6^th edn, McGraw Hill Professional 2022) 27.

Bibliography entry:

Siegel JJ, Stocks for the Long Run: The Definitive Guide to Financial Market Returns & Long-Term Investment Strategies (6^th edn, McGraw Hill Professional 2022).

Two or three authors

Footnote citation:

^1.Ludwig B. Chincarini and Daehwan Kim, Quantitative Equity Portfolio Management: An Active Approach to Portfolio Construction and Management (2^nd edn, McGraw Hill Professional 2022) 24-25.

Bibliography entry:

Chincarini LB and Kim D, Quantitative Equity Portfolio Management: An Active Approach to Portfolio Construction and Management (2^nd edn, McGraw Hill Professional 2022).

Four or more authors

Footnote citation:

^1.Rodger Fernandez and others, Australian Migration Legislation Collection (LexisNexis Butterworths 2023) 48.

Bibliography entry:

Fernandez R and others, Australian Migration Legislation Collection (LexisNexis Butterworths 2023).

Books with editors or translators

Footnote citation:

^1.Francesco Ferraro and Silvia Zorzetto (eds), Exploring the Province of Legislation: Theoretical and Practical Perspectives in Legisprudence (Springer International Publishing 2023) 137-138.

Note:

For one editor, use ed; for two and more – eds
In a case with a translator, use tr / trs instead of ed / eds

Bibliography entry:

Ferraro F and Zorzetto S (eds), Exploring the Province of Legislation: Theoretical and Practical Perspectives in Legisprudence (Springer International Publishing 2023).

Authors with editors or translators

Footnote citation:

^1.Nick Arnott, The Road to Nursing (Mary Cruickshank ed., Cambridge University Press 2022) 189.

Bibliography entry:

Arnott N, The Road to Nursing (Cruickshank M ed., Cambridge University Press 2022).

Multiple works by the same author

Using multiple works by the same author poses no challenge as all are to be cited in footnotes at the bottom of the page.

Footnote citation:

^1.Dinah L. Shelton, Advanced Introduction to Indigenous Human Rights (Edward Elgar Publishing 2024) 301.

^2.Dinah L. Shelton, Advanced Introduction to International Human Rights Law (Edward Elgar Publishing 2020) 214.

Bibliography entry:

Shelton DL, Advanced Introduction to Indigenous Human Rights (Edward Elgar Publishing 2024).

— — Advanced Introduction to International Human Rights Law (Edward Elgar Publishing 2020).

Different editions

Footnote citation:

^1.Sally Sutherland-Fraser and others, Perioperative Nursing: An Introduction (3^rd edn, Elsevier Australia 2022) 29.

Bibliography entry:

Sutherland-Fraser S and others, Perioperative Nursing: An Introduction (3^rd edn, Elsevier Australia 2022).

Encyclopedia or dictionary entry

Footnote citation:

^1.‘Constitution of the United States of America’, Encyclopaedia Britannica (2024) <https://www.britannica.com/topic/Constitution-of-the-United-States-of-America> accessed 20 June 2024.

Bibliography entry:

‘Constitution of the United States of America’, Encyclopaedia Britannica (2024) https://www.britannica.com/topic/Constitution-of-the-United-States-of-America accessed 20 June 2024.

Note:

State either page number(s) or a link and access date depending on whether the source is published or found online.

Chapter in an edited book

When citing a chapter in an edited book, cite the author and the title of the chapter, in a similar format to that used when citing an article, and then give the editor’s name, the title of the book in italics, and the publication information. It is not necessary to give the pages of the chapter.

Footnote citation:

^1.Nickey Rooke and Mark Morson, ‘Leading Change and Working with Others’ in Catherine Delves-Yates and Jillian Janes (eds), Quality Improvement in Nursing (Learning Matters 2022) 222.

Bibliography entry:

Rooke N and Morson M, ‘Leading Change and Working with Others’ in Catherine Delves-Yates and Jillian Janes (eds), Quality Improvement in Nursing (Learning Matters 2022).

OSCOLA Referencing Journals

Journal article

When citing articles, give the author’s name first, followed by a comma. Then give the title of the article, in roman within single quotation marks. After the title, give the publication information in the following order:

year of publication, in square brackets if it identifies the volume, in round brackets if there is a separate volume number
the volume number if there is one (include an issue number only if the page numbers begin again for each issue within a volume, in which case put the issue number in brackets immediately after the volume number)
the name of the journal in roman, in full or abbreviated form, with no full stops
the first page of the article

Footnote citation:

^1.Youssef Miyah and others, ‘COVID-19 Impact on Public Health, Environment, Human Psychology, Global Socioeconomy, and Education’ (2022) 78 The Scientific World Journal 1.

Bibliography entry:

Miyah Y and others, ‘COVID-19 Impact on Public Health, Environment, Human Psychology, Global Socioeconomy, and Education’ (2022) 78 The Scientific World Journal 1.

Online journals

The format is similar to that of journal articles, but in this case, <URL> or <doi> and access date are given.

Footnote citation:

^1.Xavier Gonze and others, ‘The Abinit Project: Impact, Environment and Recent Developments’ (2020) 248 Computer Physics Communications <https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpc.2019.107042> accessed 19 June 2024.

Bibliography entry:

Gonze X and others, ‘The Abinit Project: Impact, Environment and Recent Developments’ (2020) 248 Computer Physics Communications <https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpc.2019.107042> accessed 19 June 2024.

Newspaper articles

When citing newspaper articles, give the author, the title, the name of the newspaper in italics and then in brackets the city of publication and the date. If known, give the number of the page on which the article was published, after the brackets. If the article is sourced from the web and there is no page number available, provide the web address and date of access.

Footnote citation:

^1.Siobhán O’Grady and Kostiantyn Khudov, ‘As Kyiv Holds First Pride Since Invasion, LGBTQ+ Troops Demand Equality’ Washington Post (Washington, 18 June 2024) https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/06/18/ukraine-pride-soldiers-war-russia/ accessed 19 June 2024.

Bibliography entry:

O’Grady S and Khudov K, ‘As Kyiv Holds First Pride Since Invasion, LGBTQ+ Troops Demand Equality’ Washington Post (Washington, 18 June 2024) <https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/06/18/ukraine-pride-soldiers-war-russia/> accessed 19 June 2024.

OSCOLA Referencing Websites

Websites and blogs

Footnote citation:

^1.Raawiah Mansoor, ‘National Court of Appeal and Creation of Regional Benches: Does the Supreme Court Need to Undergo a Structural Re-Configuration?’ (The Law Blog, 26 May 2023) <https://thelawblog.in/2023/05/26/national-court-of-appeal-and-creation-of-regional-benches-does-the-supreme-court-need-to-undergo-a-structural-re-configuration/> accessed 20 June 2024.

Bibliography entry:

Mansoor R, ‘National Court of Appeal and Creation of Regional Benches: Does the Supreme Court Need to Undergo a Structural Re-Configuration?’ (The Law Blog, 26 May 2023) <https://thelawblog.in/2023/05/26/national-court-of-appeal-and-creation-of-regional-benches-does-the-supreme-court-need-to-undergo-a-structural-re-configuration/> accessed 20 June 2024.

OSCOLA Referencing Dissertations and Theses

Thesis or dissertation

Footnote citation:

^1.Rashid Sadikhov, ‘A Research Study of How Equal Employment Opportunities Are Practiced in Azerbaijan: A Comparison Look at Local and International Companies’ (BS thesis, Modul University Vienna 2021) 24-25.

Bibliography entry:

Sadikhov R, ‘A Research Study of How Equal Employment Opportunities Are Practiced in Azerbaijan: A Comparison Look at Local and International Companies’ (BS thesis, Modul University Vienna 2021).

OSCOLA Referencing Command Papers

When citing a command paper, begin the citation with the name of the department or other body that produced the paper, and then give the title of the paper in italics, followed by the command paper number and the year in brackets.

Footnote citation:

^1.Prime Minister’s Office and Cabinet Office, Modernising Government (Cm 4310, 2021) para 15.

Bibliography entry:

Prime Minister’s Office and Cabinet Office, Modernising Government (Cm 4310, 2021).

OSCOLA Referencing Hansard (Official Debate and Speech Records)

The following structure and examples are for footnotes. For bibliography entries, use the same structure.

House abbreviation Deb date, volume, column.

HL Deb 25 November 2022, vol 583, col 835.

Suffix WS for citing a written statement:

HC Deb 15 April 2023, vol 561, col 18WS

Prefix WA for citing a written answer:

HL Deb 21 May 2023, vol 745, col WA39.

Suffix WH for citing a debate in Westminster Hall:

HC Deb 29 January 2023, vol 557, cols 179-205WH.

Series numbers for old records:

HC Deb (4th series) 18 July 2020, vol 86, col 341.

Hansard of Standing Committee:

SC Deb (D) 25 May 2024, col 40.

Since 2014, column references have not been used.

HC 10 July 2022, PQ 162501.

More information may be found on the official website – https://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-questions-answers/.

OSCOLA Referencing Law Commission Reports

Footnote citation:

^1.Law Commission, The 13th Programme of Law Reform (Law Com No 377, 2021).

^2.Law Com No 377.

Bibliography entry:

Law Commission, Report or Paper Title (number, year).

Law Commission, The 13th Programme of Law Reform (Law Com No 377, 2021).

OSCOLA Referencing Interpersonal Communications

Unpublished letters or emails

Communication Form from Author to Recipient (DD Month YYYY)

Example:

Letter from J. Smith to W. Backron (1 November 2023).

Interviews

Example:

James Lee, Yan Ai Foundation Professor of Social Science/ Chair Professor, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Hong Kong 13 January 2024).

If the interview was conducted by someone else, give the interviewer’s name at the beginning of the citation:

Example:

Hanna Kirkland, Interview with James Lee, Yan Ai Foundation Professor of Social Science/ Chair Professor, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Hong Kong 13 January 2024).

Tables and Figures in OSCOLA

The OSCOLA style requires that you provide each table and figure in a separate file, preferably in a Word, Excel, or EPS format. With that said, they are intended to be put in the text by the time of publication, so putting them into appendices is not necessary. They should be self-sufficient and possible to understand without any accompanying text. They may feature notes and other textual information, but not the title. You should denote the position in the passage where the object should be with a title saying “Table (Figure) #: Title^{footnote number}.” Correspondingly, your file names should incorporate the type of object and its number to make it clear which item is contained within.

Figure: Glass World. - Example in OSCOLA Paper.

Figure 1: Glass world¹.

Even though tables and figures are excluded from the main file when you conduct your submission, they are taken into account as part of the total word count. As such, you should be careful when dealing with works that have a strict upper limit. Also, the standard consideration of describing the relevant pages in your citation when you take a table or figure from a print paper still applies. Usually, electronic sources will not have distinct pages, so you do not have to be concerned in that regard.