Vienna Master of Arts in Applied Human Rights

EDITING AND REFERENCING RULES

Table of Contents

1 Requirements of an Academic Paper 2

2 To Paraphrase or to Quote? 2
2.1 What is a Quotation? 2
2.2 What is a Paraphrase? 3
3 Footnotes and Bibliography (Oxford Referencing) 4
4 Different Types of Sources 6
5 Additional Remarks 10

The ability to appropriately and accurately include ideas from external sources in your academic
paper is essential. While writing academic assignments, students are required to acknowledge all
the sources which have been used. Referencing is important as it supports facts, enables readers to
find the used sources, and avoids the accusation of plagiarism. This document should provide you
with all basic formal requirements as well as editing and referencing rules applicable at the Vienna
Master of Arts in Applied Human Rights.

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 1 Requirements of an Academic Paper

Referencing style: Oxford (footnote) style

General remarks

● End your sentences with a punctuation mark.

● Indicate the number of pages, e.g., "p. 4" or "pp. 4–9" [not "page ..."].
● Acronyms, in abbreviated form: write term in full at first use, e.g. ,“United Nations (UN)”.
● When using graphs, tables, images etc. in your thesis or paper, put a caption below the
graph/table/image with a brief explanation. If the graph/table/image has been (partially)
culled from another source, the caption is concluded with a footnote. Reference the source
accordingly in the footnote and the bibliography/reference list.

Font size: 12 Times New Roman

Line spacing: 1.5
Font footnotes: 10 Times New Roman, 1 line spacing

Pls. use a cover sheet with the following information:

● Full name
● Assignment title
● Course title with name of instructor
● Semester date
● Vienna Master of Applied Human Rights, University of Applied Arts Vienna
● Word count in words and signs (including spaces, excluding bibliography and footnotes)

Pls. include page numbers.

2 To Paraphrase or to Quote?

As mentioned above, the ability to work with external sources and to use them appropriately is
necessary to embed your paper in existing (academic) research, and it will add value to your
academic paper. When you decide to use a certain source, you have to decide if you want to use an
author’s exact words (a direct or verbatim quotation1) or rewrite an author’s ideas in your own
words (an indirect quotation or paraphrase). Not only the right form of referencing is important but
also finding the right balance between the use of direct quotations and paraphrases.

2.1 What is a Quotation?

Quoting is used when you want to use an author’s exact words. It is indicated by quotation marks.
One should be selective in using quotes; excessive use of direct quotes can create the impression
that you do not fully understand the issue at stake, and it draws attention away from your own work.
A direct quote should be used when:

1
The term “direct quote” is often used to distinguish quoting from paraphrasing.

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● It is a well-known quote.
● You want to give an author’s exact position.
● The phrase is unusual and would have less impact if paraphrased.
● The exact words support your own ideas in the best way possible.

How to quote?
A direct quotation has to be the exact copy of the text as it appears in the original publication.
Oxford (footnote) style prefers direct quotations to be marked with ‘single quotation marks’. 1

Example:
As (Adam) Goldwin2 points out, ‘the state has the main responsibility in protecting human rights’.24

24
A. Goldwin, State and democracy, Melbourne, Black Inc., 1998, p. 49.

Direct quotes longer than 30 words (so called block quotes) should be indented from the left margin
and begin on a new line. Because it is identifiable as a separate section, you do not need to enclose
the block quote in quotation marks. Example:

Individual communications constitute an important remedy which permits victims of human

rights violations to vindicate their rights independently of any authorization by state
agencies. Indeed, any such requirements would be absolutely contradictory since in the
majority of cases it is the home state of the aggrieved individual which bears responsibility
for the alleged interference.32

32
C. Tomuschat, Human Rights between Idealism and Realism, NYC, Oxford University Press, 2008, p. 49.

When translating a source from another language to English, you must clearly indicate this by the
end of the pertaining footnote by stating my translation or author’s translation.

2.2 What is a Paraphrase?

Paraphrasing means that you restate the author’s ideas in your own words. When you paraphrase, it
is crucial that you read the text properly and make sure you fully understand its content. While a
quotation proves that you can find valuable information, a paraphrase shows that you are able to
understand, condense, and interpret the text.

How to paraphrase?
Once you understand the text, it is advised to rewrite the text without looking at the original text by
using your own words. The best way to understand what actually is a paraphrase is via examples:

Original text:
2
It is uncommon to mention an author’s first name, unless there are several authors bearing identical family names.

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‘Traditionally, Chile has been a “macho” society with pronounced gender roles. The male is the
predominant authority figure in the family group, particularly in partner relationships. Not long
ago, domestic violence was included only in civil law and left out of criminal legislation.’ 41

An acceptable paraphrase:
When it comes to gender roles in Chile, men have more dominant role than women. This male
predominance especially within a family or a relationship was reflected as well in the law. For
instance, criminal law did not contain provisions regarding domestic violence until recently. 41

41
Academic Council of the United Nations, Femicide - Global Issues that Demands Action. Vienna, ACUNS
Press, 2013, p. 33.

A plagiarized paraphrase:

Chile is a society with pronounced gender roles. In the family group or partner relationships,
male is the predominant authority figure. Domestic violence was not even included in criminal
legislation, only in civil law.

As you can see, only changing or adding a few words is not considered a paraphrase, but can be
considered plagiarism.

Secondary quotes (i.e., citing sources someone else has cited) should be avoided. It is always
recommended to access the original source and to check its contents and credibility. Inevitable
secondary quotes (e.g., a book is out of print and no longer available in libraries) will be indicated as
follows:

Footnote Example:
51
A. Smith, Italian Architecture, Melbourne, Penguin, 2000, cited in D. Brown, Renaissance Italy, London,
Faber and Faber, 2002, p. 45.

Subsequent Examples:
52
Smith, cited in D. Brown, pp. 48–49.

Reference List Example:

Brown, D., Renaissance Italy, London, Faber and Faber, 2002.

3 Footnotes and Bibliography (Oxford Referencing)

When you are referring to a source for the first time, it is necessary to provide full bibliographic
information. What is more, you should provide exact page numbers no matter whether your
reference is a quotation or a paraphrase. The footnote citation of a book is typically composed as
follows:
1. First name’s initial – middle name’s initial (if applicable) – last name
2. Name of the book in italics
3. Publisher location
4. Publisher name
5. Year of publication

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 6. Page(s)

18
A. Goldberg, Civil Society and Development, London, Iden Press, 1999, pp. 45–46.

For second and subsequent references from the same source (not applicable to legal
sources), please use a short version of a footnote, which consists of the author’s last name and
page(s):

24
Goldberg, p. 67.

If you are using more than one source from the same author, add the year of publication to the short
form of the footnote:

41
Goldberg, 1999, p. 74.

If an author has published more than one work during the same year, indicate the different
publications by using letters (a), (b), (c), etc. in brackets and add the letters in brackets in the
corresponding references in the bibliography.

65
Nowak, 2004(a), p. 234.

You can shorten second or subsequent references with Latin abbreviations.

For example:
ibid. = same as last entry. ibid. is used when two references in a row are from exactly the same
source:

18
A., Goldberg, Civil Society and Development, London, Iden Press, 1999, pp. 45–46.
19
ibid., p. 82.

Do not use bold characters in footnotes. Neither use "§" for indicating chapters or sections or
subsections.3 Footnotes have to be placed at the end of the page, not at the end of the whole
document (i.e., no endnotes). Please do not forget to always put the title in italics in the footnote or
the bibliography, when instructed so.
If more than one source is being cited in a footnote, citations are separated by a semi-colon. A full
stop appears at the end of the footnote.

Bibliography
At the end of the paper there must be a full bibliography or reference list in alphabetical order.
The bibliography contains all cited items irrespective of the type of source. Only legislation, case law
and interviews appear in separate sections (which in themselves are in alphabetical order).

3
Use “para.” to abbreviate “paragraph” in the legal sense.

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 4 Different Types of Sources

In the following table you can find forms of footnotes and bibliographies/reference lists (i.e. list of
all used sources at the end of the paper) from different types of sources:

Type of Footnote form

Bibliography/reference list
source (short version for second/subsequent
references from the same source)
1
J. Wisnewski, Understanding Wisnewski, J. , Understanding
Book: single
Torture, Edinburg, Edinburg Torture, Edinburg, Edinburg
author
University Press, 2011, p. 91. University Press, 2011.

1
C. Ovey and C. White, The European
Ovey, C. and C. White, The European
Book: two or Convention on Human Rights, New
Convention on Human Rights, New
three authors York, Oxford University Press, 2010,
York, Oxford University Press, 2010.
p. 7.

1
A. Fortier, S. Ahmed, C. Castaneda et
al, Uprootings/Regroundings:
Book: four or
Questions of home and migration,
more authors
United Kingdom, Bloomsburry
Academy, 2003, p. 14.
Fortier, A., Ahmed, S., Castaneda, C. et
al, Uprootings/Regroundings:
Questions of home and migration,
United Kingdom, Bloomsburry
Academy, 2003.

T. Risse, S. Ropp, and K. Sikkink Risse, T., Ropp, S. and Sikkink, K.

(eds.), The Power of Human Rights:
Book: editor International Norms and Domestic
Change, Cambridge, Cambridge
University Press, 1999, p. 10.
1
Independent International
Book:
Commission on Kosovo, Kosovo
Organization as
Report, New York, Oxford University
author
Press, 2005, p. 14.
1
T. Risse and K. Sikkink, ‘The
socialization of international human
rights norms into domestic practices:
introduction’, in T. Risse, S. Ropp, and
Book: Chapter
K. Sikkink (eds.), The Power of
in edited book
Human Rights: International Norms
and Domestic Change, Cambridge,
Cambridge University Press, 1999, pp.
25–26.
1
S. Andreetta, ‘Implementing Human
Rights in Benin’, Journal of Human
Journal Article
Rights Practice, vol. 6, no. 2, 2014, p.
238.
(eds.), The Power of Human Rights:
International Norms and Domestic
Change, Cambridge, Cambridge
University Press, 1999.
Independent International
Commission on Kosovo, Kosovo
Report, New York, Oxford University
Press, 2005.
Risse, T. and K. Sikkink, ‘The
socialization of international human
rights norms into domestic practices:
introduction’, in T. Risse, S. Ropp, and
K. Sikkink (eds.), The Power of Human
Rights: International Norms and
Domestic Change, Cambridge,
Cambridge University Press, 1999, pp.
1–38.
Andreetta, S., ‘Implementing Human
Rights in Benin’, Journal of Human
Rights Practice, vol. 6, no. 2, 2014, pp.
238–258.

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 Type of Footnote form
Bibliography/reference list
source (short version for second/subsequent
references from the same source)

1
S. Andreetta, ‘Implementing Human
Journal Article: Rights in Benin’, Journal of Human
electronic Rights Practice, vol. 6, no. 2, 2014, pp.
database 238–258, Available from Jstor
(accessed 23 May 2014).
Andreetta, S., ‘Implementing Human
Rights in Benin’, Journal of Human
Rights Practice, vol. 6, no. 2, 2014, pp.
238–258, Available from Jstor
(accessed 23 May 2014).

I. Pinder, ‘Urbs Salvia: the city walls Pinder, I., ‘Urbs Salvia: the city
and their significance’, Rosetta, no. walls and their significance’,
Journal online 20, Summer, 2017, p. 43. Rosetta, no. 20, Summer, 2017.
http://www.rosetta.bham.ac.uk/Iss http://www.rosetta.bham.ac.uk/Iss
ue20/pinder.pdf (accessed 10 ue20/pinder.pdf (accessed 10
September 2017). September 2017).
1
International Covenant on Civil and International Covenant on Civil and
Treaties Political Rights (adopted 16 December Political Rights (adopted 16 December
United Nations 1966, entered into force 23 March 1966, entered into force 23 March
1976) 999 UNTS 171, Article 14. 1976) 999 UNTS 171.
Resolutions of 1
United Nations General Assembly UNGA Res 3314 (XXIX), 14 December
the United
Res 3314 (XXIX), 14 December 1974. 1974.
Nations
1
UN Human Rights Council, UN Human Rights Council, Summary
Reports of
Summary of Stakeholders’ of Stakeholders’ submissions on Qatar,
International
submissions on Qatar, 21 February 21 February 2019.
Organizations
2019. A/HRC/WG.6/33/QAT/3. A/HRC/WG.6/33/QAT/3.
Legislation: 1
Consolidated Version of the Treaty on Consolidated Version of the Treaty on
European
European Union (2008) OJ C115/13. European Union (2008) OJ C115/13.
Union
1
UN Human Rights Committee, A v.
UN Human Rights Committee, A v.
Case law: Australia, Communication No.
Australia, Communication No.
United Nations 560/1993, views of 30 April 1997,
560/1993, views of 30 April 1997.
para. 9.3.
1
Case law: European Court of Human Rights, European Court of Human Rights,
Council of Janus vs. Poland, no.8713/03, 21 July Janus vs. Poland, no.8713/03, 21 July
Europe 2009, para. 98.4 2009, para. 98.
1
Court of Justice of the European
Court of Justice of the European
Case law: Union, C-578/08 [2010] ECR I-01839,
Union, C-578/08 [2010] ECR I-01839,
European Chakroun v. Minister van
Chakroun v. Minister van
Union Buitenlandse Zaken, 4 March 2010,
Buitenlandse Zaken, 4 March 2010.
para. 52.

4
For an up-to-date list of case law references of the European Court of Human Rights see
http://www.echr.coe.int/Documents/Case_law_references_ENG.pdf (accessed 26 April 2021).

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 Type of Footnote form
source (short version for second/subsequent
references from the same source)
1
Newspaper or R. Boyd, ‘The City of Sordid
magazine - Splendour’, Australian, 26 August
print 1964, p. 10.
1
R. Pape, ‘Russia faces the power
of embarrassment’, USA- Today, 18
June 2014, Available from
Newspaper or
http://www.usatoday.com/story
magazine -
/opinion/2014/07/18/malaysia-airlin
online
es-
crash-russia-column/12835763/
(accessed 8 July 2014).
1
Email C. Powell, email, 12 January 2014.
1 conversations and emails/ tweets are
Author's First Name Last Name or
Twitter Handle [@username],
Tweet
"Content of the tweet," Twitter, Day
Month Year, Time, URL.
Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, dir.
Film Recording Justin Chatwick, UK, 20th Century
Fox, 2013 [DVD]
Film or ‘Mr. F’, Arrested Development,
Television Season 3 Episode 5, Fox, 7 Nov.,
Broadcast 2005 [TV program].
C. Rios-Espinosa and B. Glassman,
When inclusion is a dream [website]
Website 2021
https://www.hrw.org/news/2021/05/
24/when-inclusion-dream
(accessed 24 May 2021)
1‘
The Story of Cambodia’ [online
video], 2013,
Web Video https://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=Ko7pggrFq4U (accessed 6
October 2013).
Version 2.0, 20 September 2023
Bibliography/reference list
Boyd, R., ‘The City of Sordid
Splendour’, Australian, 26 August
1964.
Pape, R., ‘Russia faces the power
of embarrassment’, USA- Today, 18
June 2014, Available from
http://www.usatoday.com/story
/opinion/2014/07/18/malaysia-airline
s-
crash-russia-column/12835763/
(accessed 8 July 2014).
Personal communications such as
conversations and emails are not
usually included in a
bibliography/reference list unless
specifically requested by your lecturer.
Interviews, however, have to be listed
in a separate list of interviews.
Personal communications such as
not usually included in a
bibliography/reference list unless
specifically requested by your lecturer.
Interviews, however, have to be listed
in a separate list of interviews.
Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, dir.
Justin Chatwick, UK, 20th Century Fox,
2013 [DVD]
‘Mr. F’, Arrested Development,
Season 3 Episode 5, Fox, 7 Nov.,
2005 [TV program].
C. Rios-Espinosa and B. Glassma,
When inclusion is a dream [website]
2021
https://www.hrw.org/news/2021/05/2
4/when-inclusion-dream
(accessed 24 May 2021)
‘The Story of Cambodia’ [online video],
2013, https://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=Ko7pggrFq4U (accessed 6
October 2013).
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 Type of Footnote form
source (short version for second/subsequent
references from the same source)
R. Leighton, Surf Sirens, Manly
Beach, New South Wales,
Digital Image 1938–46 [online image]
1938–1946,
http://nla.gov.au/nla.pic-an14035
743-4 (accessed 12 June 2010).
1
‘Fungi and Mould’, The Health
Report, ABC Radio National 1999,
[podcast]
Podcast
http://www.abc.net.au/m/healthrepor
t/stories/1999/48140.htm (accessed
10 March 2013).
1
A. Khambay, ‘The time for legislative
transparency is now’, The Sithi Blog,
[web blog], 4 August 2014,
Blog
http://blog.sithi.org/2014/08/04/the-
time-for-legislative-transparency-is-n
ow/ (accessed 11 August 2014).
1
T. Khanhly, The Role of Trade Union
in Vietnam in protecting Worker´s
Rights, Master Thesis, Mahidol
Thesis Univeristy, 2006, p. 55, Available from
http://www.li.mahidol.ac.th/thesis/25
49/cd389/4737350.pdf (accessed 12
August 2014).
1
Interview with Thomas Gregory,
Interview
Stockholm, 10 December 2013.
1
A. Zauner, Considerations for the
development of a model of
Non-published quality assurance and error
management in police, concept paper
material
(unpublished, copy with the author)
Version 2.0, 20 September 2023
Bibliography/reference list
R. Leighton, Surf Sirens, Manly
Beach, New South Wales,
1938–46 [online image]
1938–1946,
http://nla.gov.au/nla.pic-an14035
743-4 (accessed 12 June 2010).
ÄFungi and Mould’, The Health Report,
ABC Radio National 1999, [podcast]
http://www.abc.net.au/m/healthreport
/stories/1999/48140.htm (accessed 10
March 2013).
Khambay, A., ‘The time for legislative
transparency is now’, The Sithi Blog,
[web blog], 4 August 2014,
http://blog.sithi.org/2014/08/04/the-t
ime-for-legislative-transparency-is-no
w/ (accessed 11 August 2014).
Khanhly, T., The Role of Trade Union
in Vietnam in protecting Worker´s
Rights, Master Thesis, Mahidol
Univeristy, 2006, p. 55, Available from
http://www.li.mahidol.ac.th/thesis/25
49/cd389/4737350.pdf (accessed 12
August 2014).
Gregory, T., Interview, Stockholm, 10
December 2013.
Zauner, Considerations for the
development of a model of
quality assurance and error
management in police, concept paper
(unpublished, copy with the author)
9
 5 Additional Remarks

● Some reference management software tools produce citations following a modified version of
the Oxford Referencing Style. These citations are acceptable, provided they are used uniformly
throughout the entire paper. However, no other style guides apart from Oxford are permitted.
We recommend using Zotero’s OSCOLA (Oxford University Standards for Citation of Legal
Authorities).
● Note: Whatever style is used, pls. make sure to
○ use footnotes and NOT endnotes
○ add the exact page number on which a direct quote or paraphrased passages are found.
See the examples above. (Some referencing models, in particular in the social sciences,
do not foresee this. We absolutely need it, in particular for checking sources).
● Sources are not treated differently depending on whether they appear in PDF or any other file
format. Follow the instructions above on different types of sources and their specific referencing
requirements.
● Names of institutions must either be abridged in both the footnote and the bibliography
citations (e.g., UNHCR; plus an entry in the list of acronyms and abbreviations), or they must be
spelled out in both the footnote and bibliography citations (United Nations High Commissioner
for Refugees). Never write UNHCR in the footnote, while you write United Nations High
Commissioner for Refugees in the bibliography, because citations would not be mutually
attributable.
● Sources written in languages other than English are referenced in the original language. Your
translation of a verbatim quote from the original language to English must be indicated in the
footnote citation.
● When referencing sources written in an alphabet/script different from Latin, it is recommended
that you first print the citation in the original alphabet/script and subsequently transliterate or
transcribe it according to accepted transliteration or transcription rules.
● National and other regional legal sources (legislation, case law, etc.) must be cited consistently
both in footnotes and in the bibliography. The citation of case law proposed above is inspired by
OSCOLA, but differs from it in that it starts the reference with the name of the respective
court/body. For OSCOLA see:
○ The University of Oxford, OSCOLA: The Oxford University Standard for Citation of
Legal Authorities,
https://www.law.ox.ac.uk/sites/files/oxlaw/oscola_4th_edn_hart_2012.pdf (accessed
21 September 2021)
○ The University of Oxford, OSCOLA 2006: Citing International Law,
https://www.law.ox.ac.uk/sites/files/oxlaw/oscola_2006_citing_international_law.pdf
(accessed 26 April 2026)
● Sources published by international organizations such as the UN or OSCE which are not legal in
nature (e.g., reports or policy papers) must be treated like any other academic or policy source.
Consequently, they appear in the main section of the bibliography, and not in the separate
sections for legislation and case law.

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