OSCOLA Referencing Generator

Create accurate OSCOLA citations for cases, statutes, books and journal articles — free, instant and built for UK law students.

What is OSCOLA Referencing?

OSCOLA (the Oxford University Standard for Citation of Legal Authorities) is the footnote-based referencing system used across UK law schools. Sources are cited in numbered footnotes at the bottom of the page, not in the text itself.

A full bibliography at the end of your work lists every source again, grouped by category — cases, legislation, then secondary sources such as books and journal articles — usually alphabetically within each group.

Getting OSCOLA right matters for every piece of coursework. If you need extra support with a law assignment, our law assignment help team can check your citations and structure.

How to Use the OSCOLA Referencing Generator

1. Select the OSCOLA tab above (already selected by default).
2. Choose a source type — Book, Journal Article, Website, Newspaper, Case or Statute.
3. Fill in the fields exactly as they appear in the original source.
4. Click Generate Reference to see the correctly formatted citation.
5. Click Add to Reference List to build your full bibliography.
6. Use Copy on any entry, or Copy All once your list is complete.

Citing Cases and Statutes in OSCOLA

Cases are cited by the party names in italics, followed by the year in square or round brackets, the citation, and the deciding court in parentheses:

Donoghue v Stevenson [1932] AC 562 (HL).

Statutes (Acts of Parliament) are cited by their short title and year only — no author, no italics:

Human Rights Act 1998.

Both appear in a separate table of cases and table of legislation at the start of longer pieces, and again in the main bibliography for essays and coursework.

Footnotes and Bibliography in OSCOLA

The first footnote reference to a source is given in full. Later references to the same source can be shortened, using ibid for the immediately preceding footnote, or a short form with a cross-reference such as (n 3).

Pinpoint references — a specific page or paragraph — are added at the end of the footnote after a comma, for example “para 45” or “12”.

Common Mistakes in OSCOLA Referencing

Writing case names in an author-date style instead of using footnotes, forgetting to italicise case names, mixing up the bracket style for cases with a volume number, and leaving statutes uncapitalised are the errors markers flag most often.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is OSCOLA Referencing?

OSCOLA is a footnote-based citation style created by Oxford University for UK legal writing. Sources are numbered in footnotes rather than cited in the text, with a full bibliography at the end.

How Do I Cite a Case in OSCOLA?

Italicise the case name, add the year in square or round brackets, then the citation and the court in parentheses, for example Donoghue v Stevenson [1932] AC 562 (HL).

How Do I Cite an Act of Parliament in OSCOLA?

Simply state the short title and year, with no author and no italics, for example Human Rights Act 1998.

Do I Need Page Numbers in OSCOLA Footnotes?

Yes. When referring to a specific point, add a pinpoint reference after the main citation, such as a page or paragraph number.

What’s the Difference Between a Footnote and a Bibliography Entry?

Footnotes appear at the bottom of the page where a source is cited and can be shortened after the first mention. The bibliography lists every source in full once, grouped by category, at the end.