Electronic source
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Internet materials
Entry in bibliography
Author, 'Document title', Web Page Title (Document Type, Full Date) <URL>
For example
Clark, Martin, 'Koani v The Queen', Opinions on High (Blog Post, 18 October 2017) <http://blogs.unimelb.edu.au/opinionsonhigh/2017/10/18/koani-case-page/>
Entry in footnote
Author, 'Document title', Web Page Title (Document Type, Full Date) Pinpoint <URL>.
For example
Martin Clark, 'Koani v The Queen', Opinions on High (Blog Post, 18 October 2017) <http://blogs.unimelb.edu.au/opinionsonhigh/2017/10/18/koani-case-page/>.
Style notes
- A source should only be cited according to AGLC 4 rule 7.15 ('Internet Materials') if the source you are trying to cite does not exist in published form and no other rule within AGLC 4 applies.
- The author should only be included if an author is indicated on the webpage being cited, such as when citing a blog post on an institutional blog. The author should be cited in accordance with AGLC 4 rule 4.1.
- The document title should be treated like the title of a journal article (see AGLC 4 rule 5.2).
- The website title should be treated like the title of a book (see AGLC 4 rule 6.2). Where the author or web page title are identical, the author should not be included.
- Document types include 'Blog Post', 'Forum Post', etc. Where the document type of the source is not clear, 'Web Page' should be used.
- Where available, the full date of last update of the web page should be included after the document name. If this is not shown, the full date of creation should be included. Where there is not a full date on the web page or document, as much of the full date as appears should be included. Where there is no date, the full date should be omitted.
- Web pages do not usually include pinpoints. Where they appear on a web page, pinpoints are usually to paragraph numbers, which should be included in citations in square brackets.
- The URL should be enclosed within point brackets ('< >') after the first reference to a source in accordance with rules 4.4-4.5.
- A source should only be cited according to AGLC 4 rule 7.15 if it does not exist in published form and no other rule within AGLC 4 applies.
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Social Media Posts
Entry in footnote
Username, 'Title' (Social Media Platform, Full Date, Time) <URL>.
For example
@s_m_stephenson (Scott Stephenson) (Twitter, 17 July 2017, 9:37pm AEST) <https://twitter.com/s_m_stephenson/status/887169425551441921>.
Entry in bibliography
Username, 'Title' (Social Media Platform, Full Date, Time) <URL>
For example
@s_m_stephenson (Scott Stephenson) (Twitter, 17 July 2017, 9:37pm AEST) <https://twitter.com/s_m_stephenson/status/887169425551441921>
Style notes
- Rule 7.16 covers social media posts, forum posts and online videos uploaded to sites such as YouTube.
- The username should appear as it does on the social media platform. For Twitter accounts, '@' should be included in the username.
- Where the social media post does not have a title, the title should be omitted.
- The full date should be included.
- The time zone from which the post is accessed (eg AEDT) should be included if the social media platform adjusts the time based on the local time zone.
- A URL should be included after the first reference to a source in accordance with rule 4.4. Where a post/video has been deleted or is likely to be deleted, a permalink should be included in accordance with with rule 4.5.
The following style notes provide a brief introduction to AGLC 4. For more detailed information, consult the AGLC 4, available as a free view only PDF on the AGLC website. Copies are available for loan from the Law Library High Use. You can order one from the AGLC website or purchase a copy from the Co-op Bookstore.
AGLC 4 is a footnote referencing system.
AGLC 4 is divided into five parts:
- Part 1: General rules (covering topics such as how to deal with subsequent references (rule 1.4) quotations (rule 1.5), and punctuation (rule 1.6)
- Part 2: Domestic sources (cases in chapter 2, legislation in chapter 3)
- Part 3: Secondary sources (such as general rules for citing secondary sources in chapter 4 and discussed below, journal articles in chapter 5, books in chapter 6, and more).
- Part 4: International materials
- Part 5: Foreign domestic materials (citing the laws of selected countries other than Australia)
Information about law report abbreviations, Australian Medium Neutral Citations and pinpoint abbreviations are included as appendices in the print edition.
Pay close attention to the general rules in part 1 and the general rules for citing secondary sources at the start of part 3. Many of the general rules found in these parts are cross referenced in rules for citing specific sources. For example, the general rules for citing secondary sources in chapter 4 cover:
- rules about citing authors’ and editors’ names including how to deal with post-nominals and honorific titles;
how to cite multiple authors; - publications authored by a body such as a government department or non-governmental organisation;
- citing judicial officers and former judicial officers, citing judges written judgments (curially), and citing judges writing in publications such as law reviews (extra-curially)
- how to cite titles, including punctuation, capitalisation, subtitles and italicisation, and rules for short titles;
- the inclusion of URLs and archived URLs using permalink
Rule 1.13 provides the rules for bibliographies. Where a bibliography is required it should list all sources that were relied upon, not only those referred to in the text and footnotes. Rule 1.13 also includes a suggestion of how to organise your bibliography according to source type.
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