Websites, social media and online resources
You may need to consult more than one section to accurately represent the source used. (eg. Number of authors and source descriptions)
-
Internet materials
Format for footnotes
Elements, punctuation & capitalisation
Author, 'Document title', Web Page Title (Document Type, Full Date) Pinpoint <URL>.
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/>
Format for bibliography
Elements, punctuation & capitalisation
Author, 'Document title', Web Page Title (Document Type, Full Date) <URL>
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 for this reference style
- 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.
-
Social Media Posts
Format for footnotes
Elements, punctuation & capitalisation
Username, 'Title' (Social Media Platform, Full Date, Time) <URL>.
Example
@s_m_stephenson (Scott Stephenson) (Twitter, 17 July 2017, 9:37pm AEST) <https://twitter.com/s_m_stephenson/status/887169425551441921>.
Format for bibliography
Elements, punctuation & capitalisation
Username, 'Title' (Social Media Platform, Full Date, Time) <URL>
Example
@s_m_stephenson (Scott Stephenson) (Twitter, 17 July 2017, 9:37pm AEST) <https://twitter.com/s_m_stephenson/status/887169425551441921>
Style notes for this reference style
- 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.
Before selecting a referencing style check with your tutor, lecturer or supervisor for the style preferred by the School or Department.
Introduction to the style
The following style notes provide a brief introduction to the Australian Guide to Legal Citation, 4th Edition (AGLC 4). AGLC is commonly used as the legal citation standard in Australia.
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)
Access to the full style manual
This guide is based on the Australian Guide to Legal Citation, 4th Edition by Melbourne University Law Review Association and Melbourne Journal of International Law.
The full style manual is available as a free digital PDF copy. Print copies are available from the University of Melbourne library. Consult the official manual for more information.
General rules
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.
Abbreviations
Information about law report abbreviations, Australian Medium Neutral Citations and pinpoint abbreviations are included as appendices in the print edition. Acceptable abbreviations in the reference list include: