In the Assessed Essay, how many books, book chapters, reports and journal articles do I need to cite?
There’s no specific number of works you need to cite, but essays are expected to demonstrate familiarity with a range of relevant materials. Given that a reading list may be available for the topic in the course guide, the extensive holdings in the Law Library, and the number of criminological books, reports and articles now in print, referring to less than 20 sources suggests you may well not have researched the topic in sufficient depth. However, it’s also important to realise that you do not gain marks for adding references simply for the sake of it. The aim is to discuss and explore relevant publications, and to support your assertions with references to supporting research and publications.
