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This guide © 2024 by UCL - Library Skills is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 
Although most e-book platforms generate citations for downloading, it is important to check the citations for accuracy to make sure they include the elements required for the citation style you are using.
Below are examples for citing e-books in Harvard and Vancouver.
For guidance on citing e-books in other styles, please refer to the individual style guide:
Find out more about:
To be made up of:
In-text citation:
(Dann, 2017)
Reference List:
Dann, R. (2017). Developing feedback for pupil learning: teaching, learning and assessment in schools. [Online]. London: Routledge. Available at: https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/mono/10.4324/9781315564210/developing-feedback-pupil-learning-ruth-dann. (Accessed: 7 June 2020).
Author(s) surname Initial(s). Title: subtitle [online]. Edition (if not the first edition). Place of publication: Publisher; Year of publication [Accessed Date]. Available from: URL of database / location in which the book is held
Greenhalgh T. How to read a paper: the basics of evidence based medicine [online]. London: BMJ Publishing Group; 2000 [Accessed 8 September 2008]. Available from: http://www.netlibrary.com/AccessProduct.aspx?ProductId=66703
Author(s)/Editor(s) surname Initials(s). Title: subtitle. Edition (if not the first edition). [Name of e-book reader]. Place of publication: Publisher; Year of publication.
Llewelyn H, Ang HA, Lewis KE, Al-Abdullah A. Oxford handbook of clinical diagnosis. 2nd ed. [Kindle DX e-book]. Oxford: OUP; 2009.
When citing e-books, it is important to provide accurate page numbers. Most PDF versions of e-books retain the original layout and pagination of the print copy. However, if the e-book is only in HTML (online view) or is in another format, there may be no page numbers. This is the case on e-book platforms such as Oxford Scholarship Online and O'Reilly.
If there are no page numbers in the e-book, it is advised to use the chapter and paragraph instead, by counting the paragraphs from the beginning of the chapter. For example, Chapter 3, para 12.
For further advice, please contact your subject specialist librarian.
The majority of citation styles require including a link to where you accessed the resource online. It is better to use a DOI (digital object identifier) where available rather than a URL, as a DOI is a permanent and unique link to the resource.
The DOI for an e-book can usually be found on the e-book platform near the other bibliographic information.
If the e-book does not have a DOI, then it is best to use the URL provided by the platform.
For more information on how to export citations to reference management software, please see the following guides:
While most e-book platforms allow users to download a citation for the e-book directly from the platform, you should always check the citations against the reference style guide you are using. Even when using the same citation style, each platform may not apply the style correctly to the citation.
Please note: copying or downloading the citation directly from UCL Explore will NOT include the URL for accessing the e-book. You must go to the e-book platform to get the correct URL for the citation.
The examples below show some of the inconsistencies where citations are generated within the e-book platform:
Although reference management software is a really useful tool for citing references automatically, it does not always get it right for several reasons. You should always check your references and need to understand the principles of referencing to be able to do this.
