44 Subsequent References
Melanie Lovich and Theresa Buller
Let’s now look at how you can cite material a second time within your writing.
Generally your footnotes will be counted as part of your word count, and writing a reference in full every time would use a significant portion of this. Fortunately, there is a rule in NZLSG for this situation! Rule 2.3 explains how to cite a reference a second or subsequent time within your writing. For university work use the general style explained in rule 2.3.1(a).
The principle of rule 2.3.1(a) is:
- The first time you cite a source, give the full citation with a pinpoint citation (if needed).
- If you cite the source in the next footnote, just use the pinpoint citation as your reader will infer it is the same source.
- If you cite the source again later in your work, give a cross-reference to the first time you have cited the source rather than giving the full citation a second or subsequent time. A cross-reference is formatted as:
party names/author surname, above n number of the first footnote of the source, pinpoint citation.
The document linked below explains rule 2.3.1(a) further and includes a number of different examples – including how to cite legislation a second and subsequent time.
https://canterbury.libguides.com/ld.php?content_id=48132058
For example, if I want to cite Regal Castings Ltd v Lightbody multiple times within my writing. The first time I cite Regal Castings Ltd v Lightbody the footnote has the full citation for the case (see 1 below). If I want to cite this case again immediately afterwards, I just include the pinpoint citation as my reader can infer I am talking about the same source (see 2 below). Then if later in my writing I want to refer to Regal Castings Ltd v Lightbody again, I can use the ‘above n’ cross-reference to direct my reader to the full citation earlier in my work (see 5 below).
1 Regal Castings Ltd v Lightbody [2008] NZSC 87, [2009] 2 NZLR 433 at [14].
2 At [20].
…
5 Regal Castings Ltd v Lightbody, above n 1, at [15].
