You should think of citing and referencing in 3 parts:
- A STATEMENT
When you include an idea, finding, conclusion, quote etc., in your own work, that was taken from a source that is not your own
- A CITATION
An abbreviation in the body of your text (an “in-text” citation) that indicates the statement is from another source and refers the reader to the relevent entry in the reference list
- A REFERENCE LIST
Full bibiographic details of all sources used, that usually appears at the end of your text
None of these parts can exist independently i.e. you cannot include someone else's work/ideas without a citation, or a citation without a full reference, or a reference without a corresponding citation.
The more you read from appropriate academic literature, the more you will see citing and referencing in practice. Examples of citing and referencing can be seen in the How? sections.
