How do I reference lecture notes… in the NLM style?
09/04/2026

If your course material contains original content that you want to use in your work, it will need to be referenced as follows:
What information do you need in the reference?
- Author – surname initials e.g. Jackson K.
- Title of course materials: subtitle
- Lecture presented at: Module Name
- Date of lecture and date cited in square brackets (if accessed online)
- Name of Institution, Location
- Available from: URL or Name of Institution VLE
Below are some examples for you to follow, which demonstrate how to form the reference from the above elements:
In-person lecture with printed materials
Smith M. Guided weapons: Barrington Library induction. Lecture presented at: Introductory and Foundation Studies; 2020 Sep 10; Cranfield University, Shrivenham.
Lecture/presentation with materials available through a VLE
Smith M. Guided weapons: Barrington Library induction. Lecture presented at: Introductory and Foundation Studies [Internet]; 2020 Sep 10 [cited 2020 Nov 5]; Cranfield University, Shrivenham. Available from: https://canvas.cranfield.ac.uk/courses/5703
Presentation slides from an online platform such as SlideShare
Parker A. Exploring the water challenge: waterless toilets. Paper presented at: Geovation Water Challenge [Internet]; 2016 Jan 22 [cited 2023 Mar 2]; SlideShare. Available from: https://www.slideshare.net/Geovationchallenge/exploring-the-water-challenge-waterless-toilets-cranfield-university
Course VLE discussion forum
Check whether you have permission to use forum posts before you use them in your work. They would need to be referenced as personal communications, not course material. Please consult the NLM referencing guide.
Please note:
- Instead of relying on lecture notes, if possible, try to find, read, and cite the original sources mentioned within them.
- Remember, if the course material is on a VLE (such as Canvas) or a company intranet and your reader can also access the content, provide the VLE page URL or intranet page URL. If the intended audience doesn’t have access to the resource, ask your supervisor or module leader if it is appropriate to cite.
For all your referencing questions – please contact Cranfield Libraries.
Please note: Cranfield supports two different referencing styles – APA7 (Author-date) and Numbered (NLM). Please make sure you use the style preferred by your supervisor or lecturer.
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