ILL reference tips

If you're unclear about what information to include or how much detail is required for your ILL request, here are some tips.

Making ILL requests: tips on what to include

References can be difficult to cite on an ILL form if you are not sure what information is relevant for your request. Below is some guidance on what you might include:

Part of a publication

For example, an article from a journal, a chapter from a book or a paper from a conference/symposium. Please cite the full bibliographic details of the original source (or as much information as you have), as well as the details of the article you need. This is very important in helping our suppliers identify your request and therefore satisfy it quicker.

Reports

If you need a report, as well as the author, title & date, please supply details of the issuing body or company and any technical numbers. Quite often, individual company/organisation reports are not held at The British Library (our main supplier), so this information is important to help track them down elsewhere.

If you are really unsure about what information is required for your request, simply provide us with a copy of your source of reference and we'll take it from there.