ISO 690 is the international standard for bibliographic references and citations. If your university requires it for your thesis or dissertation, this guide walks you through both citation systems, gives you ready-to-adapt examples for the most common source types, and highlights the errors that get students marked down.
What Is ISO 690 and Where Is It Used
Published by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), ISO 690 defines how to structure bibliographic references in academic and professional documents. It is widely used across European universities, particularly in Central and Eastern Europe, and is common in fields such as social sciences, humanities, and law.
In English-speaking academic contexts, ISO 690 is less dominant than APA, MLA, or Chicago, but it is gaining recognition especially in international or EU-funded research. If your institution specifies ISO 690, follow their faculty guidelines, which may clarify some of the standard's optional elements.
In-Text Citation vs. Reference List Entry
Citing a source involves two linked elements:
- In-text citation: a short reference placed directly in the body of your text, pointing the reader to a specific source.
- Reference list entry: the full bibliographic description of the source, placed at the end of your work.
Every in-text citation must have a matching entry in the reference list, and every entry in the reference list must correspond to at least one in-text citation.
Two ISO 690 Systems
ISO 690 offers two equivalent citation systems. Which one to use depends on your institution or supervisor.
1. Number System
In the text, you place a number in square brackets: [1] or [1, p. 45]. Entries in the reference list are numbered in the order they first appear in the text.
Advantage: the text reads more smoothly, without names and dates interrupting the flow.
2. Name-Date System (Harvard Style)
In the text, you place the author's surname and year in parentheses: (Novak, 2021) or (Novak, 2021, p. 45). Entries in the reference list are arranged alphabetically by the first author's surname.
Advantage: the reader immediately sees who the source is and when it was published, without turning to the back of the document.
Both systems are fully compliant with ISO 690. Use only one system throughout a single document.
Reference Examples
Book (Monograph)
Name-date: NOVAK, Marek and Jana HORAKOVA, 2019. Research Methods in Social Sciences. 2nd ed. London: Academic Press. ISBN 978-0-123-45678-9.
Number: [1] NOVAK, Marek and Jana HORAKOVA. Research Methods in Social Sciences. 2nd ed. London: Academic Press, 2019. ISBN 978-0-123-45678-9.
Chapter in an Edited Book
KOVACOVA, Petra, 2020. Digital competencies in educational contexts. In: SVOBODA, Radoslav, ed. Education in the 21st Century. Vienna: University Press, pp. 112–128. ISBN 978-3-000-01234-5.
Journal Article
FISER, Tomas and Marta OLEJNIKOVA, 2022. The impact of remote learning on academic performance. Journal of Educational Research, vol. 74, no. 2, pp. 33–51. ISSN 0022-0671. DOI: 10.1080/00220671.2022.123456.
Website / Online Source
UNIVERSITY OF VIENNA, 2023. Guidelines for Thesis and Dissertation Submissions [online]. Vienna: University of Vienna [cited 2024-03-15]. Available from: https://www.univie.ac.at/thesis-guidelines
Legislation
Directive 2019/1024/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council on open data and the re-use of public sector information, 2019. Official Journal of the European Union [online]. Luxembourg: Publications Office of the EU [cited 2024-03-10]. Available from: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32019L1024
Thesis or Dissertation
MRAZOVA, Simona, 2021. Graduate Employment Outcomes in the Humanities. Master's thesis. Vienna: Vienna University of Economics and Business, Faculty of Business Administration. Supervisor: Assoc. Prof. Karl Benak, PhD.
Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
1. Mixing citation systems. Using both numbered and name-date references in the same document is a formatting error. Decide on one system before you start writing.
2. Missing access date for online sources. Web pages change or disappear. ISO 690 requires you to include when you accessed the source: [cited YYYY-MM-DD].
3. Incorrect element order. Placing the year in the wrong position or omitting the publisher are frequent structural errors. Check the template for each source type against your institutional guidelines.
4. Omitting ISBN, ISSN, or DOI. These identifiers are not mandatory under ISO 690, but they make sources significantly easier to verify. Include them whenever available.
5. Treating secondary sources as primary. If you read an author's argument through someone else's text, you must flag it as a secondary citation. Presenting it as a direct source is an academic integrity issue that Turnitin and similar systems may flag.
6. Inconsistent name formatting. An author's name must be written identically every time it appears in your reference list, including capitalisation and diacritics.
Practical Tips for Getting Citations Right
Use a reference manager. Zotero (free) and Mendeley integrate directly with Word and Google Docs, store your sources, and can generate reference lists in various formats. Always check the generated output manually: automated tools occasionally produce incorrect or incomplete entries.
Log sources as you write. Building the reference list from memory after you finish writing is error-prone. Add each source to your manager the moment you cite it.
Run a final consistency check. Before submission, go through the entire document and verify that every in-text citation has a matching reference list entry, and vice versa.
Know the ISO 690 version your institution uses. The standard was updated in 2021. If your faculty guidelines reference an older edition, follow those guidelines. When in doubt, ask your supervisor or the library.
When writing a master's thesis, citation accuracy is one of the technical criteria examiners routinely check. A well-structured, consistent reference list signals rigour and attention to detail.
Frequently Asked Questions about ISO 690
Do I have to use ISO 690, or can I use APA or Harvard instead?
It depends on your institution. If your faculty guidelines specify ISO 690, use it. Some programmes, particularly in science and engineering, permit APA, IEEE, or Vancouver. Always check the official student handbook or ask your supervisor before choosing.
Is Harvard style the same as ISO 690?
Not exactly. The name-date (Harvard) system is one of the two citation approaches defined within ISO 690. ISO 690 is the broader standard; Harvard-style name-date is one valid way to implement it.
What if my source has no author?
If a document or website does not list an author, begin the reference entry with the title of the work. In the name-date system, use a shortened title and year as the in-text citation.
How do I cite AI-generated content (ChatGPT, etc.)?
There is no settled consensus yet. Most institutions either prohibit AI tools as citable sources or require transparent disclosure, including the date of use and the prompt. Check your university's AI policy before using such content in your work.
Can I cite Wikipedia?
ISO 690 does not technically exclude Wikipedia, but most universities do not accept it as a citable academic source. Use it to identify primary sources, then cite those instead.