Reference requests

If you need to ask a member of staff for a reference please bear the following guidance in mind:

Whom to ask

There may be several different members of staff whom you might approach for a reference. This could include your personal tutor, dissertation supervisor (if you have one), course convenor, or seminar leader. Try to bear in mind what the reference is for when deciding who to ask – if you are applying for an MA course it might be best to approach the person who has taught you in this particular field (e.g. Medieval Studies). If it’s a job you’re applying for, your personal tutor may be most familiar with you and your work, having got to know you over a longer period of time.

Above all, make sure you ask somebody who knows you well, and who has seen you in the capacity that is most relevant to what you are looking to do next.

How to ask

Be polite. Firstly, it's more likely that you'll get a positive response if you ask nicely, and secondly staff members are not obliged to write one for you if they don't want to - think of it as a kind favour that the staff are doing for you, not as something you can just go up and demand. Bear in mind that you're adding to their already high workload.
Ask in person. This goes with being polite really - go and speak to whomever you're asking, tell them a little bit about what you want to do. Remember you're asking for a personal recommendation from this person. Every staff member has at least two hours of office time a week.
Give plenty of notice. Do not turn up and ask for a reference to be ready the next day - people have work of their own. Try and ask at least two weeks before you plan to send the reference off to give the referee space to write it in their own time.
Provide adequate supplementary material. If you're applying for a job, supply a copy of your C.V. and cover letter. If you're applying for further study, include a copy of your application, a dissertation proposal if you have one, and a description of why you want to do that particular course (mention particular modules that interest you, people you want to study with, or archives you wish to use). It is also helpful to give details of any grades you have already achieved on your current course.
Don't be offended if they decline. It doesn't mean they dislike you or think you unsuitable for whatever you're applying for. They may have had a lot of other requests, they may feel they don't know you well enough, they may feel that they don't know enough about what you're applying for to recommend you for it, or they may feel that another staff member would make a more suitable referee.